Ford 601 Wont Start

[Maineman]

How are you testing the spark?
Is this a six volt system?
Or has it been converted to 12 volt?

Joe

 

[601workless]

Sorry, but have to ask. Did you pull the distributor and turn it 180 degrees by the gear or just tried placing the rotor on the distributor shaft 180 degrees from where it was.

Removed the distributor completely.

 

[601workless]

With the cap off the distributor, look at it and crank the engine with the starter for 1/2 second. Watch the direction of the rotor. make sure the wires are organized in that direction! Jim

Thanks

 

[601workless]

How are you testing the spark?
Is this a six volt system?
Or has it been converted to 12 volt?

Joe

Converted to 12 volt 10 years ago

 

[601workless]

With the choke completely closed and hand over the air intake on both carbs I cannot figure out why the plugs are not wet. Float bowls are full and floats are set according to factory specs. Wish I could go to fuel injection, LOL.

 

[Maineman]

If it's not bad fuel
Then, it's weak or no spark.
How old is your battery?
How did you test for spark?

 

[601workless]

If it's not bad fuel
Then, it's weak or no spark.
How old is your battery?
How did you test for spark?

Fresh gas, fully charged battery. I placed the spark plug against the cylinder head and had a strong blue spark. Plugs gapped at recommended gap. Thanks

 

[Jim.ME]

How long since it last ran?

I agree with used red MN, you need to be clear whether you mean the rotor in the distributor or the distributor, they are two different things. You said you put it at 8 degrees before TDC and installed the rotor (distributor?). How did you confirm you had it at TDC on the compression stroke when you did this?

Pull all #1 plug out and with it hooked to its wire put it next to its hole. Crank the engine over. Do you see the spark at the same time you hear the compression?

It has been suggested a couple time you use a spray bottle with gas in it to spray into the carb while cranking the engine to see it it will run on the sprayed gas. Have you tried doing that?

With the cap off the distributor is the rotor going around when the starter is cranking the engine?

 

[used red MN]

I agree with used red MN, you need to be clear whether you mean the rotor in the distributor or the distributor, they are two different things.

Jim must have missed your reply 42.

Removed the distributor completely.

….

It has been suggested a couple time you use a spray bottle with gas in it to spray into the carb while cranking the engine to see it it will run on the sprayed gas. Have you tried doing that?

Maybe pull a couple plugs out and put a tablespoon of gas in them and put them back in and see if it fires a couple cycles on that fuel.
…
You say fresh gas, seems to be getting fuel, good hot spark.
Now we’re down to picking apart what is not coming together. We probably need to move into more detailed checks. Not just you having convinced yourself that whatever you touched has no problems.

 

[Jim.ME]

Jim must have missed your reply 42.

….

Maybe pull a couple plugs out and put a tablespoon of gas in them and put them back in and see if it fires a couple cycles on that fuel.
…
You say fresh gas, seems to be getting fuel, good hot spark.
Now we’re down to picking apart what is not coming together. We probably need to move into more detailed checks. Not just you having convinced yourself that whatever you touched has no problems.

Sorry, my wording wasn't the best, I saw #42.

What I wanted to know is how he confirmed he was on the compression stroke when he was at 8 degrees before TDC. I don't see that anywhere here.

 

[Steve in IL]

How long since it last ran?

I agree with used red MN, you need to be clear whether you mean the rotor in the distributor or the distributor, they are two different things. You said you put it at 8 degrees before TDC and installed the rotor (distributor?). How did you confirm you had it at TDC on the compression stroke when you did this?

Pull all #1 plug out and with it hooked to its wire put it next to its hole. Crank the engine over. Do you see the spark at the same time you hear the compression?

It has been suggested a couple time you use a spray bottle with gas in it to spray into the carb while cranking the engine to see it it will run on the sprayed gas. Have you tried doing that?

With the cap off the distributor is the rotor going around when the starter is cranking the engine?

Jim- Second the spray bottle with gas suggestion. If it runs on ether, it ought to run on sprayed in gas.

And I cannot count the number of times I have had an engine that wouldn’t start… got it running on sprayed in gas… kept it running with that for a bit… and some combination of heat/vibration/strong vacuum cleaned the problem out of the carb, and everything worked fine.

 

[used red MN]

What I wanted to know is how he confirmed he was on the compression stroke when he was at 8 degrees before TDC.

Okay, I see where you are going. A bit more detail on this. A 4 stroke engine uses two crankshaft revolutions to complete the firing cycle on a cylinder. So the timing mark on the flywheel lines up when the piston is at TDC at the end of the compression stroke. But after another crankshaft revolution it is at TDC again after the exhaust stroke is complete. On the compression stroke is where you need to time it. And that is found by feeling the number 1 cylinder push pressure aka compression.

 

[601workless]

I removed the valve cover and brought the number 1 piston up with the intake and exhaust valves closed while watching the timing marks. I will try the spray bottle technique. Thanks to everyone.

 

[Mcrafty1]

Something is definitely amiss here, If it'll fire on starting fluid..and it's firing completly and in time....it should run as long as as you keep spraying the starting fluid (sparingly) into the carb...and it should NOT skip. It seems you have an ignition timing problem at least and a fuel delivery problem along with it.

 

[showcrop]

If it's not bad fuel
Then, it's weak or no spark.
How old is your battery?
How did you test for spark?

HE HAS NO FUEL!

 

[soaked]

So how can the spark plugs be dry and sooty black (rich) at the same time? Thanks!

Are plugs wet if crank with key off?
If yes, you do have fuel, and likely spark is out of time--- just drying the plug.
Maybe soot is a "tell" there is fuel present.

 

[601workless]

Are plugs wet if crank with key off?
If yes, you do have fuel, and likely spark is out of time--- just drying the plug.
Maybe soot is a "tell" there is fuel present.

How do I crank with the key off? I tried removing the plugs and jacking up the rear tires but could not spin the tires to turn the crank.

 

[soaked]

Put plugs back in without wires connected would work-- fuel turned on.

 

[used red MN]

How do I crank with the key off? I tried removing the plugs and jacking up the rear tires but could not spin the tires to turn the crank.

Although my opinion is you are wasting your time with this you can use one of the leads (red/black) of a quality set of jump cables to transfer power from the battery direct to the terminal on the starter. Did you try the gas spray bottle yet?

 

[601workless]

Although my opinion is you are wasting your time with this you can use one of the leads (red/black) of a quality set of jump cables to transfer power from the battery direct to the terminal on the starter. Did you try the gas spray bottle yet?

not yet, working 12 hour shifts, probably be this weekend. thanks