300 engine wont start
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New User
Joined: Dec 2009
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From: Gulfport, MS
300 engine wont start
I have a 65 F-100 with a 300 in it. It will not start. Has new plugs, wires, rotor, points, condenser, coil, and new carburetor. All plugs are getting fire. Checked #1 at TDC on Compression stroke and the rotor is pointing to wire #1. Doesnt even attemp to start. Can smell gas at tail pipe. Please help.....
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 998
Likes: 2
From: Benton, AR
I'm not saying its not something else, but turn the distributor 180 and just for argument sake make sure your firing order is correct.
Some more info would also be helpful. Was it running until you did all this? Did you buy it not running? How long was it sitting since it last started?
Some more info would also be helpful. Was it running until you did all this? Did you buy it not running? How long was it sitting since it last started?
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New User
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 9
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From: Gulfport, MS
It was running but had a little miss to it, i think it might have been a vacuum leak in the old carburetor. I went out and cranked it to let it warm up one morning before going to work. It cranked fine and was running well. After about ten minutes i went back out and it was sputtering like it was running out of fuel. It died and i haven't been able to start it since. I ordered the new carburetor (1bbl) after putting a kit in the old one and it only lasted about a month. Prior to that, it had been back firing like every 30 seconds to a minute and actually blew a hole in my muffler..... It did sit for a year while i was deployed to Iraq but i had been driving it daily for about six months since i got back.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,109
Likes: 9
From: Thornton, Colorado
Since you are smelling fuel, I would look to spark. I had a couple of strange things wrong with my 240 (same basic engine as a 300) The points were set to the proper gap in the closed position. This made them way too wide in the open position. I don't want to say you gapped them wrong, but it is worth checking. Also take a spark plug out and (wire connected) put it against the block (so that it will ground), and have someone crank it over. You should see the spark. If those fail then I am not sure where to look.
Elder User
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 581
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From: Montana
FWIW- my 2 cents. i bought my last F-250 4 WD for 500 bucks because the last feller that owned it couldn't get it started after doing a major tuneup. 300 -6. after dragging it home and about two hours of digging and serching finnaly traced it to the dist. the new condenser was no good. runs jsut fine now. but by your dicription of symtoms i would put it on not getting gas. disconnect line to carb, stick it in a can and turn over engine to see if it's getting gas.if not then go backwards from there. there haave been people this forum that have had the fuel line in the gas tank rusted off about half way down in the tank so it was running out with a half a tank of gas.old rubber gasline hose has collaped. fuel pump./ Dutch
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Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Tucson
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2009
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From: Central Oregon
My son had a simular problem with his 352. Tinkered with it for over an hour before we noticed he hadn't bolted down the new carb. Worth checking.
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Elder User
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Benton, AR
There is a blow out valve on my 352 carb I was trying to start. Was getting plenty of gas. Found out I had left a small gasket out when rebuilding the carb and gas was just flowing in the engine. Turned my oil to kerosene(really watered down oil and gas mix). Since you got fire. Back fire through the carb or exhaust could be stuck valves.
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New User
Joined: Dec 2009
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From: Gulfport, MS
So i just pulled the dist and turned it 180. Tried to start and got nothing. Turned it back 180 and verified #1 was TDC on compression stroke and rotor was pointing at #1's plug wire on dist. Tried again and got nothing. It is dark outside and i pulled the dist cap off and noticed that the points are firing good. Pulled all of the plugs and checked to see that they were getting fire and they were getting good strong spark. Checked to make sure that the plug wires were on correctly and the firing order was correct. Pulled the Valve Cover and all of the rocker arms are moving well. Pulled the fuel line from the tank to the pump off and is getting fuel. Pulled the line from the pump to the carb and is squirting fuel. Pulled the carb off and tried to crank with no carb to see if it was pushing too much fuel, nothing. Poured some fuel directly into the intake and tried it and got nothing. The ol girl didn't even attempt to sound like she wanted to try and start.
Freshman User
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 46
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From: N.W. Arkansas
Had a similar thing happen. Truck sat for a period of time. I replaced everything you did even bypassed the fuel tank and could not get it to start.
Replaced the carb,points,condensor,selonoid ----all of these items I replaced twice....yep twice. New plugs, new wires, made sure the rotor was in the dist (yes I have left one out before only to figure it out after my friend finally pulled it out of his pocket) verified clean fuel to the carb and still could not get the thing to start. Finally after sure desperation I took a picuture with the dist cap off showing the internals of the dist. Took the pict to a auto parts store with an "old salt" at the counter. He took one look and said your dist ground wire is hooked up at the wrong location. I went home re connected the dist ground wire to the proper location and bingo the dang thing started right up.
Check your engine ground and dist ground. Might want to have someone take a second look at the dist or if you have the ability to post a picture here of the top of your dist with the cap off maybe somebody here with a heck of alot more knowledge than me can take a look and determine if your dist guts are hooked up correctly.
Again it sure sounds like a ground issue to me. Maybe the wire has a short.
good luck and keep a diggin and asking eventually you'll get it running.
Replaced the carb,points,condensor,selonoid ----all of these items I replaced twice....yep twice. New plugs, new wires, made sure the rotor was in the dist (yes I have left one out before only to figure it out after my friend finally pulled it out of his pocket) verified clean fuel to the carb and still could not get the thing to start. Finally after sure desperation I took a picuture with the dist cap off showing the internals of the dist. Took the pict to a auto parts store with an "old salt" at the counter. He took one look and said your dist ground wire is hooked up at the wrong location. I went home re connected the dist ground wire to the proper location and bingo the dang thing started right up.
Check your engine ground and dist ground. Might want to have someone take a second look at the dist or if you have the ability to post a picture here of the top of your dist with the cap off maybe somebody here with a heck of alot more knowledge than me can take a look and determine if your dist guts are hooked up correctly.
Again it sure sounds like a ground issue to me. Maybe the wire has a short.
good luck and keep a diggin and asking eventually you'll get it running.
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New User
Joined: Dec 2009
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From: Gulfport, MS
Gentlemen, with the help of a friend, we were finally able to get her running, momentarily. After messing with the timing and carb adjustments for about a half hour, it would run for a minute then quit. While it was running, it would surge on its own, like you were giving it gas and letting off. Any idea what might cause this? We made adjustments on the air/fuel mixture, idle, and timing for about two hours before calling it a night. Any input on the surging would be greatly appreciated. Thanks