Starting problems!!
 

I couldn't leave well enough alone, so I decided to pull the fan and housing to clean them up this weekend. Prior to this my 70E had been running pretty well, showing 115mph at about 5000 rpm, still chasing some popping at idle which I have narrowed down to air adjustment imbalance (haven't got the nerve to jump in there yet). so anyways, get everything out and cleaned up to a reasonable but not white glove degree and re-assembled the whole shebang. while I was at it I replaced the cap, rotor and the points (worn). this was done primarily to baseline the car for future troubleshooting ( a realist). Well after getting everything back together and cleaning up I go to start the car and nothing...The starter turns over but no start...very gassy smell and the buzzing from my fuel pump makes me thing i am getting gas soo...Thinking I may have a bad ground fromt he alternator I re-check that, re-assemble, and have gone through a couple of iterations of new and old coil/cap/rotor etc.. At first the starter would just chug along like no spark, then it started to kind of gallop, coupld of quick turns then slow, then my battery gives out. Oh yeah, also just installed NGK BP7ES plugs (new) so the connectors are all snug. My instincts are no spark....any suggestions are VERY appreciated as Ive thrown the towel in in prep for the superbowl.

Make sure your rotor is properly set in the distributor. Also, check for spark at one of the plug wires. Could be your rotor is not set properly and may be off a few degrees.

Steve

Check for a spark.

Of course you are *absolutely* sure all the plug wires are fully inserted, in their *correct* sockets on the cap. Right?

Check to make sure your new points are actually opening and closing.

Also, did the timing get moved somehow? You should static time it, then use a timing light after you get the motor started.

I doubt your alternator removal has much to do with the problem, but you do need a decent voltage from the battery to get sparks at the coil.

Your timing DID change if you changed the points.

Get the static set, then reset timing when engine is running, and set dwell.

Good Luck

set the static before even trying to start again, the batteries are nearly toast from the PO lack of driving the car, am awaiting the new ones to arrive. After charging them I get about 15-20 seconds worth of cranking available, but it winds down quickly. could it be I don't have enought cranking amps to adwquately run the CD system? Also, what is the effect of being one tooth off when installing the distributor? I set the motor to Z1, then cahnged points aligned the rotor to the mark for No. 1 and put her back in...I am "pretty" sure it was done correctly. Was working by myself so I couldnt check for spark, no one to trun the motor over for me..
will keep hunting..thanks for the inputs all..

Chris,

Check this thread for an easy-to-install remote starter switch that can be installed on the relay/fuse/CDI-unit 'console' in an hour or so.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26149

Oh, yeah ... if the distributor is one tooth off, it wouldn't run on all cylinders, may backfire, or might not even start with weak batteries! The CDI-unit needs 11.0 Volts minimum to provide an adequate spark to the distributior!

Makes sense, am going to work on a remote starter this weekend. A possibly stupid Q, in removing the distributor, and then putting it back, with the motor at Z1, should the rotor be perfectly centered on the alignment mark (on the dist)? If it is not do I need to rotate the dist to make it so? My hypothesis is that the batteries which are a known problem might be the nemesis here. I doubt they put out 11 volts right now.

It sounds like you screwed up the timing. When the #1 cylinder is at Top Dead Center (z1 on the pully) the rotor in the dist. must point to the #1 spark plug lead. Just get it close and the car will run. Make sure your points are opining and closing too! somtimes they are set too wide and don't close. No spark then!! As for your dead batteries. Hook up another car via jumpers for your starting work. You should clean the terminals as well. I had a ground that had paint under the bolt down area that made a couple of good batteries look bad. Good luck. I'll bet dollars to doughnuts is a timing thing. Alex

Finally go the car started, had a bad dist coil wire...but now it is surging continually at idle. Revs from 1k-2300 rpm or so, never stabilizes at a decent idle. I am certain that I have some adjustments to be made, but cant stand the idea of listening to it rev long enough to get warm. Is this a fuel pump issue or continued ignition woes? HELP

Warren...I have been scared to jump the starter with key in lock/off position, unless it is a simple on/off starter switch. I remember reading years ago[many years] that there may be a resistor/what ever in the standard type auto ignition switch which may be damaged unless you have key in "on" position. Maybe ignition wire to ground in lock/off position? Does key have to be in "on" position before jumping??http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/dom.gif