The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Dead 216

Hi Bolters! Like olbe97, I too have a similar problem. I'm helping a friend get his 49 w/216 running. He replaced the spark advance, and now the truck won't hit at all. It has been converted to 12v. Earlier, he had a 6v coil in it, and it wasn't getting fire to the plugs.I told him he needed a 12v coil, and we replaced it with a new one w/a resistor built in. I have grounded the #1 plug, and plenty of fire. I checked to see if he had the dist.in right, and when #1 is on TDC, the rotor is pointing to #1 plug wire. The cap, rotor,condensor, and wires are all new. It has gas in the in-line see through filter. I even primed the carb to make sure it had gas, and it still won't fire. I also made sure the plug wires were in proper order on the cap, and they are. The points are also new and set at .20. It's got fire, and gas, but still refuses to start. I am truly stumped. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks!
KT

KT,

I saw the help you offered to olbe97...you seem to know what you are doing. All the ingredients are there to run, you can see that. I would think they just aren't' happening when needed! Did you or your friend determine TDC...it sounds like it's 180 out. You know what it takes to get it running, you have them listed in your post. One of those things is missing..check again! Good luck.

Stuart

Hey Stuart!
When Frank took out the dist. to put on the new spark advance, he actually had it out 180', until I put it in right! His B-N-Law also looked at it, and confirmed it was in properly. His B-N-Law has worked on lots of old stuff! At one point this afternoon, it acted like it was going to fire, but nothing more. I don't know what the heck is going on. Sometimes the simpilest things can really be a pain on the old trucks. And there not complicated!
KT
KT

Was the 49 running before?

On my 47 jeep, the valves were stuck and had to be freed up before they went up and down. But...the jeep still didn't start until we touched up the choke. Then it fired up and ran great. Our choke wasn't hooked up.

Have you tried starting fluid (ether) ?

You could take the valve cover off and spin it up and see if the valves are going up and down.

my guess is that you have either a problem with the distributor being set to fire on the wrong stroke of number one cylinder, or you have the timing way off. The fact that it tried to fire once or twice makes me even more convienced that is the problem. I have been there and done that, and it can drive you crazy.

The way I do it is to see if you can see the timing marks when the number one piston is at top center. If you can do that, and the rotor is pointing at the number one plug wire, then you are right. If you have number one at top center and can't see the timing marks, you are trying to fire on the wrong stroke.

Also, be sure you are using the proper timing mark on the flywheel. Most people will tell you that you will have a small steel ball on the fly wheel, and that is what you use. If you have the ball, that will be correct. But I can tell you from experience that if you have a circle, several small straight marks, and a triangle, you will use the triangle. Been there done that. Good luck, Allen

You may have saturated the spark plugs from all that cranking without fire. I had that problem when I bought my truck and it wasn't running. New plugs and it fired right up.

Also, you only want the 12v coil if it is a 12v system. If the truck has the original 6 volt you want a 6 v coil with no resistor.

bakerallen is right about that tri-angle on the flywheel - some have the ball and some have the tri-angle and i may be crazy but i thought i saw both on mine!

Hey Guys! Thanks for all the great replies! Arnswine, yeah it was running when he recently bought the truck, not real good, but running. It stopped after he took out the dist.to replace the sprk adv. We did try starting fluid.Hi 4 on the floor! Yeah, the trk has been converted to 12v.He just bought the wrong new coil! Bakerallen, you know, there is a round place on the flywheel, just past the tri-A, and someone has painted it white(probably to make it easier to see when using a timing light) to be honest, I don't know if it has a ball in it or not. I will need to check. The one on our 50 Chev/216 does have the ball. I'm with you, I really think it is still a timing problem. Theres fire, and gas, and everything electrical has been replaced except for the dist., and it should start unless it is still out of time. One thing I can say about the points opening. When I have #1 on what I think is TDC, and the timing mark is lined up with the pointer, and the rotor is pointing to # 1 plug, the points have already opened, and have just closed at that point.
I usually place my finger over the #! sprk plg hole and wait for the puff of air to know when TDC is reached. I may refer to the manual, and turn the eng. by hand until the 2nd.valve closes, then I will know for sure. Then I will go back through the steps.
Thanks a bunch guys!
KT

I would say that you pretty well have to see the valves or some part of them to know whether it is ready to fire on #6 or #1.

truckernix,

Don't you feel that when #1 comes up on compression and you have your finger over the hole that this would be a sure sign of a impending TDC on that cylinder. When you feel the rush of air, you home in on the flywheel looking for that mark. Seems like so much trouble to pull the valve cover just to get the same results.

Stuart

I still think it is the timing. I had exactly the same problem getting my truck to start. I fiddled and fumbled with it of and on for about a week, and it just wouldn't start. Once in a while I would get a little pop, but that was it. I finally used the triangle to line everything up and it started on the first try.

If you have the triangle use that.

I don't know a lot about these old trucks, and I am not a mechanic, so I don't claim to be an expert, but I do know that is what worked for me.

You say it was running when he got the truck, but not well. That makes me feel even stronger about using the triangle to set it up. If the former owner had the circle painted white and was using that to set the time, then he was using the wrong mark, and probably fiddled with it enough to get it to run a little.

Do you have a shop manual? There is an excellent section in there about setting up the distributor after it has been removed. Good luck. Allen

Atomarc,
if the 216 is like mine, the oil filler is at the front, right over #1 intake and exhaust. When it is set up for #1 to fire, there should be clearance on both rockers.

This may be way out there, but I have had the distributor gear pin sheared off before. This was on a old 200 6 cyl. ford.The old Chev may not have a pinned gear, but the Ford would try to crank then die.

May be your motor is sending spark to your bat-try, Ya might have the coil wires on back wards's

HA ! HA!
You might need another Cold one to figure this problem out!

Hi fellas, I had the exact same problem not to long ago, remember Allen and Stuart. Great advice from everybody you need to check everything over its the only way to confirm. What worked for me in the end, on advice from Jerry was to remove the valve cover, and watch the #6 cylinder valves. turn the engine by hand, or put the truck into 3rd. gear and roll it forward slowly. When the exhaust valve is about halfway closed, the intake will start to open on cylinder #1. at this point, the #1 cylinder will be at the top of the compression stroke, and the distributor rotor will be pointed at the #1 plug position on the distributor cap. starting with that plug tower, install the wires in the correct firing order 1-5-3-6-2-4 clockwise. It should run assuming the points are close to the proper gap. That advise is almost verbatum, I'm not the genious behind it I hope it helps, goodluck.

Scott