Just a thought from my distant past. I had a machine shop rebuild an old
Merc flathead with full race Isky cam, Edelbrok heads, dual carbs, racing
pistons and all that stuff. The compression ration was probably 11 or 12 to
1, I can't remember now, but I couldn't get the battery to turn it over fast
enough to start the first couple of times after I put the engine in my 39
Merc convertible so I rolled it down the slight hill next to my house and
jump started it 3rd gear. If I remember correctly, it took a couple of trys
until I got everything hooked up correctly, but it started and ran fine. It
was just too stiff for the battery to start until I got a few miles on it.
This was back in 1958 or 1959 when I was about 17, so it's been awhile. I
sure wish I still had that little bomb.
It you try that be sure to have a way to tow it back up the hill.
Good luck,
Dave 72 B
-----Original Message-----
From: Wake074@aol.com <Wake074@aol.com>
To: mgb-v8@autox.team.net <mgb-v8@autox.team.net>
Date: Sunday, May 07, 2000 9:36 AM
Subject: Won't Start :-(
>Well, today was supposed to be the day to hear the engine run, but I seem
to
>be having a few problems. I wish someone on the list was a little closer,
as
>I don't think anything is seriously wrong, but it won't start. It doesn't
>spit, sputter, nothing. It is getting gas as occasionally it will shoot
gas
>back out the carb. Its probably something one of you could figure out
after
>looking at it for 5 minutes.
>
>Here's what I have. Olds Block, Buicks heads, New Cam, Edelbrock carb, RV8
>exhausts, rebuilt starter, new coil, rebuilt distrbitor, new points,
>condensor etc. This is my first ever attempt at rebuilding an engine.
>
>How fast should the starter roll the engine over? It seems like it is
going
>very slow. I'm only getting spark on #1 about once a second. This just
seems
>really slow to me. I've tried the obvious stuff, running jumper cables
>straight to starter solenoid from my truck's battery, to make sure it isn't
a
>battery or battery lead problem.
>
>My gut feeling tells me it is an ignition / timing problem. I've got 12
>volts on the + side of coil. I started tying to use the Pextronics EI
unit,
>but couldn't get any spark, a bad unit, maybe? So I switched back to the
>points that came with the rebuilt distributor. Points are a new thing to
me,
>I've always run with the EI units. When timing light is attached, I seem
to
>be getting spark at the right time.
>
>Newby question, how can I tell if I have the distributor in correctly, I
>realize that it cane be 180 degrees off. I've followed the factory manual,
>remove valve cover check to make sure both valves on #1 are closed. But it
>seems to me like they are closed on both positions, 0 and 180. Am I
missing
>something?
>
>Any words of wisdom? as I'd really like to hear this thing run.
>
>Thanks again,
>
>Glenn
>
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