About 2 days ago I bought a Crane Recurve kit with the vacuum canister and different weight springs. I disassembled the dizzy to get to the centrifugal weights in the bottom, I then cleaned eveything up and reassembled the dizzy. The problem is, I cant get the motor to fire. I have nice blue spark at the plugs, plenty of fuel flowing into the carb and she just wont go. I also made sure the timing was accurate, and it is. At TDC the rotor is pointing at number 1, I pulled the spark plug out to make sure of this. This has me stumped, the only results I can get are when cranking the engine it will pop and backfire through the exhaust if the dizzy is rotated all the way to the left. What is going on? Also, I had to pull the dizzy to put the vacuum canister on as it was off a tooth.


Any advice or help would be greatly appericated.

Thanks,

FERacing66

 

If your distributor has points, you can static time it and have it be exactly right. You'll start by turning the engine by hand until it's at TDC on the compression stroke for number one cylinder. Pull the plug on cylinder number one, rotate the engine clockwise with your finger over the spark plug hole. When you feel air pressure on your finger start watching the timing marks. When the timing pointer points at the setting for your timing stop rotating the engine. If you rotate the engine past the mark, rotate it counter-clockwise about 1/8 of a revolution and try again. Once you have it lined up you're ready to static time the engine.

Pull the distributor out. Set the point gap with a feeler gauge. Now, find the number one post on the cap. Turn the rotor until it's near the number one post. Stab it back in. Measure how much it rotates because of the helical cut of the gear. Pull it back out and then rotate the rotator back by the amount that you measured. Stab it back in. When it's in, it should be pointing at the number one post.

Now you'll need a small 12v light bulb with two wires that have alligator clips. Clip one end to the wire that goes from the points to the coil. Clip the other end to a 12 volt power source. Rotate the distributor back and forth until the light is just going out with the rotor pointing at number one post.

Fire it up.

P.S. Make sure you have a ground wire on your points plate. It runs from the points plate to the body of the distributor.

 

Sounds like it's 360 degrees out - as in, you're on TDC on the exhaust stroke, not the compression stroke.

You can cheat and just move all the spark plug wires 180 degrees on the cap

 

Thanks guys! I will try both of the suggestions.

 

You were right, the damn thing was firing on the exhaust stroke, switched it, started right up.

Stupidity never fails me

 

If you changed the mechanical advance to the shorter curve you definately have the rotor 180 out and it will still show the timing correct but it is on the exhaust stroke. I just moved the wires when I changed mine, but then again I knew I changed it as I've mod dist before and learned the hard way like you are.

 

To move the wires 180* is ok on your own motor but can confuse others, better yet is when you forget later on, take notes. We've all been there done that, "he who makes no mistakes does nothing". Advanced CRS my excuse.

Carl....=o&o>....

 

Well, the only other way to fix it is to pull the dist and the rotate the rotor 180 degrees and reinstall the dist. Seems to me if you are smart enough to fix it the hard way, moving the wires should be a snap.

 

The Easy way..is to pull #1 Plug and put your finger in the hole and slow bump the motor over..when your finger gets blown away from the hole..you know your up on TDC on the Compression stroke...then aim your rotor to #1 cylinder and you should be Very close!!

Russ

 

That "1" on the cap confused me once, until I realized that was where the #1 wire should go ... Needless to say, I never cared where the wires went as long as it worked.

Once, I had a short wire and had to retime the dizzy to make it fit. It never occurred to me that there was a "right" way...

 

Thats what I did and it worked out great.

 

Glad to hear your up and running again!!! Now you know a little trick of the Trade!! LOL....

Russ

 

I set mine to TDC before I started the dist mod. It is easier that way, as all you have to do is get the rotor near the #1 plug wire contact then bring the damper timing mark up to TDC. I guess I thought everyone would do it that way.

 

Ya, I usually just aim the rotor at something easy to set back in at. Usually not a problem. Pulling plug and putting finger over hole is the only easy way to find true TDC. Looking at piston only will have you a 50/50 chance(like you found out)

Like mentioned...NONE of my motors have #1 at the same spot on dizzy. Never really cared as long as it runs! Course most aftermarket caps don't show a #1 spot.

 

As per 45/70's standard way which I use, had a neighbor who thought after you yank dizzy, install without any regard to rotor direction and turning the motor with the starter. Fun to watch him sweat over an hour, he bent the choke plate up from backfiring. Sent my son over, he was 12 at the time and had the dizzy installed and truck running in 4 minutes. This was a 67 352. Not to be a wise a$$ but once learned the hard way you will never forget.

Carl....=o&o>....