Awfully quiet here! I can't hear any engine sounds yet?

 

That makes two of us. I could've roasted a marshmallow on the carb fire I had about an hour ago however. Today was the first day I even tried to start the engine again. Plugs were nice and dry, "good" carb put back on there, fuel pressure back around 5.5psi, fully charged battery and a fresh sense of optimism. The latter part sure shriveled up quick. Timing can't be that far off, I went right from TDC and have only advanced the distributor a little bit. Doesn't spit back out the carb until after I've pumped the throttle several times. After the fire on top of the carb I retarded the distributor a very little bit. I start to turn the engine over and every time I hit the throttle the spark catches it and it starts to fire, but won't follow through and actually fire up. Now I'm a little bit chicken to start pumping the throttle again, even though that's most likely what it needs. Damon was probably right when he mentioned after the last video that it sounded like it wasn't getting enough gas. I'm going to try again tomorrow. Starting fluid doesn't do a darn thing when I spray it in there. I don't really want to use that stuff as it is since I know fuel is there. I'm officially lost at this point and only still going at it with the hope that I just get lucky one day.

 

Hate to keep harping on the remote start button, but it would really help in starting the engine. I rarely set the timing exactly on any of my engine builds. Just get things at TDC, then stab the distributor in pointing at #1. Then I turn the key on, and use the remote to start cranking the engine. I leave the distributor just loose enough so I can turn it a bit until it catches and fires. Sounds like you need to try cranking it, and turning the distributor a few degrees CCW as you crank. If it's going to start, it will catch and fire when you get the timing close by this method.

 

I would have thought, if anything, I would need to advance the distributor from where it was initially set also. But that's when I get the spitting out the top of the carb. I have another extra switch here, but it's not a momentary one. Couldn't I still use it and just turn it on/off when I want to start/stop cranking? I also ordered an actual timing tape today so I can see where it's actually at going forward. I have absolutely confirmed true TDC is where I put the mark initially so I think the tape will help, at some point anyway. If the switch I have won't work, I'll just have my son help me again when he gets back home on Sunday. Just seems to me like it would still fire up even if it was set right at TDC, but I don't know. Only thing keeping me trying at this point is knowing that the engine ran before, and sounded pretty good for those 3 minutes.

 

I'm going to call this progress. However, any thoughts on why it's coming out the carb like it is? Too advanced? Not enough still? Still can't get it to idle and it keeps stalling out if I don't keep it above 2500 rpm.




http://vid1298.photobucket.com/album...ps871dcccc.mp4

 

Oh man, so close yet so....well, you know. You want to twirl the distributor while trying to start the engine. Start by advancing, then retarding if advancing makes it worse.
And don't reach over the carb when grabbing the distributor, burning arm hair stinks!

 

Yes, you can use the maintained contact switch, as long as you can keep a steady hand on it to turn it off quickly when it fires, so you don't ruin a starter. Since it's so very close to firing, and running, you should get a timing light on it when it's running at 2500 or even 3000 rpm. You can still check total timing at those speeds and see if it's around 34 degrees. If it's only wanting to run at higher rpm, then keep it there while you turn the distributor and watch the timing light. May have to tweak it, then check with the light.
You can also adjust the idle speed screw in, so it will run at over 2500 rpm, and that will give you two free hands to adjust the timing, and hold the light too.

 

No video today but I'm a little bit closer than I was yesterday. It will NOT run on it's own yet. It's definitely a process to get enough fuel down in there and get it to fire up and run initially. Once I get it started and run for a few seconds the first time, I barely have to hit the key to get it to fire up afterward. As of now, I'm officially back where I was the first time it started and ran with the vacuum canister. I basically lost 5 weeks simply because I pulled the distributor out to move the canister backward a little bit. I'm confident I still need to advance it a little more but it's not spitting as much. Trying to be considerate of the ridiculous noise (which I absolutely love) this thing is making inside a metal garage and it's calm as calm can be outside right now. I heard the little kid next door yell out "WHAT IS THAT?!?!" and then proceeded to start screaming and crying! Hate to feel better at a child's expense, but it's loud. Ha!! I lined the rotor up with #1 plug terminal and looked at the balancer mark. I'm somewhere around 12 btdc right now. Really don't like the spitting out the carb when it stalls still though. I'm really not at a point where I can get a timing light in there and try to keep it running at the same time yet, but gotta be close. Going to need a timing tape to see 34/35 degrees total timing anyway and that should be here day after tomorrow.

 

First get the engine running better by ear, then worry about double checking it with the timing light. I'm still not so sure I trust the relationship between your dampener and timing tab marks.

 

I had just verified true TDC with a stop last week. It was precisely where the original mark was set when the balancer and pointer were installed sir. White mark is original TDC mark, black marks are from the stop. I realize it's not pointing at the zero/TDC mark in the pic, I didn't have it set at TDC in the pic.