77 SII 2.6L

[coltsphan]

Ok wtf. I changed the plugs, wires, condensor, points and coil. Still won't start. Checked voltage at coil, 12V. Checked wire from coil to disty, good wire. What the hell could it be? A bad new coil? What voltage should I see at the disty end of the coil main wire while cranking? I'm stumped.
Thanks in advance for any advice ( other than getting rid of the 2.6, I know)

[mongoswede]

Ok wtf. I changed the plugs, wires, condensor, points and coil. Still won't start. Checked voltage at coil, 12V. Checked wire from coil to disty, good wire. What the hell could it be? A bad new coil? What voltage should I see at the disty end of the coil main wire while cranking? I'm stumped.
Thanks in advance for any advice ( other than getting rid of the 2.6, I know)

could be timing or fuel. Could also be that you put your plug wires back on in the wrong order...its a lot easier to do then you might think.

[coltsphan]

New fuel, pump and filters. Cleaned pickup filter in tank. Getting fuel at the carb. Sprayed starting fluid in carb still nothing. Also adjusted disty a few degrees in each direction, still nothing. How much does dynamite cost?

[coltsphan]

Cap or rotor? I cleaned them both and the disty is turning.

[kevin-ct]

Check and see if you put the wire back on the points correctly, the wire could be grounded

[LaneRover]

Check and see if you put the wire back on the points correctly, the wire could be grounded

This is a mistake that I have made a number of times!

[Cutter]

Yeah pull a plug and check that you are getting spark. Is it firing at all or just intermittently and not starting? It sounds like the dizzy is the next stop on the problem chain like Kevin said.

[Terrys]

Has the truck run before since any mods, or work? Did you have the dizzy out and put it back in 180 degrees out of time? If it has run recently, Take the HT lead out of the center of the dizzy (not disty) cap, lay it near a ground, and with the key on, and using a non metalic tool, flick the points open a few times. You should see a good spark at the end of the HT lead. Absolutlely nothing wrong with a good running 2.6. One of the smoothest running engine ever.

[Donnie]

Ok wtf. I changed the plugs, wires, condensor, points and coil. Still won't start. Checked voltage at coil, 12V. Checked wire from coil to disty, good wire. What the hell could it be? A bad new coil? What voltage should I see at the disty end of the coil main wire while cranking? I'm stumped.
Thanks in advance for any advice ( other than getting rid of the 2.6, I know)
I run a 2.6 & love it.. To answer your spark question , U should see a 12 to 14 mm spark snap at the end of the coil wire when U unplug it from the cap...if there is no spark there , go back over your dist/ points/cond. wiring...be careful, as the voltage there is hi, but the amps are low. It will still knock you on your axx..Have someone help you. Donnie

[n6zt]

Check to see if the rotor cap is turning. The "quill shaft" breaks on the 2.6 very easily. Its a real weak link on those engines.

[Donnie]

Check to see if the rotor cap is turning. The "quill shaft" breaks on the 2.6 very easily. Its a real weak link on those engines.
what is a quill shaft?

[n6zt]

its a shaft that furnishes the drive to the rotor. It connects from the camshaft. My recollection is that its about 5"to 6" long and they tend to shear. If you turn the engine over and the rotor is not turning, then that's usually the problem.

[coltsphan]

OK I have tried everything. Screw it, where do I get an electronic ignition for this beast?

[kevin-ct]

OK I have tried everything. Screw it, where do I get an electronic ignition for this beast?

Can you take a close-up photo and post, of the points/distr?

[NickDawson]

OK I have tried everything. Screw it, where do I get an electronic ignition for this beast?

Funny, I said the exact same thing to myself last night and started looking online. But...I'm determined to get mine dialed in with the points before I do that, there's something to be said for knowing the old school way in case the electronic ignition dies.

Have you checked voltages? are you sure you are getting 12v across the points?

[Cutter]

good luck with that, I spent many an hour looking for an electronic ign. for the 2.6... I decided to stick with what I had since it wasn't broken. If you do switch, I'll buy your distributor :)

[daveb]

good luck getting the 2.6 to run with a 4 cylinder distributor....


good luck with that, I spent many an hour looking for an electronic ign. for the 2.6... I decided to stick with what I had since it wasn't broken. If you do switch, I'll buy your distributor :)

[Donnie]

Does anybody make an electronic conversion kit for this dist? If not, do you think that there is a demand for one?

[Cutter]

good luck getting the 2.6 to run with a 4 cylinder distributor....

Who's talking about a 4 cylinder distributor, unless that's why Coltsphan is having troubles getting it to run:)

[Cutter]

Does anybody make an electronic conversion kit for this dist? If not, do you think that there is a demand for one?

I'm not sure how much demand there really is, seems like most people yank the 2.6 and repower so there are fewer and fewer on the road. I was tempted but for now am getting mine rebuilt.

[coltsphan]

I put on a new head gasket and the truck was running great then it started sputtering and died. Would barely fire up and run rough. Then it wouldn't fire at all. I ordered a new cap, rotor and coil from TRL today. After that, all ignition parts have been changed. Properly gapped the points today. We'll see tomorrow.

I am still going to look for an electronic ignition. Will probably keep the original just for future restoration.

[jgkmmoore]

After it ran, did you recheck the head torque? Are the plugs wet or dry? If wet...water or gas?? If not wet, what then? Got gas?
I'd go with Kevins....chk that points wire. If it's grounded, you'll be there until it's not grounded, for sure. Most common mistake on this dizzy. Everyone does it once, many do it many times and even admit it. Get the metal washer in the wrong sequence and you ground it. Don't do that!!!:nono: It cooks you when you find out how simply your loyal steed can be disabled.:mad::mad:. Crap design.
Good Luck.......Jeff

[coltsphan]

I will check the head bolts. Pulled the plugs they are dry. Are you refering to the wire form the low tension wire and the condensor wire? Do they get stacked on the points in a particular order?

[jgkmmoore]

http://simonlacey.com/pages_new/images/photos/distributor/points%20etc%20installed.jpg
"Install new points, condensor and LT lead post and wire. Make sure to assemble the condensor and LT leads to the points correctly. Both should touch the points spring, but be INSULATED FROM THE POST AND NUT, with the plastic sleeve attached to the points. I.e: the sleeve passes thru the tabs on the leads and acts as a washer on top of which the nut sits."

I took above quote from Van Isle Rovers article. Read it SLOWLY, and word for word. It's a perfect description of the process.
After you get it running, take a GOOD pic of the 'stacking order', and put it in your cubby with spare points/condenser. It may save your butt in the 'bush' sometime.
Somewhere in a forum I found a blow up of the 'stacking order' that was very graphic, and pic was great. Can't find it now...sorry. I do believe it's on this forum. It is not the article about 'bulletproof points', which is sorta good in and of itself.
Whenever you tear down a dizzy...pay CLOSE ATTENTION to how everything comes apart to the smallest detail. It will save you many hours of frustration if you don't have the manual there.
Buy a short (1') piece of the finest stranded wire you can find, prolly at a radio store, to make a 2" replacement (several) for the low tension wire that has to bend with the plate movement all the time. Carry that in your cubby too. Frequent cause (broken strands) of intermitting/bucking/snorting and failing motor. It's the WHITE wire in the dizzy photo.
Good Luck-Jeff:thumb-up:

[jgkmmoore]

This is a pic of a 25D dizzy, and my remarks related to a 4 cyl petrol eng. I do realize you are dealing with a 2.6, and have assumed dizzy is basically the same. I have not ever seen a 2.6, but have owned loads of 'stovebolt 6' engines.:o

[coltsphan]

Ooooooohhhhhh!!!!! Now I get it. My local "expert" said to put them on top of the post and tighten the nut. Good news. Well at least everything is new now. I got a new Lucas coil, cap and rotor from TLR today. So everything except the dizzy is new. Wow this really was a good lesson on the igintion. And the first of hundreds of lessons. Thanks guys!!

[coltsphan]

SUCCESS!!!!! The SOB better start now that it has an all new ignition system. Thanks everyone!!!! :thumb-up:

[kevkon]

A good way to keep everything straight with the Lucas points is always to keep in mind that the points are a switch. You can't go wrong if you always look at the configuration and make sure that only the point contacts are the source to ground in that distributor. Anything that provides a source to ground prior is negating the switch.

[coltsphan]

OK next.......

CLutch started slipping, no turn signals or brake lights. I put a new signal switch in and noticed the two silver "cans" under the dash and I put in all new bulbs. The right signal stays on and doesn't blink. What are the bulb #s? Maybe I put the wrong ones in. one was hooked up and one wasn't. What is the plan of attack?

[jgkmmoore]

Start with the clutch...you won't need the other stuff until you remedy that.
The best way to start is with a manual, or aftermarket book, that has pics and lots of 'blow ups'. They will also have a wiring diagram. Be aware with electrical on these trucks, faulty grounds are not uncommon. Start with the easiest stuff first....usually that's where the problem is anyway. Don't go thru replacing your whole cooling system because the radiator cap was bad. If you don't have a wiring diagram, you'd better be an accomplished electrial master. Now that you have had this first Landy exercise, and haven't yet had a 'smoke show', you've found that throwing parts at it won't help if ya don't get at the easy to see stuff first.
Secondly....before you query on the Forum, always do a search on the Forum first, to find out if someone has already answered the question for you. You will almost always find an answer there.
This truck ain't rocket science, and there is a limited amount of things that can (and will)bust.
Most of the fun is figuring it out yourself by just doing a think job on it SLOWLY and deliberately.
Don't race to find the answer, and never start a 20 minute job if you have to go somewhere in the next 3 hours. Often, you will break something else, while trying to fix something. There are no 20 minute jobs on a Landie.
Beer helps in most cases, but there is definitely a point where knowledge begins to decline. That actually happens to be a benefit when dealing with electrical issues.
Do not make it a competition between you and the truck. The truck will win, somehow, every time. Don't keep explosives in the house or the garage. Don't try to be sneaky and add stuff to it by drilling holes...these trucks are perceptive and will treat you the same way they expect to be treated.
Name it, and love it. Have a beer while you just look at how pretty it is.:D
Rover On:thumb-up:

[kevin-ct]

OK next.......

CLutch started slipping, no turn signals or brake lights. I put a new signal switch in and noticed the two silver "cans" under the dash and I put in all new bulbs. The right signal stays on and doesn't blink. What are the bulb #s? Maybe I put the wrong ones in. one was hooked up and one wasn't. What is the plan of attack?

You should start a new thread..

[coltsphan]

Yea I probably should.

[coltsphan]

OK so I had a productive day. The fluid was low and there was no leak. The "leak" was from one of the coils I had replaced that had fallen down next to the front wheel and got crushed leaking all of the oil out. Clutch feels good now. Was able to do my first oil change and change the canister fuel filter. Took her for a spin and she ran great. Put new meats on her yesterday and she rides much better. Got my Haynes book on the way and I am going to adjust the tappets and carb next. Then a new exhaust. Then new shocks. And then..... the LH front door latch broke and the door flew open around a corner. The spring pushed out from the latch. Oh well, fun fun fun!!!!

Thanks guys for all of the help, I really appreciate as a newbie.

[jgkmmoore]

You're taking me back to my youth with an ol' Healy LeMans......"door flew open going around the corner":eek:.I used to steer with me right hand, and hold the door closed with me left, on righthand turns. Glad YOU didn't fly out, but it brought tears to me eyes I laughed so hard. Good idea to get an antiburst latch/lock when you replace. If you're married, get one for the other side too.
Amazing what comfort a new set of 'tars' can bring. That's 70% of your suspension in this truck.:thumb-up:
Be very happy you did the clutch so easily. Wrench on......
Regards-Jeff

[NickDawson]

Used to happen to me in the Cessna 152 that I trained in....often the passenger door too!
Nothing like telling someone before take off that the door may fly open and not to worry :)

[JackIIA]

Well Nick, sounds like you got some free 'upset training'.

Knowing that you fly, I expect from now on all your questions will include "no joy" when diagnosing!!!! ;)

[bmohan55]

Start with the clutch...you won't need the other stuff until you remedy that.
The best way to start is with a manual, or aftermarket book, that has pics and lots of 'blow ups'. They will also have a wiring diagram. Be aware with electrical on these trucks, faulty grounds are not uncommon. Start with the easiest stuff first....usually that's where the problem is anyway. Don't go thru replacing your whole cooling system because the radiator cap was bad. If you don't have a wiring diagram, you'd better be an accomplished electrial master. Now that you have had this first Landy exercise, and haven't yet had a 'smoke show', you've found that throwing parts at it won't help if ya don't get at the easy to see stuff first.
Secondly....before you query on the Forum, always do a search on the Forum first, to find out if someone has already answered the question for you. You will almost always find an answer there.
This truck ain't rocket science, and there is a limited amount of things that can (and will)bust.
Most of the fun is figuring it out yourself by just doing a think job on it SLOWLY and deliberately.
Don't race to find the answer, and never start a 20 minute job if you have to go somewhere in the next 3 hours. Often, you will break something else, while trying to fix something. There are no 20 minute jobs on a Landie.
Beer helps in most cases, but there is definitely a point where knowledge begins to decline. That actually happens to be a benefit when dealing with electrical issues.
Do not make it a competition between you and the truck. The truck will win, somehow, every time. Don't keep explosives in the house or the garage. Don't try to be sneaky and add stuff to it by drilling holes...these trucks are perceptive and will treat you the same way they expect to be treated.
Name it, and love it. Have a beer while you just look at how pretty it is.:D
Rover On:thumb-up:

Best advice I have read concerning these trucks....it should be made into a "sticky"