Yet again... Car won't start, The most talked about topic! Options

Finished my rebuild finally. Engine is in, and I'm pretty sure all the components are hooked up. I go and try to start it with a FRESH BATTERY. "Click". Hmm, engine isn't turning over. I believe the click is from the starter solenoid. Engine still doesn't turn over. I turn the engine over by hand to make sure it isn't binding. No problem with that. Try again...

"click" ARG!

"click" ARG!!!

What's up with the starter? I checked the ground strap, looks good cause I replaced it with a new one. All wires seem to have good connections too. I do however have 1 black wire, about a 4 gauge, that's just sitting in my garage. I'm pretty sure it came off the 914, but where does it go? Looks like a ground cable from the battery to the chassis, but only one end has an "eyelet" for bolting up to a chassis. the other end is just a stripped end. Hmmm.... Anythoughts? I'm probably gonna pull the starter off tomorow. But it worked fine before I did the tear down!

[Brad Roberts]

Ha ha..

Where is your positive battery cable running ?? You know... the big fat cable that goes from the battery directly to the starter ?? You know the one with a eyelet and stripped end (when you have installed a new battery end)

Could be.

The solenoid will click and work just fine, but the starter wont turn over if the fat cable is not attached. It normally runs on the back piece of engine tin.

B

Does that wire connect directly to same post the red wire is attached to?

Yeah, you made me feel really stupid. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/finger.gif) :finger2: :gilloutine: (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hanged.gif)

I just found this wire after everything was in the car, buried under 10 miles of vacuum lines.

[Brad Roberts]

You should have 3-4 red wires and one FAT one on the POS battery terminal. It is normally black and goes straight to the starter.

Your lucky I'm not rubbing it in and sounding like my typical Asshole self. LOL

B

[Jeffs9146]

I used to have to clean my solenoid once in a while, could be stuck. Does the battery load test ok? I know it is fresh but fresh charged is different than fresh new. Can you jump the solenoid with a screw driver (in neutral) lol??

Jeff

[echocanyons]

Could possibly be your ignition switch

COOL! the engine turns over now.

But.... I got this crazy ass backfire out the back when it cranked. I think my dizzy is off. I'm assuming when the fan notch thing is lined up at TDC, the rotor should be pointing directly at the line that is scribed into the dizzy housing, correct? Just need to double check before I blow something up.

[Bleyseng]

You could have it timed 180' off so it is firing not when it is supposed to. Take off #1 valve cover and verify that you are timed TDC right after the #1 intake valve closes. Then static time the distributor with a 12v light or a VOM meter. Turn of ignition hook up light or VOM to the green wire and move the distributor so the light goes off, then turn so it just turns on. Tighten clamp, it should be just a lttle before the lines line up. Hook everything back up and start engine, if it running ok warm it up and time with the timing light to 27' BTDC. Your marks on the fan are the right ones right? Make sure.... TDC is TDC by looking at the flywheel mark thru the little notch in the tranny housing.
Geoff

edit:

If I set the car at TDC when both the exhaust and intake valves are closed on cylinder #1, what mark on the fan should line up with the notch on the fan housing? I see 2 notches, one at the front of the engine, and one at the rear. I see a scribed line on the rear of the fan, but nothing at all at the front. If I have all that lined up, do I just drop on the dizzy and adjust it so the rotor points directly at the notch on the dizzy?

I'm a Newbie! :gilloutine:

[Bleyseng]

When arriving to that point, has the intake valve just closed? If you turn the engine more does the exhaust valve then open? If so you are at TDC. Then the distributor can be dropped in and you can rough line it up to then do the static timing.
Geoff

[Mike D.]

Also make sure your plug wires are hooked up correctly. Firing order should be 1-4-3-2 not 1-2-3-4. I made this mistake once when I was a newbie... I knew the firing order, just forgot which direction the dizzy was spinning. Car started, backfired alot, actually ran..

Oh or your timming is off by a mile or so.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)

Mike D.

Which way do I turn the dizzy to advance or retard? Newbie at work! watch out! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pain30.gif) I have to wait til tomorow to try to align it again. Also, I think my points are sorta fried, but they worked fine before I tore then engine down. Should I just install the Crane XR700 and try again? TIA.

[Bleyseng]

Put new points in at this time to keep things simple. Set engine to TDC. Lets see, the rotor turns clockwise so turn the distributor clockwise alittle past say 5 degrees. Hook up the lite or VOM and then turn it back until you get 12volts or the lite comes on. That is the spot where you tighten the clamp as you are now timed staticly. Hook up everything else and it should fire provided the plugwires are in the right order.
Man, Its much easier to do than tell someone how to do it.....
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Geoff

haha, I hear ya. hmm, I'm gonna find some new points and see what happens. I'll work on the car tomorow and keep you updated on what the hell is going on with the thing.

edited 2:30pm PST.

I figured out what was wrong, the damn dizzy drive gear was on backwards. switched it around. Now it don't backfire anymore, but still doesn't start. Hmmm.... Gonna keep trying.