It won't start! - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

HoonBoy · 04-16-2002, 21:00

I have a 4V 351 in a ford Landua which I bought not running. It has been fitted with a 600 Holley (Vac Secondaries, Square Bore) and has a major fuel problem.

When you try to start it, heaps of fuel will spit up out of the carby, normally just vapour, but sometimes a squirt of fuel will come out. It will occasionally cough and fart and sound like it is going to start but doesnt

I have pulled the carby apart and replaced both needle and seats and all gaskets, made sure everything was cleaned and nothing blocked. I adjusted the float levels, fiddled with the idle screws to the point that they are all the way in and it stil has the same problem.

The spark plugs were completed covered in black soot when I bought the car and I have changed to some new ones, however they are now covered in crap after trying to start the car. The car has never started with these spark plugs in, only coughed and spluttered. The coil is brand new and I am getting a spark at the plugs.

I have checked and double-checked the static ignition timing to ensure it is firing on the compression stroke.

Could it possibly be the cam timing has moved or is the carby flooding massively?

Any suggestions would be great!

Jase_ELXR8 · 04-16-2002, 21:07

check all you basics first. Compression, fuel (obviously there) and spark (there also). Is your firing order correct??? Remember it goes anti clockwise. If you think it's fuel pull the fuel line off and block it and try to get it going with whats left.

XR8DAZ1 · 04-16-2002, 21:13

could be one of your floats has a hole in it and is sinking to the bottom of the bowl..??:dead:

ebxr8240 · 04-16-2002, 21:21

The problem seems to be fuel? I see relativly cheap rebuilt carbs for sale in mags, a 600 is small and an economical choice.I think those engines are 4v too originally.. Have you tried disconecting the fuel line?Cranking with foot to the floor.
Double check firing order. Ah #1L &# 5R are at the front on each head go up as you go back.Cam could be out has some one worked on it lately? But you did say it has compression @ # 1,so it should atleast fire or start.Try to change one thing at a time other wise you could have heaps of things out!

HoonBoy · 04-16-2002, 23:29

It's not the floats as the chambers are not flooding, they had to be reset after I replaced the needle and seats. I'm not sure if this means anything, but I adjusted the floats to be parallel to the float chamber when being held upside done, then when they were on the car they had to be moved down a fair distance to make the float level right.

I have checked the firing order and it is correct as well, running from the order on the manifold.

I don't think anyone has touched the cam timing but I can't be sure

HoonBoy · 04-19-2002, 23:25

When I went to check the camshaft timing and came across a slight problem, the dizzy and rockers don't always move when the crankshaft is moving... They do sometimes, but not all the time. I think this may have something to do with the problem.

ebxr8240 · 04-20-2002, 03:55

Yes!! Don't turn any more you may do more damage.Beg, burrow or steel a pulley puller and take front cover off,check timing chain etc. Pull dist out and check gear drive on dist shaft for stripped gears,if so your oil pump won't work either!!..

Gearhead99 · 04-20-2002, 06:03

ebxr8240 has the right advice. STOP now if not sooner. You're just going to make it worse. Which translate to more $$$$$.

Get the front off and replace the gears and chain. Get a steel gear while you're at it.

That should fix you up.

HoonBoy · 04-20-2002, 22:37

I've pulled off the front cover and the timing chain has about 2cm of play in it, it wasn't on the camshaft wheel properly either.

Is there supposed to be a tensioner for the chain? I've never worked on a V8 before so I don't know these things.

Do you think I should pull the heads off to check the valves? It was still turning freely so I don't think anything will be bent but I'm not sure.

HoonBoy · 04-21-2002, 01:49

I went futher into the engine and found the cause, the camshaft wheel for the timing chain has a heap of teeth ground down, and the chain is stretched so much it won't fit on properly. I pulled off one head and it all looked fine, the valves seem to be nice and straight. I'll pull the other head of soon and see if it is alright.

Now how do I go about setting up the cam timing? Is there supposed to be marks on the pulleys to help me line them up?

Doe's anyone know a good place to buy the steel wheel from in Sydney?