Motor Won't Even TRY...

[Ben B.]

So I got a truck from my friend last week. A '76 Silverado 1/2 longbed, bla bla bla. Anyway, it has a 400 in it, and we've been trying to get it running. We put gas in the carburetor, but the motor won't even TRY to start...not even a little cough. What could be wrong?

 

[Silver84k5]

you check for spark?

 

[pauly383]

You got 12 volts at the Hei plug ? Start there .

If yes , its in the igntion system , I.E coil , cap/rotor/wires , pick up , module .

If no 12 volts , try a wire straight from the battery to the hei just to see if it tries . If it does fix the wiring in the truck .

 

[Ben B.]

Well, she is getting spark. Haven't messed around with the Distributor yet...

 

[pauly383]

So you can hold the plug wire close to ground and see it ?

You put gas in the carb . Is it in the fuel bowl ? Maybe carb sat too long

Spray some starting fluid into the carb , then crank it .

 

[SchnorrCS]

If you know it's getting spark, I'd say get serious with the either...

 

[Silver84k5]

could the distributor be off enough so itll just turn over? or will it always back fire and make other wierd noises?

 

[supersize75k5]

How familure are you with valves and timming?

id pop your drivers side valve cover, pull up the dist, crank the motor by hand with a socket, or your hand on the fly wheel and get it to the #1 cylender, set it on the timing mark to zero and go from there.

I have got a motor to run a little just by dumping gas down the intake, also maybe jump the starter with a screw driver.

 

[RustBuket]

Check to see if the hydraulic lifters are set too tight. If so, then they will be open all the time and no compression. Ask me how i know... starting an engine with one cylinder firing is not easy!

 

[mofugly13]

Pull each plug, and clean it, my brother had a ford w/ a 460 that would just turn over, and over, and over.......First thing I did was pull each plug and clean them with a toothbrush and gasoline, it fied RIGHT up.. Then we took it on the road, and at idle it would cough and sputter, trying to die, I had him get on it for a few 100 yard stretches, it blew whatever crud was in there out, and it has been running like a champ for a while now.