wont fire!

[jammer84_03]

i just got done with putting new head gaskets on, fired right up, but now when i go to turn the dizzy, it wont fire back up. i left the key on one time and when i turn the dizzy it will re engage the fuel pump. that and it wants to start. i get a chug out of it and then it just keeps turning over

 

[gtxracing]

Turning the Dizzy??? I'm sorry I have no clue what in the hell that is LOL.. Crank maybe i don't know HAHA

 

[superhuaman]

I bet you have the distributor (dizzy) one tooth retarded. Makes the engine seem like it is way too rich, when it's just dumping fuel and not burning it.

 

[jammer84_03]

the distributor....i got it started but now i got a misfire like a mother.....

looks like all the plugs are fine, made sure no crossed wires, it will drive but its so bad, i know im off a cylender, but all appear to be firing. so where do i start.

 

[superhuaman]

remove the "spout" plug by the distributor. use a timing light to check what the timing is set at when it is running. it should be 10 degrees advanced (BTDC). if you cant get the dist to turn that far, then it is one tooth retarded. if this is the case, you must lift the dist out, turn it one tooth in the direction of rotation (counterclockwise) and drop it back in. dont forget that it will rotate when you remove or install it. also check your firing order. 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8

http://www.moddedmustangs.com/ford-firing-orders.html

 

[jammer84_03]

will check when i get home tonight. i made sure not to move the crank after i pulled it, and i marked it so i would drop it in correctly. i've turned at dizzy every which way but to no avail.

 

[HISSIN50]

There is no such thing as one tooth off, per se. If the dizzy has room to physically rotate (the TFI or TFI wiring isnt holding it up), it can be spun to be in time.

My first thought was also that the dizzy was installed 180* out of phase but it sounds like you're pretty sure it's not.

Good luck.

 

[superhuaman]

Hissin50, you are right. When *my* dizzy was "one tooth off", i could only get to about 5 or 6 degrees BTDC before hitting the t-stat housing, i think.

 

[jrichker]

Hissin50, you are right. When *my* dizzy was "one tooth off", i could only get to about 5 or 6 degrees BTDC before hitting the t-stat housing, i think.

That is the sole ill effect of being one tooth off. Everything else works just as it should.

 

[superhuaman]

well perhaps that is not the problem then. use the link i provided and check your firing order again. also, tell us about how you did the intake gaskets...

 

[jrichker]

Putting the distributor back in is fairly simple. Pull #1 sparkplug, put your finger in the sparkplug hole, crank the engine until you feel compression. Then line up the TDC mark on the balancer with the pointer on the engine block.

The distributor starts out with the #1 plug wire lined up at about 12:00 with you facing it. Align the rotor to about 11:00, since it will turn clockwise as it slides into place.

Align the distributor rotor up with the #1 position marked on the cap, slide the distributor down into the block, (you may have to wiggle the rotor slightly to get the gear to engage) and then note where the rotor is pointing. If it still lines up with #1 position on the cap, install the clamp and bolt. If not, pull it out and turn 1 tooth forwards or backwards and try again. Put the #1 spark plug back in and tighten it down, put the clamp on the distributor, but don't tighten it too much, as you will have to move the distributor to set the timing. Note that if it doesn't align perfectly with #1 position, you can turn the distributor until it does. The only problem is that if you are too far one way or the other, you can't turn the distributor enough to get the 10-14 degree optimum timing range.

At this point hook up all the wires, get out the timing light and start the engine. Set the timing where your car runs best. Don't forget to disconnect the SPOUT jumper connector when you set the timing, and plug it back in when you finish.

The HO firing order is 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8.
Non HO firing order is 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8

 

[jammer84_03]

intake gaskets were the 1250's silicone side up with some clear sealer around the water jackets

 

[jammer84_03]

and i did pull the jumper

 

[jammer84_03]

i did change the spark plugs and i am thinking i got a bad one out of the bunch, that or i got some moisture in the cap...but im not quite sure. gonna check the wires when i get home to make sure...might throw in the old set of plugs i got just to see

 

[superhuaman]

what about the lower intake end seals?

 

[jrichker]

Spark plug wires can be checked with an ohmmeter by measuring the end to end resistance of the wire.. You should see about 2000 ohms per foot of length. A 2 foot wire would be 4000 ohms, a 3 foot wire would be 6000 ohms. Some wires like Accel & Taylor are spiral wound metal wire and will measure much lower resistance. That’s OK, lower is better.

Remember NOT to hold the ohmmeter probe tips with your bare hands when making the measurements. It will throw off the readings.

 

[jammer84_03]

silicone pieces with sealer on both sides

 

[superhuaman]

maybe you have a vacuum leak. check your cranking vacuum. i used just black silicone for the intake end seals. cuz when i torqued the intake, the silicone squeezed out.

 

[jammer84_03]

cranking vacuum...how do i check that?

 

[superhuaman]

hook up a vacuum gauge and crank the engine...easy since it wont start