Check the engine to cab ground strap also, it is usually located at the back of the engine on the drivers side. Just for good measure I would put a wire from the negative side of the battery to a bolt on the fender or radiator support

 

Quote:
New spark plugs, gapped at .7mm= .025", and new spark plug wires!
That doesn't look right.

That could be your problem


Try gapping those plugs at .044"

Where did you get the .025" figure from ?

What type & what are the plug numbers?

 

Yeah, no kidding, no wonder you are geting such a small spark the gap is 1/2 of what it should be, also if they are black and still new, clean them off, re-gap them at .044 and then check and see if the spark is any different, also the spark does not have to be blue, I was just looking at my 73 Inline - 6 today, trying to figure out what the problem could be with your truck and the only thing could think of is ignition, and then when I read your post and you said (fuel delivery) I remember'd I once had a problem like this with my 302, it was floding because it would not start, so I started testing ignition stuff, Could not find the problem, then I bought a new carb(edelbrock) and she fired right up, so I figured since I know I was geting gas through the stock carb, the mixture must have been too ritch, and it was flooding my engine..... Just a thought to add to all of the others.... Also, I am no expert with points / in other words I dont like them... But are you positive the gap is suposed to be set at .016? Because when I did a tuneup on my 73 I gaped them at .010 and I had to open them up to .014 because it would backfire....

Oh, I almost forgot, go to autozone, and get a braided steel ground wire, about 6" long and connect it from your engine block to the body, and when you do this scuff up both surface's real good to make sure your geting a good ground. One of the most important things is a good ground! If you really get bored, and want to have an easy way to find an electrical problem in the future, invest in a ground wire box, it is a box that screws to your frame rail/good solid ground, and you rout all of your ground wires to that one spot, so you never have to search for them. One of the many best investments I have ever made...

 

Also after u ground engine and if it still wont start (Check out carb better)


& Go over everything (several times) you have fixed already and to see if u made a mistake somewhere..


how much of this work have u done before(on this truck or others) sucessfully "ie: like changing out points"....



I am sure like ten other people got thier truck stared already from reading these threads LOL....its become quite popular..


Well


I Hope Not, BUT, Maybe your ENGINE is the problem( You have spark and fuel but no go ) .....U say it just died out then not started again ....or you drove it some where then u came back later and it wouldnt start.......


Maybe time to do a compression test....

 

I always set points gap at .017 and spark plug gaps at .035 with points ignitions on V8s. Not trying to insult your abilities, but are you pretty good at setting a points gap? I ask because I have seen it done incorrectly when someone is unaware of how to get the distributor at the proper position and use a feeler gauge. Please elaborate how you did this.
Are you sure that the spark plug wires are pushed onto the distribuutor and coil until the ends bottomed out in the holes? A gap in these area will affect the spark strength at the plugs.
Is it possible that something (critters) have plugged up the exhaust system? If the exhaust system is clogged somewhat then the engine cannot breathe and will create a hard to start condition.
A worn engine with low compression will not start easy at all as someone else has already mentioned checking the compression.

Are you absolutely sure the carb isn't still flooding the engine because of something stuck or out of adjustment or maybe a leaking gasket? I have really never seen to many carbs that like to sit and have the gas dry out of them. A needed repair, adjustment and or a rebuild may be in order.

Are you sure the gas in this truck is good and not tainted with something like water or just plain old? If the gas is old it will have a strange smell and not resemble fresh gas at all. If it is old then drain the gas tank and refill with fresh. There is a reason I mentioned to pour a couple of caps of gas from some that you have. It was more likely to be fresh than the gas in the truck and would at least get it started. After all of the tips given here this truck should have been running days ago.

 

this might be a long shot...... but i havent heard you say anything about the order you replaced your spark plug wires..... might it be possible that you have it wired up wrong.....i am asking this from experience..... i put a new intake on my truck and thought i was finding tdc.... but... i was using the #5 cylinder instead of the #1 cylinder.... so the timing was always off by so much... you might check the plug wires and make sure they are on right..... by the way..... cylinder numbers go from front to back...... passenger side first.... then drivers side...... just a little hope.... maybe this can help and not be something already stated.

 

From one of Aquagirl's earlier replies:


Dear Mil1ion,

I'm inspired by your kind-hearted attention.

I'm trying to keep up with you, but I have still got to study on those schematics.

In the meanwhile:
Yes, I have worried that I got the firing order messed up when I changed the spark plug wires, but a reliable source (and old fart) told me that the order should be 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8, and I checked it and I had it right, in counter clock-wise order, of course: I know that so well, having seen that the rotor turns counter clock-wise wise, when I'm turning the crank clock wise.

I have set the new distributor points to .4mm = .016" using a feeler gage.

 

Think about this Dennis???????

 

He must have meant, in one revolution of the camshaft.

 

Thanks,I know what I was saying.
Now to .......

Each Piston reaches TDC TWICE in a one revolution {cycle}.

Intake ,Compression (TDC) power exhaust (TDC)

 

sorry guys... i must have over read that.... its been a long day

 

Thank you all for still hanging in there with me.

OK, I miss reported the spark plug gap>>>>

I've got threee sitting here in front of me right now. They are Motorcraft BSF42C (the old 13/16" type), and they are all gapped about .042", which is the way they came out of the box.

The points are set at .016" FOR SURE. (Come on now!!!!!, Mil1ion taught me how to turn the crank shaft, which turns the rotor anywhere I want it..... ). As to where I got that spec: who knows. My last truck was a '66 with a 289 V8, and I set the points at the same gap then. I've seen some technicals given on web pages suggesting a bit larger points gap for some of the early 302's, say .017-.020". Anybody know where to look for sure? I found a great post of specs by Mil1ion, but for '72 and older.

I have been able to check various ground wires: certainly the one off the negative battery terminal to the engine block is solid. Still looking for that block to cab strap, I know I've seen that somewhere. Should it be bolted to the driver's side firewall?

I appreciate all your comments. I am considering throwing the carbeurator into a bucket for a few days. Thats always good something to do.

I am still hoping someone would address, what seems to me anyway, the most telling symptom: the weak non-blue spark. I threatened this guy at Autozone, that if he didn't have a tester to put on the coil, I'm going to bring the damn brand new coil back and make him give me another one, and he said, "sure why not".

I hear you Quantalisimo; I'm thinking about going over each new part I put on, as if it might in fact now be the problem. This is usually the only thing I know how to do on a truck: I love to put on new parts. Now I am having to actually think...its not my style.

Ciao, Aquagirl

 

I know you live in Illinois D.
Is there No Place to pick up these in-expensive testing tools?

Autozone,NAPA,Radio Shack?
Heck, Even Wally world would have them.

They would make this so much easier,

by removing certain things from the equation.

EDIT:

I just thought of something,
When you put the new points in the distributor,
Did you make sure the wired terminal went to the proper position on the connection within the distributor.

I'm sure you also adjusted the points when the rubbing block was on the Highpoint of one of the lobes ?

Sometimes people attach them to the wrong spot and this cause problems.
Have you seen an illustration regarding this?

 

Sorry, I intended to answer all queries in good faith.
How I set the points: I remove the rotor, manually turn the crankshaft until the "foot" on the breaker points is on one of the peaks on the distributor cam shaft. Then I just slightly loosen the "adjusting" screw of the points, insert my feeler gauge, and, with a second screwdriver on the adjustment notch, adjust the gap so that the feeler gauge pulls out with just the slightest bit of drag; and then tighten down the adjustment set screw again.

By the way, I am taking your comments seriously about paying attention to my carbeurator. Though, as I have said, the fuel pump is working OK squirting gas into the carbeurator throats, it may still be time for a good soaking, cleaning and new needles and gaskets.

Thanks---Aquagirl

 

How does the ground strap and coil wire inside of the distributor look?