3.2 SS Full Rebuilt But Won't Start... I Am At Wits End

[timlooney]

I thought about it being flooded too. Taking the plugs out of that thing is a pain with the motor in the car. It can be done but it almost seems easier to drop the motor to get to them. I am going to try the timing again this week. I will snap some pictures and show you guys what I am talking about with the adjustment.

Thanks, I appreciate your help.

[Scott Wolthuis]

I would check the following in this order...

1. Fuel
2. Spark
3. Ignition timing
4. Cam timing

Good Luck

[timlooney]

Well, here is the run down.
1. Check
2. Check
3. Need to verify this again
4. Check

[76911]

I tell you what your cams are 180 off it's easy to do I did it 2years ago
and it was the same as you discribe. I ended up turning one cam and it fired rightup. but it was running on 3 cylinders. Everything else is working fuel spark. the reading on how to set the cam timing is a little confussing and I thought I had it right until two of us sat down and thought it out and that is what it ended up to be, in my case. But before that I cranked and cranked with no fire at all. Just my 2 cents worth

[skinnerd]

Mine wouldn't start up either...it was finally determined that I had the incorrect gap on the 2 flywheel sensors.

[timlooney]

I had a short time to mess around last night and after removing a plug have figured out that it has to be flooded. The plug came out dripping in gas. There is no way it could start with that much fuel in it.

[Mark McClure]

But you have tried to start this thing multiple times......The flooding is a symptom of something else. If it will not start on 3 then it is something relevent to both sides of the engine......ie 2x cam timing out, 1x ignition out, 1x sensor failure, 1x ?

How about putting a degree wheel, print out from the internet and stick to pulley with a whole in it so that you can get to the bolt to spin the engine. then site down with the timing specs and the distributor off and slowly check cam and ignition timing at the same time. Take both top side rocker covers off so that you can see everything. The over lap check is good but using the degree wheel gives you direct reference to the engine rotation and ignition timing at the same time.

If only one cam was out it should at least fire up on three.

Hope that this helps.

Mark......

PS..... print out an wheel fro here http://home.hiwaay.net/~langford/corvair/degree_wheel.pdf
stick on card cut hole for crank bolt......stick to outside edge of pulley.

[rich bedell]

I had a freind who had the same problem, he asked me to help after 2 years, multiple batterys and ripping his hair out(he,s bald now) If you put the left cam on the right side and right cam on the left side you can still set cam timing and have compression.Check the lobes are in the right configuaration when set up on #1.
Richie, Lynmor motorsports

[timlooney]

During my explorations I found out the coil was wired backward and the dizzy was 180 degrees off. I am hoping that I flooded it before I fixed these two issues. I am going to remove the plugs, run a full compression test (hopefully remove the extra fuel) then I am going to check the timing once again but at this point I am still disgusted looking at it. During the exhaust stroke, which valve is it again left or right?

This computer has the pictures of the project, the one in the garage does not so this is a shot of what I am dealing with...

[adomakin]

any news tim?

[timlooney]

Nope, not yet. I drained the oil, removed the lower valve covers and then let it drain. There was gas in the oil from it being flooded so that needed to go. I am in my garage now so I am going to double check the timing and start putting it back together. I will let you know if I make any progress today.

[adomakin]

good luck

[timlooney]

The results are in... nothing! My time in the garage is done I have other errands to run before the work week starts. I quadruple checked the timing with the valve covers off and it was right. Changed the oil to get rid of the gas, checked the fuses, checked the relay, and it still won't start. It has spark and fuel but will not run. I'm done game over.

[adomakin]

nitemare. how about finding a reputable shop in your area and letting them do a diag on it

[Purkinjefibre]

Hi Tim, at the start of the thread you said that when you checked the injectors- that it starts right up. You mean the injectors run or the engine will run briefly?

Assuming your cams are in the right way round and the CDI is working well...

Sounds to me like you have CIS issues. I had similar difficulties getting my engine to run after installing it.

I had to clean and flush gas tank. (Bad gas is a NIGHTMARE)
replace fuel filter
then check cold start valve (it's cold in Boston)
then check WUR
then check AAR

Question, did your car run well before rebuild, did you spend any money on the CIS?

Don't give up hope now!
You are very close to getting it going

best wishes

Brett

[timlooney]

Hi Brett,

It has never even sputtered. I pulled the injector off of #1 and it has fuel. I bought the car with a bad motor as a project car although it has turned out to be more of a project than I thought. The cold start valve was checked and it worked fine. I have not dealt much with the CIS. My grand plan was to get it running and then save my pennies for EFI.

I have done the only sane thing left to do. I called a Prosche/Bosch technician in NH today about coming and getting it. I told him the story and he was looking forward to getting his hands on it. This guy comes recomended from a friend of mine. I have been through every possible problem and cannot figure it out so it is time to turn it over to someone else who knows more. I will let you know what the problem was I am hoping it is just something stupid that will make me laugh... I could use a laugh about it.

[Purkinjefibre]

Tim, goodluck with your Wrench. Let us know the news

[timlooney]

Here is the latest in the drama... I talked to the Wrench today and he told that the reason that it was not starting was that the WUR was stuck in the opened position. It was essentially just filling the engine with gas. He fixed it and it started... then after 5 minutes of running.... the engine froze. I am not sure what he means by "froze" but it stopped spinning and required the removal of the engine, chain boxes, and a few other things. He told me that he played around with it and freed it up, put it back in the car and is going to try to start it tomorrow. I have never heard of an engine that froze and then became ok afterward. I am curious to see what the problem really is. He said that it was not hydrolocked but he needed until tomorrow before he could tell me exactly what was wrong with it. I will keep you updated. Anyone heard of an engine freezing up and then being fine after it freed up?

The nightmare continues... it must really be possesed.

[adomakin]

never heard of that. normally when an engine physicaly stops its because of a faliure ie piston to valve contact. did you check your piston to valve clearance when you built it?

[timlooney]

Oh yeah, we checked everything. I am going to let the wrench handle this one. I will let you know.