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Hello,
I have got a problem with my 350 rocket on my cutlass 74.
i rebuilt the carburetor few mlonth ago, the engine was runinng perfectly and yesterday a went out with the car everything was good put it back to the garage.
Then this morning try to start and it start but dies few second after. So i try to run it again and it cranks but nothing more. so i push the trottle while try to start and then a withe smoke or gaz went ou from the carburetor, but still not running .
what should make this? did the carburetor is too rich ? or a bad rotor cap and plug wire ? coz i didn't change them it's still the original.
Or maybe bad setting or distributor ? i don't understand why it just don't want to run normaly as before, cz i didn't do anything on the engine.
Thanks for your help
Regard
Antoine
The timing chain synchronizes the valves w the Pistons. Old timing chains are notorious for slipping as wear occurs. When this happens the car will either no longer run or run poorly
Antoine, it may be something simple like a small piece under the needle/seat of the carburetor. Remove the carb top, clean the needle/seat with carb cleaner. Make sure you have a good fuel filter. bonne chance!
Remember engines need air, fuel, and well timed spark. Start with the basics, with the engine off look down into the carb, move the throttle fully open and see if you have 2 solid streams spraying. Check for spark. Make sure your plugs are not fouled.
Using electrically insulated tools or an old spark plug grounded to the engine, check for spark first, if none then look toward the points, condenser, distributor cap and rotor. Was the car converted to HEI (High Energy Ignition)?
If you have spark then, how many miles on the motor and do you know if the timing chain was replaced? The problem is that the camshaft/large/top gear has nylon teeth from the factory and the teeth break off causing the chain to jump ahead a tooth or two. This usually occurs on a shut down...it ran fine yesterday and won't start today.
A sign of a jumped chain is that the engine sounds like it is cranking faster than normal while trying to start. If you have a compression gauge you could test a few cylinders, if they are equally low around 60-80 psi the chain has likely jumped.
Good luck!!!
Last edited by Sugar Bear; April 15th, 2018 at 05:20 PM.
Using electrically insulated tools or an old spark plug grounded to the engine, check for spark first, if none then look toward the points, condenser, distributor cap and rotor. Was the car converted to HEI (High Energy Ignition)?
If you have spark then, how many miles on the motor and do you know if the timing chain was replaced? The problem is that the camshaft/large/top gear has nylon teeth from the factory and the teeth break off causing the chain to jump ahead a tooth or two. This usually occurs on a shut down...it ran fine yesterday and won't start today. And i already change the point so not converted to HEI.
A sign of a jumped chain is that the engine sounds like it is cranking faster than normal while trying to start. If you have a compression gauge you could test a few cylinders, if they are equally low around 60-80 psi the chain has likely jumped.
Good luck!!!
hi,
it's cranking like usual not faster than normal, i was thinking that it was to rich so i reduce fuel idle just a bit and it started again quite normaly but dies afters 2 min again, and then not starting. i will try to look for spark then, my distributor cap and rotor and plug wire are original, coulb be the source of the problem?
Last edited by Molasson73; April 15th, 2018 at 09:29 PM.
Running for two minutes, the timing chain did not jump out-of-time.
If you know how to check for spark do that after it shuts off and won't restart. If you are not certain about how to check for spark find someone that does so you do not get shocked, it is high voltage.
Did this problem ever occur before the carburetor rebuild?
Running for two minutes, the timing chain did not jump out-of-time.
If you know how to check for spark do that after it shuts off and won't restart. If you are not certain about how to check for spark find someone that does so you do not get shocked, it is high voltage.
Did this problem ever occur before the carburetor rebuild?
i don't know if it occur before coz the engine wasn't running and i rebuilt the carb and many other thing to make it running.
i m thinking that is more the rotor and distributor cap that is not in good condition after years on the car.
I order it with plug wire and i will see after that .
Do you think that something in the carburetor moved? did i need to remove it, and checke every parts?
i already check the fuel filter and it was clean.
i will try again soon and let you know.
thanks.
So good news it start again for a while and stop after 10 min like there is no more fuel, i think that i need to remove the carb and clean it again.
Hope that will be good like this.
Which products i can clean the carb nicely ?
Inspect the rubber fuel lines at the fuel pump and the connections to the fuel tank. If original they may be cracked and pulling in air instead of pulling liquid fuel from the tank.
How much fuel is in the tank? There is a sock type filter in the tank that can clog with silt. A symptom is the car runs out of fuel around 1/4th tank because the bottom of the sock gets clogged first. Adding more fuel will make it run if the sock is restricted.
Inspect the rubber fuel lines at the fuel pump and the connections to the fuel tank. If original they may be cracked and pulling in air instead of pulling liquid fuel from the tank.
How much fuel is in the tank? There is a sock type filter in the tank that can clog with silt. A symptom is the car runs out of fuel around 1/4th tank because the bottom of the sock gets clogged first. Adding more fuel will make it run if the sock is restricted.
Was the carb dirty the first time?
half tank for fuel, and i already remove it clean it, change connection to the fuel tank and to the fuel pump.
And the carb was a bit dirty but i already clean maybe not so well.
i will remove and celan every parts of the carb and i will see
So, i clean evreythings ahgain, change rotor, cap distributor and spark plug wire.
It start for 30 sec normaly and then dies. And then hard to start and then not starting at all.So i came a day later and try again and same things start and run for a mintue and die and then nothing.
so i don't know where taht could come, maybe condenser ? points? aire vacuum leak?
Is it normal that after trying many times, my carburetor gasket start to be wet of fuel? or fuel leak on the last part of the carb? the one that is near the admission?
Do you have spark when it quits running. While it idling, look into the carb and see if fuel is dribbling down into the manifold.
i would like to try to change the coil, i ve got one but it say that need a external resistor, Is it a ballast rsistor ? coz the one on the car just worked with the wire resistor. does i need to put a ballast?
Don't add a resistor, the wire is the resistor as stated. Adding a resistor would make the voltage too low.
Yes a condenser can cause loss of spark. Are you losing spark?
I change thé cool and still thé same. Thé only thing that i didn't change is thé condensor. I Will receive it on monday and i Will try. I Will let you know. Thanks for thé help.
If you have access to a vacuum/fuel pressure gage, check that your fuel pump is pumping pressure of around 6 psi. Also make sure your float settings are correct inside of the carburetor.
Fuel pump is new so i wasn't thuning that could bé thé probem. I change condensor and points. And it s work. Start and run like before. Thanks everyone for help that you gave me. See you for next trouble or not. I hope so..
regards
Antoine
Points wasn't olds i have already change it before but not the condensor. I bought accel kit so i change both of them. and now everything is going fine, hopefully. is it normal thé heat under thé hood? How much should be?
I think the thermostat is set to open at 195 degrees Fahrenheit. Can someone confirm the temp for a 1974? The car probably does not have a temperature gauge from the factory so one must rely on the temperature light to illuminate and that could be a lot higher than 195 degrees. A temperature gauge shows the real temperature instead of a guess between the thermostat opening and the red light illuminating.
Try to get an infrared thermometer and test the radiator for cold spots indicating a restriction. You can also test the thermostat in water with a thermometer to see when it opens and that it opens completely.
Does anyone know what temperature the light comes on?
my hose are nearly bruning and all the engine is hot. i do not feel pressure in hose when i m pressing it.
Should be the caps from the radiator, or water pump or thermostat.
i m thinking to clean the radiator change caps and check again, but if i m removing all of this why not to replace water pump and thermostat?
what do you think ?
Cleaning the radiator and changing the thermostat is a good idea. Water pumps usually do not cause overheating unless the impeller is corroded away. With the engine cold remove the radiator cap and look at the sides of the horizontal water flow tubes. If they are crusty, either have the radiator professionally cleaned or replace it with a new one.
Replacing the water pump is half-way to changing the timing chain, if the engine is over 100K miles I'd replace the timing chain and both gears if replacing the water pump.
so i remove the radiator and wasn't so rusty, but not clean inside !
i clean it inside and outside and paint outside. i will put it back on and try again.
but i have got one question, there is two small tube going in the radiator, i ve read that is from the automatique transmition.
there is coolant inside this tube or not? and if yes how i can fill it after replacing radiator?
is it filling when you fill the radiator, if you see what i mean?
There is no coolant inside the transmission cooling ports in the radiator. The transmission lines connect a coiled section inside the radiator submerged in coolant.
April 15th, 2018, 09:37 AM
