I have done a search here but have not found the answer to my problem so here goes.

'57 F-700 with 272.

I just replaced the teapot carb with a 500 cfm edelbrock carb. I left the factory manifold and used a trans dapt adapter for carb mounting. It started and ran great. Had awesome power and idled great.

I decided to to replace the loadmatic distributor with one with vac advance. I rolled the engine around to tdc. Made a mark on valve cover where rotor was pointing. Installed new dist and made sure rotor was lined up with mark. Replaced cap and rotor while there. I got it started and timed to 6 degrees btdc. Tightened dist and rechecked timing.

Decided to go for a road test....made it half mile from shop and slowly ran out of power and died. Got it back to shop, poured fuel directly down carb, still will not restart, not even a back fire. Rolled engine around to tdc and checked rotor again for proper timing. Still lines up with cap as it should. I then replaced the coil and the resistor with new. Still no start.

I also have a new electric fuel pump with new fuel filter. I have checked for fuel flow to carb and have adequate flow for it to run.

I decided to try start fluid to see if I could get at least a cough, that is all I got was a slight cough.

The distributor was new, with new points, and new condensor.

What am I missing? I have 12 volts from ign switch at the coil during cranking, I removed that wire and checked voltage from the resistor and have 6 volts to coil there. I placed a test light on the neg side of the coil and cranked an the light will flash telling me the points are working.

Be it simple or be it complex what am I missing?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!!!

 

The steps you have taken sound thorough! As you know it takes fuel, compression, timing and spark. Could there be a vacuum leak at the carb adaptor, a flooding carb, or maybe the new fuel filter is already plugged up.

I recently bought a plastic 4V spacer that must be Chinese. One side is far from flat with a hump in the center and would guarantee a vacuum leak, or worse, a distorted carb base.

 

Are you getting spark at the plugs?

 

Yes I have spark at the plugs.

 

I assume the fuel flow was checked after it stopped running; is the pump working now? You might try to run it using a remote fuel source to eliminate any problems with the fuel system.

 

I poured fuel directly down the throat and it would not start. I even tried a quick shot of start fluid to see if I could get at least a cough, a cough was about all I got.

I don't get a lean miss/backfire up through the carb like I should if I had a lack of fuel. I tried advancing the timing some to see if it would run and it would hit once or twice but never fire.

I started over and rolled engine over to tdc and checked dist to see where the rotor lined up. It is still in time and lines up with #1 on the cap.

It is a new distributor with new points and condensor. I am now wondering if I have a problem with the condensor or points. I have spark at the plugs and I have verified that the rotor does turn when cranking the engine over.

I have verified I have 12 volts during cranking and the resistor drops it down to 6 volts after cranking, that was checked right at the coil. I replace the coil and the resistor and have no change at all.

It ran great for half hour or so while testing other things and getting it fully warmed up. Then upon a roadtest about 1/2 mile away it slowly ran out of power and then died, no backfire or coughs just slowly ran out of power and died.

I think if I had a vacuum leak at the base of the carb or the adapter that I should still get a lean miss/backfire up through the carb if I have proper spark. I am going to try a new fuel filter, points, condensor and replaced the inline resistor with new and see what happens.

 

I would pull a couple plugs and see what they look like wet, dry? How are testing for spark ? Are you using a spark plug grounded out and looking at it? Or are you using a spark tester? If you are is the spark adequate that way? If you hit the accelerator do you get a squirt of gas in the carb? How did you time the distributor once it was running with a timing light? Have you check your dwell? Maybe the points closed some. Throw a compression gauge on a couple cylinders see what you have. Try putting back on your old dist and carb if you can.

 

So you did or did not check the fuel flow after it quit??

 

After it quit I did check for fuel and have plenty of flow from hose going to carb. After it quit I also had spark by grounding a plug.

 

The timing chain wouldnt be at the top of the list for trouble shooting. But if the engine has a lot of miles timing chains can become so stretched that they will actually jump a tooth.

 

Finally got a chance to get back to the old girl. I have checked fuel pressure at the carb ( 4psi). Fuel filter is good shape as well.

I have 12 volts to the coil in the crank position and with the new resistor I have 9 volts at the coil with key on. I checked gap at the points, was .010" I reset to .019 (not sure if that is too wide) I replaced all the fuel soaked plugs with new.

I will fire and run, but runs very poorly and will not stay running.

Do I have my points gapped to wide?

I also closed the choke to see if it would run better (to mask a vacuum leak if I have one) and it makes no difference at all .

 

The points are set too wide. Put them at .015.

 

Thanks, 46yblock, to bad your 620 miles away, I have a feeling you would have this thing runnin' in no time...LOL!!

I will reset the points and see what that does for me.

 

Howdy,


you know, depending on how many miles are on your engine,


You may have had a timing chain SLIP a few teeth.....

That happened to my previous 239 V-8..... and when it did, all it would do is "cough".

Even when I moved the dist far out of where it "should" have run, it didn't want to run at all....

the only way you'll tell will be to remove the timing cover and have a look.

It doesn't take much to get a y-block to run. If you have compression, spark and fuel, they'll run.

If the timing is off, it just won't happen. And if the valve timing is off (slipped timing set), it also won't run.....


regards,


Rick

 

Well, I have my own set of engine problems . You are right though, it would be nice if two heads were working together, either on your end or mine.