Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines 235-6 Won't Fire Up

I can't get it to fire up, make noise. Here's where I am

1950 Chevy coupe deluxe, rat-rod look with new drivetrain and front disc brakes. The problem is my engine will not fire up.

Engine is

1954 235 with bulldog cam, solids, new pushrods, new springs, set up with .012 lash.
Head re-built, bottom of engine stock, crank bearings within tolerance.
New points, new coil, original type distributor checked on dyno no problem through 3000 rpm, new condenser, new distributor cap and rotor, new plug wires.
Offy dual 1-barrel intake with Fenton style headers. Intake with two single carb (don't know condition, bought as running when stored with WD-40 sprayed into throat)
New gas tank, lines, two glass bowl gas filters in line, re-built gas pump. New re-built vacuum advance connected with new metal line to carb.
Starter motor; original 6-volt unit, recently rebuilt and in great shape. Three connection points at solenoid; positive battery, starter switch wire, negative connection going directly to motor housing.
New 12-volt battery with new cables. Positive cable directly to starter solenoid and negative cable connected to the lower of two bolts holding starter motor onto the bell housing.
Put flywheel triangle shape timing mark onto timing position on bell housing indicating #1 piston at TDC.
Pulled valve cover and verified both pushrods to #1 piston, valves were not under pressure indicating both valves were closed.
Removed sparkplug and visually verified piston at TDC
Verified plug wire from #1 plug to distributor was in correct position.
Removed distributor cap and verified rotor indicating spark to #1 plug wire.
Verified spark at #1 sparkplug by removing plug wire, inserted phillips screwdriver, held wire 1/16" from plug and watched spark jump from screwdriver shaft to plug. Yellow spark but with sharp snap as it moved from plug to screwdriver.

Actuated carb linkage to hear gas jet into throat of carb, cannot hear any gas movement inside either carb. Choke plate on one carb wired open, other carb has automatic operation and operates properly.

Dribbled gas into carb and with ignition on; get no response, no backfire, and no indication of trying to run at all.

I've got compression, spark, fuel and air. What have I left out?

All help appreciated,

Thanks,

Ted
#4730

Remove spark plug from #1 cylinder and have someone bump the engine over with the starter while you hold your finger over the spark plug hole. (DON'T STICK YOUR FINGER IN THE HOLE) When you feel the compression on your finger then check to make sure the rotor is pointing to the #1 spark plug wire. This procedure will verify the engine is at TDC on the compression stroke.

If you have a ballast resistor in the wire going to the + side of the coil, wire around the resistor or short across it so you get full voltage to the coil.

Give it plenty of fuel and try again.

Ron

The carbs sound like "mystery carbs". Do you have a known good running carb? If so I'd try that one, just leave the 2nd carb with throttle blocked shut.

If you dumped TOO much gas down there it might be flooded.

Let it sit a while, then give it a shot of starter fluid down each carb. (I'd do this outside and have a fire bottle nearby too. usually it's fine but sometimes starter fluid misbehaves.)

Make sure the intake valves are actually opening to let the fuel in. Check the plugs to see if they have fuel on them. Try putting a little gas directly in #1 cylinder through the spark plug hole. Put the plug back and try to start it. It should hit once or twice. If it does then fuel is the problem. Let us know. Good luck!

Hi all,

Just wanted to say thank you for all the help!

It turns out the spark was a little weak, put in a 40K coil and ignitor, and the carbs needed to be re-built. (Used the starter fluid and it ran as long as I sprayed more of the fluid) Am re-building two Rochester BC single barrel carbs with stock .058 metering jets and will let you know the results.

What are .091 metering jets used for? (thats what was in the carbs when I took them apart)

In any case the process still goes on and the good news it runs now and will soon run a lot better!

Again, thanks for the help!

Ted
#4730