Truck not starting... need help... I'm a rookie : (

[Roverdawg76]

Hey all! Well, it's been ass cold outside... haven't driven the truck in about 5 weeks... the clutch master cylinder went out... SO, ordered a new slave, master cyl, new connections and flex hose. Got everything installed, seem to have good clutch pressure, no leaks but the truck won't start still. It cranks in Nuetral but doesn't act like it wants to turn over at all. Then when I have it in gear, it bogs down when I try to start it and the truck wants to launch forward. Any idea what I need to do? I can smell a little gas when I'm starting it so I think it's getting fuel. Seems like it may stilll be the clutch?

Any help would be GREATLY appretiated... so bummed and I'm clueless with this stuff! My truck is a SIII 109 with a 2.25 Petrol.

Thanks!!!!!

[Leslie]

Clutch has nothing to do with it running or not; you could have all of that stuff off of there, and should still be able to get the engine to fire up and run.

Leave it in neutral from this point on for now, and start the usual diagnostics.

Check plugs, wires, dizzy, make sure you have spark and the timing is on. Check fuel filter (maybe in cold weather, you've had some congealing of old sludge?). Make sure you have fuel at the carb, spark at the plugs, the timing close, and it should run. Battery, battery cables, etc., check for corrosion and ensure you have good grounds.

Once you get it running again, then proceed with tuning up your clutch adjustments.

Good luck!

[Roverdawg76]

Thanks a bunch for the input!! Ok, now for the really dumb questions... how do I check the spark on the plugs and check the timing?

[Daurie]

Pull one of the plugs out, reconnect the plug wire to the plug and situate the end of the plug against something metal such as the engine block. You can hold the plug by the boot against something but be careful not to touch anything metal on the plug or you may get quite a jolt. Have an assistant turn over the engine while you observe the electrode end of the spark plug for spark.

The timing is a little more involved. Assuming you're in the ballpark and the truck ran recently and nothing has been altered I feel it should at least start. Check for fuel and spark first. If you have both and no run then make note of where the distributor is with an indexing mark of some sort(silver sharpie works well) , and try rotating a little one direction and then the other trying to start as you make the adjustments. If this doesn't help then return the distributor back to (as close as possible) to it's original location.

As stated if you have spark and fuel you should get some sort of response out of the engine unless the timing is way off.

If you have no spark then you may have a problem with the points.

Let us know what you find!

[ajones]

You speak of rotating the distrbutor. How exactly do you rotate the entire distributor? Always wanted to know this!

[greenmeanie]

You speak of rotating the distrbutor. How exactly do you rotate the entire distributor? Always wanted to know this!

Undo the screw for the distributor clamp plate. Rotate distributor by grabbing with hand and applying appropriate force in the direction you want to go. (Sorry I couldn't resist) It helps things if you only undo the screw enough that there is still a light clamping force and the distributor turns slowly and therefore accurately.

Cheers
Gregor

[Jeff Aronson]

The distributor clamp bolt is just below the distributor itself. As Gregor recommends, don't loosen it too much - just enough so you can turn it slowly. It takes a 7/16" wrench.

If the truck ran before the clutch went out, then you likely have only a simple problem. First off, I assume your starter is turning smartly and cranking, but nothing seems to catch and cough as if it is ready to start. If that's the case, then check that all your wires - coil to distributor cap, cap to plugs, and thin ground wire from the distributor body back the coil post - are all in place. Remove the one going to the coil from the cap, and peer down into the cavity. Often there's a lot of corrosion there - too much and you won't get a spark strong enough to send real power to the plugs.

You might want to pull a spark plug and look at the tip. Is it wet or dry? Is the tip clean or full of black grunge? If the plug is fouled with oil, then it won't produce a spark. Take them all out and clean them off. If it is wet but not black and oily, then the engine is flooded. Clean or replace the plugs and try again to start it.

If the cap and plugs are clean, then spray some WD-40 or PB Blaster along the distributor cap and spark plug wires. Be generous. Wait a moment and then try and start it. This will remove moisture from consideration. Moisture in the cap usually indicates a crack in the cap. Replace it with the correct one.

If it does not start, and all the wires were in place, and you don't have an assistant as recommended wisely above, then remove the cap and the rotor [the cap has clips on the side, the rotor just pulls off]. Turn the key to "on" and take a small screwdriver. Lift the points apart and you should get a visible, audible spark across the gap you just created with the screwdriver tip. If you do, then you know you likely have a spark at the plugs.

If it does not, then I would suspect the points themselves. When you stare at their surfaces, you want to see a flat silver surface. If you see a conical shaped carbon surface, then you won't get a spark. If you have an emery board, or a small piece of sandpaper, try rubbing the surface gently and then blowing it out [the compressed air cans for computers are great for this].

While you're there, use your crank or turn the key such that the points are gapped open. If the gap is less than a matchbook cover [.10] then it's not open enough, or the plastic tab onf the points, that rests on the distributor shaft is worn out. If you have a feeler gauge, the ideal gap when the lobes on the shaft have opened the points is .16-.18.

While you have it apart, look at the inside of the cap. Is there evidence of silver or bronze colored dust in there? If so, then the distributor bushing is wearing out such that the points aren't opening enough. More likely, the dust is just a worn out cap. Look for score lines along the metal contacts at each plug wire connection.

If you have power through the distributor and coil [a spark at the plug tip], then you should be ok. As noted above, timing affects performance. If you've not touched the distributor, it's unlikely that the timing could be out of whack such that the car would not start.

If the ignition system is fine, then turn to the fuel delivery. If you separate the top and bottom of the carb [the 4 screws on the carb body] and lift up the top gently, is there gas in the float bowl? Look down the inside of the carb throat itself. If you move the accelerator linkage by hand, can you see or smell gas? You should. If not, then you have a fuel delivery issue. Check the filter and the fuel pump. If you have the glass bowl one, remove the bowl carefully and look for water or rusty bits in the bowl. Both will stop the car from starting if it has traveled downstream to the carb.

There's not much else to the system, so try these steps. Good luck!

Jeff