I can't figure this, yesterday my son was driving it around. Today goes to start it and nothing, it turns over but will not start. I can smell fuel from pumping the gas, I put my timing light on #1 and was looking at the light it was flashing, any ideas? I have fuel, spark and air, I even checked the distributor to make sure it was tight on the clamp.

I looked down between the pump and block found the timing marks, whats with the tube coming up from them?

Rob

 

Does it have a stuck float and flooding itself out? Always wondered about that tube

 

Give it a shot of starting fluid, and wide open throttle until it catches. I agree that it sounds like it may be flooding out. Other possibility would be a weak spark, so check all the connections on the distributor. Plug wires, etc.

 

I'm going to time the crank to TDC and see where the distributor is pointing.

 

Remember there's two TDC's! One on the firing stroke, and one on the exhaust stroke. So it will either be dead on #1, or pointing 180 degrees off if it's on the exhaust stroke TDC.

 

Well it's running, after finding out that my son was off on his estimate of fuel on board, fuel gage is off, way off. I went to NAPA and picked up a new coil and Ignition module to see if it was weak spark, nothing. I was just about ready to give in a tear off the front of the engine. Then I said something is wrong here so I loosened the fitting on the carb, no fuel. I was a little ticked at my son at that point. Told him to crank it over, no fuel coming out. So now I'm starting to think fuel pump, but before I go there I tell him to grab the 5 gallon can and dump it in. He starts cranking on the engine fuel spurts out. The excuses start flying. Anyway the engine started right up after I got the line reconnected. I must have been smelling the fuel that was left tin the accelerator piston when I tried to start it.

On a brighter note both the coil and the Ignition module were original with GM parts. How they ran for 35 years without giving up the ghost is beyond me. The main reason I replaced the coil was the contact for the HEI bushing was completely corroded and the sides of the coil had heat marks on the sides. The Ignition module had no white heat grease under it. The engine actually has more pep to it.

I did find that the mechanical advance is in serious need of replacement, semi sticking and worn. Will purchase a new set and install sometime next week.

Thanks for your comments guys I should have cracked that fuel line first, but the end result will give a much better running car. We took it down the road and opened it up, it moved pretty good.

 

Kids! The unknown factor! Might be cheaper, and easier to just replace the distributor. I see a lot of good used HEI distributors on CL for super cheap prices.

 

I was watching a Youtube video on Cylinder heads and started thinking about looking for a set of Vortec heads,

 

Did your 71 come with a factory 427?

 

The tube is for a GM tool for setting timing. It holds the pick up.