FiveSeventyZee

ok so I let it sit because we flooded it. then after many tries and adjusting the idle screw and the timing, it fired up. the gas is still coming from a gas can though so I'm not quite there but today was a huge step.

Its funny i actually just finished testing by bypassing the fuel tank the exact way you described. but i think we flooded the engine because fuel spurted up out of the opening in the carb next to the metering rods. My dad and I are going to go try again later, i'll make a video to see if it helps you guys get more of whats happening better than I can describe.

ok well I got a new coil and it starts up now with starter fluid. I checked for gas and I no longer have any. I think that when I filled the tank it must have loosened up a bunch of sediment and clogged somewhere. any ideas on how I can fix the gas issue?

sarab: no I haven't done either of those. and the z I've seen was at the corte madera library. jt1: I'll check the spark color out. but I found tdc myself, I didn't use the timing mark I think it's a bit off

I've done all of those steps and still nothing. I'm pretty convinced that my spark is weak at this point. ps. where in the bay area are you? I'm in Marin and I've seen a really nice looking silver 240z not 200 yards from my house

I think my spark being too weak makes more sense than no gas because it also won't start with starter fluid sprayed into the carb.

My problem with the engine is that it won't start and I haven't been able to get it going. The thing is it may be a fuel issue which an engine swap wouldn't solve. Which is why I'm looking into my fuel delivery system before I make any decisions.

I do have gas at the hose and when I took the Carter apart to clean and rebuild it there was gas in the bowls. But I'll look more into the gas. I highly doubt that its the distributor because I have timed it myself multiple times thinking that I had just done it wrong last time but nothing changes.

I've tried two. I was using a Carter AFB when it ran for a short bit and I thought I'd give an Edelbrock Performer a try. When I work the throttle I don't see gas squirt on either one. But it ran before when it had no gas purely off starter fluid which it won't even do that anymore. I can't switch the distributor. It's not 180 degrees off. The distributor I have has a notch on it so it can't be switched.

Well I am comfortable with my chevy, after studying these things I feel I've learned a lot about them but I'm stuck. I got to a point where I've tried over and over to fix it and can't figure it out. And the only guesses I got off here were things I've already fixed.

Okay so heres the deal. I bought a '72 240z with a chevy small block. I've been trying to get it going and I've been going to the v8 z forum on here but with only limited success. Part of me wants to go back to an l24 or maybe an l28. I know this is a very vague question but how much trouble would that be for me? And about how much might that cost me/would sticking it out with the v8 be more worth it? Thanks to anyone who can help me.

Its been a while, does anyone know what my problem might be?

i was thinking the same thing. i se delrin in paintball stuff all the time and it seems to be a great material to me. its lightweight, seems easy enough to work with, doesnt need lubrication. the only thing is it can expand, i forget what makes it expand though, i used to know....anything cockerstar? i think it was oil based lube. ps, youre on pbnation arent you? your username sounds familiar, i havent been on that forum in a while but i'm balla245 over there.

Thats how the distributor was dropped. My dad and our mechanic did it while I was gone, they brought the engine to TDC for the #1 cylinder and the rotor was dropped pointing at the #1 cylinder. Then when I came home I personally did the distributor cap, wires and spark plugs. The firing order is correct as indicated on the engine block and there is a spark at the plugs. I guess the fuel pressure may be it but I can smell gasoline on the spark plugs when I pull them. But I guess I'll get my hands on a fuel pressure gauge to figure that out.

So here's the deal, I fixed my distributor so I have a spark and its timed correctly for TDC. I know gas is coming out of the fuel line and I'm pretty sure its getting into the cylinders because I can smell it on the spark plugs. For some reason it won't fire up. I had it going but it wasn't getting gas so I rebuilt the carb but after that it fired up for a bit, then sputtered and shut off. That was when I timed/dropped the distributor. Now it won't fire anymore. Does anyone know what the issue might be? Its a 72 with a "89 350sb out of a camaro" according to the guy I bought the car from.

I don't have another distributor to test with but I tested (more than one) spark plug and I was getting sparks. I thought it might be flooded. but how do I fix that? I figure just let it sit right? I can always test it tomorrow/today technicaly to see if it was just flooded. also, bad spark plugs wouldn't cause this right? that may cause it to run weird but it would fire right? because my plugs were pretty bad. I cleaned them. I figure they make a spark then they're ok. but I do have new plugs. we were kind of hoping to hot use them until we got it running.

That's how I did it. and it's not firing

yes. I have sparks. something else must be wrong

okay I removed the distributor and spark plug cables. brought it to TDC and redropped the distributor with the rotor pointing at about 5:30-5:45 put the cap back on and redid the cables to make sure they're correct. now it won't even fire. I checked for a spark and I'm still getting one. I can also smell gas on the spark plugs so I know gas is getting into the cylinders. it atleast fired before. what could I have done?

thanks guys. my plan is to just take out and re drop the distributor. my dads mechanic friend was the one who dropped it first and i feel like he did it wrong.

so assuming my spark plug wires are correct (im pretty sure they are. cant remember for sure) how would i go about timing the distributor? its an HEI by the way

what do you mean by "dizzy"?

well the vacuum advance isnt attached to the carb. could that throw off my timing enough? or is it all timing instead of the advancing?

okay I got the carb cleaned and rebuilt but I can't for the life o me figure out how the linkage on the passenger side of the carb go on. I figured the only thing that would stop would be the secondaries so I thought I'd test fire it anyways. it's getting fuel now but when we try to start it it runs sometimes sometimes not. when it does it doesn't stay running. it'll go for a bit then die off. also it seems to be spiting up fuel/air mix into the air. anyone know hat my problem might be? is it the linkages? edit: video of whats happening

I was thinking e36 m3 when I said that air foil suggestion. it's more subtle and wouldn't be too aggresive. http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c31/kpipalldaway/DSCF5491.jpg here's a better detail http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2600/picture076cd0.jpg