No start turning into No start Hell
Newb here getting to know my 914 and enjoying the process ,far far far from an expert just persistence is how I learn .I have to say I am at a loss here on what to do next and would really appreciate some help
Less than 1000 miles on rebuilt engine Dual weber 48’s
Trend with the engine getting harder and harder to start an occasional backfire just at start up
Hard starting progressed to a no start situation took the following actions in an attempt to resolve the issue
Battery tested No issues
Engine slow to crank, Replaced with Hi-Torque IMI-101N works Great turns nice and strong still no start
Oil changed while I had the car up
In case Car out of gas from a failed sender added 2 gallon to the ¼ tank reading still no start
123 Ignition Distributor installed (planned update before issues )
Checked and rechecked and checked again for TDC on Fan, and Flywheel
Verified spark with external spark plug
Carbs ,have gas Plugs (Bosch R6) wet after repeated attempts at a start
Pulled Dried and cleaned before reinstalling
Bottom Idle mixture tried 1 ½, and 2 turns out
Cleaned idle jets and main jets
Res tanks filling checked and adjusted floats for rest and drop per specs
can see gas squirt from the accelerator pumps
Engine still won’t start up after repeated tries the best I can get is a backfire but even that is rare
I am at a loss of what to try next , I could put the old dizzy back in but i had the no
start issue before I replaced it I could try adjusting the idle mixture , but thinking that would really only come into play if the engine was running .
I am out of idea's and need some help

Sounds a lot like the firing order is wrong or the dizzy drive is 180 out.

Both are easy to do when installing a 123. I agree with Mark, check installation instructions and verify firing order. It doesn't really matter how the 123 dizzy is oriented as long as you have firing order correct and static-timed it correctly to #1. Hope that makes sense.

I would static time it, make sure valves are closed at TDC #1. Set it close it should at least start, unless there is another issue. What size engine are you feeding with 48's? It would backfire when it started before?

Mark and Rob Thank you Firing order I know I checked that from at least two sources Hopped out of bed and went to the Tech Tips 700 book again firing correct 1,4,3,2
Thought about the 180 issue before and after install But the rotor was in the same place between the the new and old at install . George mentions the rotor at the 1030 mark and mine was always at about 1:30 So Since I have access to the flywheel Thought I would put the rotor to 10:30 and see if I have any marks ... Well A nice line mark shows up to match the case halves ,turned the dizzy for the green light Plugged the wires back in and tried to fire it up Voltage is a bit down from all the cranking last night so stopped and will get a full charge back in the battery and try again Thank you, Thank you for setting me and the 123 in the right direction LOL Suspect I am still going to be fighting the Hard start issue but fingers crossed

2.0 with a Big bore set up/web cam by an established Porsche shop in CA
Car was getting harder and harder to start with a single back fire just at startup
i got to the point that once started I did not want to shut if off and would go for long drives with the car running great. My original plan was to check the current timing for a reference before installing the 123 but that plan never happened once the car reached the point of not starting up .
I know I was surprised to see 48's ,reached that conclusion by this picture I took Click to view attachment
The plan if i get running again was to check the manifolds for leaks /spraying carb cleaner etc

Sunday update
Still No start not even a slight pop
I could put the original Dizzy back in but I had the No start issue before I added the 123....

Found this from another No start post
Ian wrote :
The engine makes two revolutions for every one revolution of the rotor, so the mark on the flywheel or the fan can either indicate TDC of #1 or #3, depending where the engine is in the stroke. So someone installing the distributor has a 50-50 chance of getting it right without checking wink.gif
got nothing to loose I will try it out

Just a thought, set it to TDC, take the dizzy out and check the clocking of the drive, Most manuals show the proper clocking. Getting the clocking wrong is a common mistake.

You're in great hands with these guys. Listen to their advice and I'm sure you'll be running soon.

It all boils down to air, fuel and spark. If you've got the first two....

Curious...have you checked to see that the rotor moves when you turn the engine over? Take off the cap and the negative lead to the coil. Maybe the distributor isn't mated up well to the drive gear?

the mark on the flywheel or the fan can either indicate TDC of #1 or #3,
Ian gave me another good tip since i was lazy and did not want to pull a valve cover Removed the sparkplug for #1 Placed a clean screw driver in turned the engine and verified the screw driver rose when reaching the mark on the Fly wheel to confirm I was at TDC for #1 Stopping for the night more to Follow
Thank you all for the Help

I would make doubly sure you are on TDC #1. Roll over the engine and watch for the #1 intake valve to open and close, half a turn more to TDC and this way you're 100% sure you're on #1. This is easy if you get a 2nd person to help you.
Also Ian makes a good point, make sure the dizzy is fully seating into the drive.

All good points from Mark and Ian. There may be something else going on, but getting the 123 installed correctly can be surprisingly tricky. Once it's installed with the right advance curve you're good to go.

As mentioned, make sure dizzy rotor is actually turning with the rotation of the motor to be sure you have it seated with the gear.

Follow directions for static timing, and make sure firing order is correct, clockwise.

This is still the most comprehensive post for installation:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?s=&...t&p=2545698

You'll get it figured out. Good luck.

It Fired UP

I spent way too long Re-installing and following the directions and setting up for the green light in the quest for perfection thinking I missed a step in the 123 instructions for the car never to start .
When I finally turned the whole dizzy with the cap on about 12 degrees counterclockwise the car fired up .
The next day I even set the car at TDC on the flywheel and pulled the cap No green light with my current settings
Thanks Again for the support and all the great info

Excellent. IIRC, it took me a day or two to get it right for some reason as well.

Onward and upward