Why won't the #$%^ thing start?!

Ug.

I have everything together and my '72 Capri should start. But it doesn't! I had it running really badly a week or so ago and decided the carb needed going over. So I ordered a kit and went through it. The needle valve was in bad shape and I knew it was pouring gas thorugh the overflow.

Well it's all back together. It cranks and you can hear it fire but I can't get it going! Grr. I just want it to run!

Okay, I realize no one can divine what is wrong with it over the internet, expecially with so little information. Just felt like whining. It's a Ford Capri 2600 with ported heads, cam, headers and a Weber 40 DFAV. It has Ford Duraspark ignition from a Mustang II on it. The ignition ran on the car for a good while before I took it apart and it seems to be working now. The distributor is pretty close to timed- it did start before.

Well, like I said, I know you can't figure it out for me. But if anyone has any general diagnostic ideas please let me know.

Thanks for listening.

Ed

How is the spark

try starting fluid to diagnose if fuel or ignition related. if it starts and runs, look at the fuel side.

I believe the spark is fine, but I am assuming. So that's a good point. I should make sure everything is good there. It does fire, it just doesn't start, but the spark could be weak.

Starting fluid is a very good idea. Would at least narrow it down.

Thanks guys,

Ed

It ran before the carb rebuild, now it doesn't.

iceracer wrote: It ran before the carb rebuild, now it doesn't.

here's your answer. set the carbs to factory defaults

Change the plugs. Modern plugs do not have a clear glaze on the center insulator anymore. With fuel infection flooding is minimal but you have a carb so you flood it once and the plug are fowled for good, no cleaning them. When plugs were glazed you could dry them out an they'd run fine.

iceracer wrote: It ran before the carb rebuild, now it doesn't.

Ehhh, not really. It started and kinda ran- badly. I sure had to crank a lot to get it to go. If I sit out there and crank on it and mess like I did I think it'll start, but something is clearly not right.

Okay. I pulled the valve covers and found part of the problem. Weird valve train on these things that I won't explain, but there was a rocker that was able to move side to side more than it should.

It starts and runs... better. Not great, but better. Now it kind of sounds like there may be an ignition miss. I can keep it running long enough now to sort of tell what's going on, so I think I'll be able to make progress. Now that I think I have things more in order I'll throw plugs and wires at it. I never liked the way the wires I got fit, so I won't be happy 'till they're changed out anyway and I'm hoping 44Dwarf is on the right track.

I'd mess with it more right now, but the stupid mechanical oil gauge line is leaking still. I thought I fixed it. There's another pair of jeans with a spot on the right leg.

Take care,

Ed

so, now you have 2 pair of work jeans... you don't have to take the chance of messing up a third pair... you can always have a washed set of jeans....

Oh no, I have like 14 pair of work jeans and zero pair of nice jeans. Thing is, seems I never take two minutes to put any of the work jeans on and just run out to the garage when I find five spare minutes to do something.

You've got rocker arms walking around on you? That's interesting.

Timing? valve train and ignition?

maddabe wrote: You've got rocker arms walking around on you? That's interesting. Timing? valve train and ignition?

I did, but no more. These cars have a rocker shaft that the arms slide onto. There are three pedestals that bolt into the head. Each of these pedestals locates one side of one rocker. So picture two of these pedestals with two rockers between them. They can slide freely on the shaft. To prevent that, there is a spring that fits over the rocker arm between the two rockers. So they are pushed against the pedestals and they stay put.

Okay, that arrangement locates the four valves between the three pedestals. It's a V6 engine, so there are two more valves on each bank. They go outside the outer pedestal and are held tight against the pedestal by a kind of spring metal clip- if you look at it from top it's kind of U or V shaped. That pushes the rocker against the pedestal. Except it didn't in my case because the spring clip was bent. I have another complete engine, so I just grabbed another retainer and that solved that problem.

So I believe valve train is now sorted. Timing and ignition are next on my list to get it running right.

Ah. Here is a picture...

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/images/freefloatingrocker.jpg

It shows the stock Ford set up on the left and a popular mod on the right- solid spacers for the shaft. Shoot, guess I could just do that...

Well shoot, now that I'm doing a little research it looks like this set up isn't uncommon. This is the only engine I've worked on that had it.

double split collar from mcmaster will work too. and you don't have to pull the shaft to put'em on.

I've replaced the springs with solid spacers on my TR3. Less resistance on the valve train.

I'd be really mad at myself if I wasn't so happy.

I had two plug wires reversed. I can't believe I didn't check it before now. I was so sure I had them right. Ug.

Still need to get an idle, set the timing and tune the carb. But it starts easily now and sounds right when I rev it a bit. So I think I'm almost there.

Ah! Ah ha! Eureka!

Over the weekend I got the engine running badly again. Weird thing, when I retarded the timing a lot, it ran better. Hummmm.

Well, I got a dealer install A/C kit for the car- it came with a crank pulley with an extra pulley on it. That's all it could be. Tonight I pulled the thing off and sure enough, the mark is wrong. Not even close. It's a Ford part and everything, but it's dead wrong.

I'm going to clean up the stock pulley and put it back on for now. I'm hoping this is the last problem...

fast_eddie_72 wrote: Ug. I have everything together and my '72 Capri should start. But it doesn't! I had it running really badly a week or so ago and decided the carb needed going over. So I ordered a kit and went through it. The needle valve was in bad shape and I knew it was pouring gas thorugh the overflow.

Hey, I know what it is. Your accelerator pump is bad. You're not getting enough fuel to get it to fire. I bet if you shoot a bit of starter fluid in it it'll start right up, but will have a lean stumble when you rev it. In fact, I bet the exact problem is the check valve in the accelerator pump jet assembly. Order a new one from Pierce Manifolds for $22 and your car will finally run like it should. (At least I hope so)

Very scary to see how long ago I asked this question. And funny it came up in a google search. I ordered the part today. This project needs to get done.