62 cranks but wont start

[Mexiamericano]

This is important. Bump your engine until the timing marks are close to TDC and look at your rotor.

I will definitely have this done tomorrow, the wife was finally able to lend a hand today since the baby had been sleeping. The timing marks on my balancer are not visible, PO painted the whole block and pulley a thick gloss black. I'll try to look closer with my eyes wide open lol.

[Mexiamericano]

I am determined to solve this without having to call a "professional" I really do appreciate the assistance I am receiving and am certain with yalls help it will get done!

[Jimz Bird]

YOU will be the professional once this gets sorted out.

Hang in there.

[simplyconnected]

Al, I am confident in that too. All the members here have good valid suggestions. It's a system that needs ALL the parts working. Basically you only need Fuel, Air, and Spark.

If you see fresh gas going in the carb, ok. Air is easy too, just make sure your exhaust is clear so the air has somewhere to go.

Spark is easy if you take it one step at a time. Troubleshooting tools are simple and inexpensive. A meter is a good thing to have, but so is a small jumper wire.

To find TDC, pull #1 spark plug and stick a dowel or stiff wire down the plug hole. Use a long wrench to turn the crankshaft by hand. When the dowel stops coming up, look closely at your timing marks. Look at your rotor, too. If it points straight at #6 (opposite #1), pull the dowel and give the crank one more turn.

Just before TDC with the engine sitting still, your points should be open. With the key turned "ON" (not 'start'), you can use a skinny (lamp cord or #16-AWG) 2' jumper wire to make it spark:

Put the distributor cap back on, put a spark plug in the plug wire for #1, and lay the spark plug on the intake manifold so you can clearly see the gap. Turn the key 'ON'. Ground one side of the jumper wire. With the other end, touch the ignition coil NEG post (the side that has a wire going to the distributor points). THIS is the moment of truth. Every time you take the ground wire OFF the coil, the spark plug should zap.

If you get a spark, great! If not, disconnect the distributor wire off the coil and ground the coil again with your jumper. If you get a spark, your problems are at the distributor (points, condensor, and wire - including ground). If you still don't get a spark, either your coil is bad, connected wrong, isn't grounded, or it isn't getting power on the +(batt) terminal.

This is troubleshooting, back to the source and it is common practice. At this point I need to know if you get a spark or not. Please take digital pics and send them to me. - Dave

[dons62tbird]

I am wondering if this was ever sorted out. Also what the cause of the problem was.

[simplyconnected]

Frustrating, isn't it Don? Our members make Squarebirds.org one of the finest and most helpful sites on the planet. Sometimes they go to great pains to help a fellow birder sort out their problems.

It is typical that a new user asks specific questions and never comes back to check the answer. There is no answer as to why. It just happens a lot. We have noticed some users have asked the identical questions on other forums (like the guy who posted horn problems on AACA and here). Consequently, both forums were left hangin'.

Since the Internet Police don't issue fines, I suspect this rather unneighborly practice will continue. We really wanted to help Mexamericano. - Dave

[dons62tbird]

I Feel like it must have been something very simple. Perhaps out of shame?

[Joe Johnston]

It is typical that a new user asks specific questions and never comes back to check the answer. There is no answer as to why. It just happens a lot. We have noticed some users have asked the identical questions on other forums

I have been guilty of posting on multiple message boards - but as to not answering? I'm ususally chatty enough it has only happend a couple of times over the years! I was once involved with studying some statistics on another automotive message board. Seemd like only about 15% could really be considered active answering many questions over the years, 30% were members and had posted 0 messages, and the rest had 10 or less questions and even fewer answers. It appeared then a lot of new people signed in to read and hopefully use the search function, and if they had a question, they were never heard of again after it was answered.

I wonder what those numbers are for this site?? It would be great to get more members involved and be more productive.

[scumdog]

Seemd like only about 15% could really be considered active answering many questions over the years, 30% were members and had posted 0 messages, and the rest had 10 or less questions and even fewer answers.

I wonder what those numbers are for this site?? It would be great to get more members involved and be more productive.

Off topic BUT:

It amazes me the volume of 'new members' that have 0 posts - and have a look at the members list on almost any site and there will be truckloads that have never posted at all!

Why do they bother?

(Except as mentioned, to use the search function - but they can't ALL be joining for that purpose...)

[GTE427]

Pictures. Many forums, this one included, won't display attachments and pictures if posted directly to the site unless you are logged in as a member. This forces many to join that don't necessarily want to contribute, but would like to read and view all the information available.