Help!

[Thrashed]

Hi all

 

Been trying to get my engine started without success. If is a 2ltr Pinto with ZX6R carbs. I am running the inductive ignition system.

 

So far i have got the engine spinning on the starter. I have fuel going into the carbs, I have spark at the plugs and i have tried every combination on the ignition. I have tried fuel down the bores and the closest i have come in the 6 hours of try are 2 massive backfires!!

 

What i don't have is a running engine.

 

Anyone got an ideas on what i can try next. Or a fool proof way to getting it started.

 

I am wondering how to check the fuel is getting to the plugs. Took the plugs out and they are not wet to the touch but heavy smell of petrol on them?

 

Is it worth compression testing, could this affect it?

 

How do i know if the spark is big enough? it has a visible spark across the gap when earth on the exhaust manifold.

 

 

Any ideas or help greatly appreciated.

 

Steve

[Guest doddy]

i had this problem on my pinto turned out i had the dizzy 180degres out turned it around and it fired up fine

[Shaft]

Hi Steve,

 

Sounds like you could have the leads on the wrong plugs perhaps? Got plenty of tee-shirts myself with that error mate.

 

Basically, if you've got fuel and a spark it should run, but not if the sparks are in a different cylinder to the one being compressed!

Hopefully i'm right and it'll be a simples fix.

 

Nick.

[Bob Tucker]

2 massive backfires!!

Thats the clue....its firing when either the inlet or exhaust valve are open.

Take off cam cover, check that cyl 1 is on firing stroke (both cam lobes are away from the rockers).

You can also put your finger over the spark plug hole & check for compression.

Align the timing mark (about 8 degs before TDC) remove dizzy cap, after noting where the lead for cyl 1 is located, the rotor arm should be pointing to that position. If it isnt, just swap the leads round in the dizzy cap, put no. 1 in the cap where the rotor arm is pointing, then put the others in turn, 1,3,4,2. That should get it running probably badly, then use a strobe to fine tune it.

Good luck...!

Bob

[Andi]

If none of the above works.......

Where are the carbs from? ie are they set up for a car? what`s the jet size and what fuel pump are you using?

 

Andi

[steve_wilson]

must be a timing issue

 

check cam timing as above or ignition timing/plug sequence, should be 1-3-4-2 iirc

 

good luck

[Thrashed]

Thanks for all the advise.

 

I think I need to go back to the beginning and check all timings. My cousin camber and did the timing in about 15 mins so going to double check everything. Is the Haynes manual easy/ accurate enough a guide to follow?

 

Cheers

[speedtripledan]

Been there had that, prob dizzy 180deg out double check cam timing as well.

[Thrashed]

Hi all. Looking for ideas. Have double checked tdc for crank and cam and all ok. Double checked timing with rocker cover off. I have a spark at the plugs and the plugs smell of petrol. I can hearth carbs squirting the fuel but not a thing. Battery is fullncharged and the engine turns easy enough and you can hear the compression coming out the exhaust.

 

What am I missing??

 

Thanks guys

[Thrashed]

If none of the above works.......

Where are the carbs from? ie are they set up for a car? what`s the jet size and what fuel pump are you using?

 

Andi

 

Hi Andi. The carbs were off eBay and are standard, which should mean 1.4 jets and using a zxr pump. Pump works fine as tested by disconnecting from carbs and pumps into a jar. Even if a pour fuel down the bores I get nothing. It gotta be a timing issue!!

 

Cheers Steve

[Guest woolly]

Have you applied the cold start

zx6 carbs won't start from cold with out it

[Longboarder]

Check ignition timing. Turn engine to TDC with the rocker cover off. Check cam lobes. Either 1 or 4 will have both lobes sticking up away from the rocker fingers at TDC. Make sure it's cylinder 1. If not rotate engine one full turn.

Sitting on the left front wheel remove the dizzy cap and the rotor arm should be at about 4 oclock pointing at the cut in the rim, not the slot. And with the cap back on number one plug lead should be there too.

(In the pic below ignore the non standard magnetronic rotor and pickup. Setup is the same for all dizzys)

Nigel

[Thrashed]

Have you applied the cold start

zx6 carbs won't start from cold with out it

 

Hi. What's the cold start?

 

Thanks

[Thrashed]

Check ignition timing. Turn engine to TDC with the rocker cover off. Check cam lobes. Either 1 or 4 will have both lobes sticking up away from the rocker fingers at TDC. Make sure it's cylinder 1. If not rotate engine one full turn.

Sitting on the left front wheel remove the dizzy cap and the rotor arm should be at about 4 oclock pointing at the cut in the rim, not the slot. And with the cap back on number one plug lead should be there too.

(In the pic below ignore the non standard magnetronic rotor and pickup. Setup is the same for all dizzys)

Nigel

 

Hi Nigel.

 

Have tried this and double checked several times. How important is it for the rotor arm to be at 4 o'clock. My rotor arm was at about 7 o'clock so set that as 1 and followed round 3,4,2.

 

Thanks

[richyb66]

Hi Nigel.

 

How important is it for the rotor arm to be at 4 o'clock. My rotor arm was at about 7 o'clock so set that as 1 and followed round 3,4,2.

 

Thanks

 

It's not important, as long as the crank is at TDC and valves 1 and 2 are closed the rotor arm can be pointing anywhere but this will be firing plug lead 1.

 

Take out spark plug number 1 and turn the engine over by hand while you've got a finger over the plug hole. You'll feel the compression as you turn the engine round towards TDC, stop turning when the TDC mark on the crank pulley lines up with the pointer (deepest groove on the left).

 

Slacken off the distributor clamp bolt a bit so it can be turned by hand (but not too loose) and turn the dizzy so that the centre of the metal on the rotor arm points towards the centre of one of the plug connectors on the cap - this should be close enough to get it going with a bit of tweaking. Mark the dizzy body relative to something fixed on the engine block with a marker pen or some tipp-ex, this is your starting position and you might want to return to it later.

 

Fit the plug leads starting with number one, as you said, firing order is 1, 3, 4, 2 and the distributor turns clockwise.

 

The ignition timing won't be bang on so you'll probably have to advance it a little to get it going so if you've got an attractive assistant, get them to crank the engine while you turn the distributor body very slightly anti-clockwise. You don't need to turn it a lot as you only need about 8 degrees of advance. If like me you don't have an assistant you'll have to reach over the engine and turn the dizzy with your right hand while you operate the key with your left. The trick is to turn the dizzy very slightly as you are cranking.

 

If it does start, you can then just tweak the dizzy to get the idle as smooth as you can and then set it properlyu with a timing light later.

 

The cold start on ZX6 carbs should be a long sliding bar like this: