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Pinto won't start!


Daled

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Hey all pinto masterminds, can someone please help me with how I can troubleshoot why she won't run. I have checked the following: 

1. Fuel is getting to the carbs

2. The points and plug leads are on correctly and can see the spark. 

3. Tried to make sure the carbs were clear with some carb cleaner and manually checked the jets. 

4. Ran some easy start into the carbs, but wasn't happy with blowback it seems to create. 

I have an engine builder that helped me get the heads, cam and webers setup a year or so ago. But he doesn't do house calls to help. 

Can take a call if someone is available to help. 

Dale 

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That sounds like the ignition timing is out. Is the distributor cap on correctly? Has the distributor moved because the clamp bolt is loose? If the distributor is loose, you'll need to rotate it a few degrees each way while trying to start it until the engine fires. Once you can get it running, you need to set the timing with a light.

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It was running about 3 weeks ago, but I didn't take her for a run. But It was having an issue after getting an MOT When she was bogging down and losing power. But I think this was due to the webers needing a clean which I did and was running fine. 

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Looks very much like my engine !  Mine was doing something very similar last year & I spent ages trying to figure out what was going on.  If it's the same problem as I had check your plugs and see if they are wet with petrol.  If so, dry your plugs off, charger your battery up and connect a second battery with jump leads.   The problem with mine was simply that it wasn't turning over fast enough (cold 20w50 oil I guess), the battery voltage was dropping and the spark was weak.   Once it started up and ran for a few seconds it was fine.   

Hope this helps,  Steve

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Hi.  On the video is that the fuel pump I can hear at the very beginning.     If it is the loud clicking is because there is no fuel inside the pump.   The pump will quieten down when it’s full of fuel.   
you can hear it’s trying to start 

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On 4/8/2021 at 9:27 AM, blue said:

Hi.  On the video is that the fuel pump I can hear at the very beginning.     If it is the loud clicking is because there is no fuel inside the pump.   The pump will quieten down when it’s full of fuel.   
you can hear it’s trying to start 

thanks for the reply, while testing orginally I thought the same thing so I put in about another 10 litres of fuel as I thought she might just be out of fuel. but the video was taken after I added the fuel and checked that there was fuel coming through the hose to the carbs. Both hoses had good pressure to each carb so I ruled it out. I think I will try Foz's suggesstion and check the spark and timing as it seems to be the thing I havent gone through completely.

the really confusing thing for me is that it was running fine after I cleaned out the carbs and replaced the alternator belt. Anyway will keep you all posted as I am itching to get a good blast in soon. 

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To eliminate or identify  a fuel problem, put a squirt of fuel into each carb mouth. If the spark is all ok it will start, but be a bit lumpy for a short while, like on full choke, then clear before stopping. If it wont start then the problem is ignition.......somewhere. Its a long process of elimination, just one thing at a time.

Its hard to see from your photo, have you checked the plug leads are connected correctly?? They look like perhaps 2& 3 are swapped?

Edited by Bob Tucker
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On 4/11/2021 at 4:35 PM, Daled said:

thanks for the reply, while testing orginally I thought the same thing so I put in about another 10 litres of fuel as I thought she might just be out of fuel. but the video was taken after I added the fuel and checked that there was fuel coming through the hose to the carbs. Both hoses had good pressure to each carb so I ruled it out. I think I will try Foz's suggesstion and check the spark and timing as it seems to be the thing I havent gone through completely.

the really confusing thing for me is that it was running fine after I cleaned out the carbs and replaced the alternator belt. Anyway will keep you all posted as I am itching to get a good blast in soon. 

Ah ok.   So sounds like you have fuel getting to the carbs.  Look through the carbs <might need a mirror >. Open throttles can you see fuel being pumped in ??


screwdriver in the end of a plug lead placed on rocker cover a- does spark jump from screwdriver to rocker -   Yes - spark is fine ———no —-check spark

an engine even with piss poor timing will still try to start   

agree spraying so brake cleaner etc in the carb mouth is a 2 sec check to see if it’s fuel.   
 

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Hey all thanks for the replies. I ended up taking out the spark plugs and gave them a clean and then checked all the leads etc plugged in correctly. Also checked the distributor cap was on the right way and she fired up as you can see. She was a bit stuttery when I took her for a run but after some redex and good blast she is running quite well again. I think the next thing I will do is put her on a dyno and tune the webers. 

Good to get back out and rolling again. 

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1 minute ago, Daled said:

Hey all thanks for the replies. I ended up taking out the spark plugs and gave them a clean and then checked all the leads etc plugged in correctly. Also checked the distributor cap was on the right way and she fired up as you can see. She was a bit stuttery when I took her for a run but after some redex and good blast she is running quite well again. I think the next thing I will do is put her on a dyno and tune the webers. 

Good to get back out and rolling again. 

Sorry it won't let me upload the video 

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