<VV> I can't get her started

[Delta Inc]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Landis, Art MR" <arthur.landis@us.army.mil>
Subject: <VV> I can't get her started
*************
Good advice above on checking that the points are closing and opening, and
have not " grown" shut.  Remember that the coil fires when the points OPEN,
not when they close.
*************
Meanwhile, also remember that the stuff in the tank may be water or "STABILE
", paint thinner, almost anything.  I prefer to use a very small squirt of
fresh pump gas down the carb throats,,,, about 10 drops into each primary
carb will do it; drip in the gasoline with the ignition off and the engine
not turning over ... and then get that container at least 10 feet from where
you are making backfires and sparks.
Speaking of which, using starter fluid, especially in large doses, is also
somewhat dangerous, and possibly hard on engine components.  A half second
squirt will be enough to help start the engine.
**********
Meanwhile, let us know if the engine is firing at all ... if it is dead like
a doornail even with fresh fuel and a visible spark at the plug end of the
spark plug wires ( grounded to the block ) then it should run unless the
spark is out of correct time, which is pretty common for a freshly assembled
engine.
If the engine never fires at all, probably there is no spark at the plug.
If the engine fires but backfires, or is hitting only 1 to 3 cylinders,
probably out of time.
***********
Out of time .... need to check timing with a timing light, and make sure the
marks on the engine pointer and the crank pulley/dampner are painted really
brite white with a paint stripe or marking pen etc.... hours have been
wasted by trying to read a greasy black on black timing mark alignment (g
... ahem... ).
Also common in a new assembly is that the whole distributor was set with the
wrong " top dead center", ie, the exhaust stroke of #1 instead of tdc of #1
on the compression stroke.  ( g ... ahem again ).
*************
Also worth trying, because it is so easy, is to check with a voltmeter to
see if you have a positive voltage at the correct terminal of the coil, when
you turn the ignition key on.  I have had a couple of corvair ignition
switches worn to the extent that they didn't switch the ignition voltage on
....
**********
If the coil is not getting positive voltage at switch-on, for a test you can
carefully jumper positive 12 volts direct from the battery to the correct
side of the coil, but only while cranking the engine for starting.... the
coil should NOT receive the full 12 volts while normally running, which
could overheat the coil, that voltage is a different circuit, through a
voltage dropping resistor;, that voltage will be from 5 to 10 volts, with
the ignition key in " accessory" position.
*****************
Just a few more things that could go wrong ...
regards, Ken Campbell, deltawerkes.
........makes you wonder if we really put men on the moon .... did they get
there in a  1963 Corvair ??