The Money Pit

Yesterday (Saturday)I was supposed to drop the car off at the transmission shop for the 700r4 overhaul.I went to start it and cranked till the battery died.So I swapped in the battery from the Olds,used jumper cables,and cranked some more. Still won't start. I checked for fire with the timing light,no problem,baught 5 gallons of 94 octane gas,still won't start.The car has been sitting in the garage since last Thanksgiving,and hasn't been run much since.

The odd thing is Friday evening I thaught I'd give it a try just to see if it would start,and it fired on the first try,and ran for five minutes with out any problem.What's up with that? :mad

comp

it's telling you something :lolg:

GDaina

Well? It started didn't it? Next time get a can of starting fluid and give a shot, that will fire the motor and start the fuel pump pumping the gas. My guess your lines were bone dry.

The Money Pit

There's so much gas getting to the carb it's dripping out the headers.I know I flooded it,and I've waited overnight and still this morning it still wouldn't start.
I'm so frustrated right now if I got a reasonable offer I'd concider it.I guess I'll walk away from it for a while so I can cool down and think more rationally.

81' Corvette Guy

How does 500 bones sound? I'm off today and can go take it off your hands for you! :jester

norvalwilhelm

You need two things to fire the motor, a spark at the right time and gas. You are obviously getting gas so it must be the spark. You said you checked it with a timing light? I would pull a plug and verify a good health spark, no some wimpy half attempt.
If gas is running out the headers the plugs are totally soaked and need replacing/cleaning off.
I don't know what ignition you are running but something like that happened to me twice with the Mallory unilite distibutor. Motor just wouldn't start and the modual was shot both times.

trw

Then you could tell everybody that you paid more than an arm and leg for the car. :smash: :smash:

BKbroiler

One simple thing which you probably checked already - is the choke stuck in open position?

red79c3

Cut the fuel off and dry out the plugs. Use Starting fluid to get the car started. Good luck! :)

gdh

if you have that much fuel leaking now I would check to make sure that you haven't got it in your oil, doesn't take more than a few seconds of the cyl walls being washed down with gas and a rebuild is in the works.

The Money Pit

The ignition is a stock HEI GM unit that I recurved last year. The timing has not been touched since,and though I didn't check for a spark at the plug,I put the timing light on an even firing plug wire and cranked it over and did get the strobe,which indicates to me at least the distributer module and coil is working.Since it ran Friday I assumed that the plugs were OK.I seemed to get more popping out of it when I poured fresh gas down the carb,so I'm thinking maybe I got water in the gas.It's been sitting a while and if there's water in the tank,it's settled to the bottom by now.
Thanks for trying Norval.

norvalwilhelm

If it run Friday and the gas was ok why suddenly does it have water in it? Flooding can wash the plugs out quickly. Pouring gas in the top is also not a good idea. YOu are washing plugs yourself and if it ever backfires you could have a fire.
The plugs need to come out, be dried or replaced, the spark checked off a plug. It is not a carb problem unless you have suddenly sprung a big leak and it is flooding.
Try starting after cleaning the plugs without touching the gas, the carb should look dry after cranking, then pump the throttle to give it gas.

foundvettelifeisgood

:withstupid:

What Norval said, plus...install new 8mm plug wires. I used to have to dick around with the throttle when starting. Sometimes flooding, sometimes taxing the battery. Now it's one slow pump down and back, turn the key...and the neighbors are awake. :yesnod:

The Money Pit

The plugs were the culprit.Who would have thaught a set would quit overnight?Anyway she's alive and well,and off to the transmission shop.I only pray it's a loose bolt or gasket so it won't cost a fortune. :rolleyes:

Fevre

Bought a motorcyle from a friend that had sat for a while and got it run briefly but not for long. Spent hours trying to get it started again and another friend suggested new plugs, fired right up after new plugs installed. Go figure. :)

BTW Are you 110% sure you have to TV cable adj properly? That other thread regarding a BTO 700r4 turned out to be just that. I had to add a section/piece of vac tube on the end of my cable to get it adj out far enough to get firm shifts, mine is mutt LT1 intake conversion so the cable and bracket are unknown to me but it would not hold gears for long when I bought it so I had to 'figure' it out, now shifts firm and holds longer, was getting the slips before. The ratchet adjustment method did not work because the inner cabel was too long.

Just thought I would throw that out to ya. I can snap a pic of my bubba fix if you like.


[Modified by Fevre, 5:54 PM 3/15/2004]

mandm1200

I was going to make an offer on it and take it off your hands, then re-read you post. I'll wait untill the tranny is redone. :thumbs:

Just kidding!! Anyway, that is a weird one. The spark plugs went bad overnight. I could see one plug failing overnight, but the thing should start on the other seven. I wouldn't be surprised that it was suffering flooditis. It's a short term ailment caused by too much fluid around the spark plugs. Good news is that unlike the flu for humans, this disease in not contagious and will not infect other cars parked nearby.

Mike

wayne_69_427

Check for spark at the plugs, do not overlook the rotor HEI's are known for burning through the rotor and grounding out on the advance weights

Dave62

Sounds like the float sticking in the carb to me....if float sticks open..carb floods the engine.....raw gas and wont run. Tap lightly on the float/needle and seet area of the carb with a plastic hammer or wood....to reseat the needle. Watch out for FIRE!!!!!!!....If you can get it to run put some Marvel Mystery Oil..in the gas...and no I am not kidding....this is a high detergent valve top oil that will clean the inside of the carb.

Dave62 :yesnod: