The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop help starting 57 inline 235

i am trying to start an old project of mine. completely stock engine besides accel hei distributor.
i completely rebuilt this engine. it is in time mechanically. i have spark, i have gas to the carb. problem is i am getting the fuel into the intake. but its not making it to the combustion chamber. it puddles under the carb. seems to not have any vacuum pulling the fuel into the camber. does this engine create vacuum during cranking. not sure what else it could be. anyhelp/ suggestions would be appreciated

Benzdoctor,

A very strange deal indeed. While I think it might be something obvious, about the only thing that might stop your engine from breathing would be a exhaust that was 100% plugged solid.

Hydraulic lifters, even when bled flat will still allow the engine to breath. A busted cam or ripped timing gear would show up as a distributor rotor that didn't turn.

A mechanical problem as you describe doesn't sound feasible. I would check all ignition items again, including a test to make sure you had spark at the plug. Double check your timing..any gas fumes at all and the engine should snort or pop!

If you can have a friend crank the engine over, and as you lay your palm over the carburetor, feel absolutely zero suction, you have a real problem.

If you check your ignition system, I'll be you find the problem. Accel units have some baggage associated with them, things like bum solid state modules. Does your Accel unit want full battery voltage? If so, you shouldn't have any ballast resistor in the key circuit. Dig around, I'll bet you figure it out sooner than later.

Stuart

thanks for the ideas. im going to go double check the ignition system. i bought the accel unit used. i know it puts out alot of spark. but i will check it again.
i tryed the hand over the carb trick. not a whole lot of suction there. but i got it to backfire a couple times. nothing spectacular.
another thing i tried was i pulled 1 &2 plugs out sprayed starter fluid in there and cranked. got a very weak fireing.

Sounds like You might have a vacuum problem in the intake that would be the reason for the gas sitting under the carb and no start and weak suction with your hand over the carb even a small air leak at the intake will cause all those problems . Be real carefull with that starter fluid if Your timing is to far advanced it can wreck Your motor .


Pete

i completely agree with the lack of vacuum int eh intake. just not sure where it could be from. i have all new gaskets on the carb and on the manifolds. the manifold seems to be pretty tricky as to get the exhaust to seal up but the intake seems fine.. maybe i will try to put some sealant around the intake ports.

The engine as a whole is sucking a ton of air...it would literally pull a tennis ball through a garden hose. If you lay your hand over the carburetor and plug it as the spin the engine, it should leave a red ring in the skin of your palm. The only way to screw this up is to mess up the cam to crank timing when you assembled the engine.

I would not focus on any puddling or vacuum issues but would make darn sure I had the engine timed perfectly. I don't mean degrees advance or retard, I mean #1 at TDC when it needs to be. You are chasing ghosts.... get the timing right, make sure the solid state deal is good to go and you will triumph! If this isn't the case, I will drive to MD and paint your house with the color of your choice. I have made this offer before and never had to take paint brush in hand.

If you can work on a Mercedes, this old bolt should be a no-brainer cake walk! I'm assuming that's what Benz Dr. is all about!

Herr Mueller!

strong vacume just means your getting good valve closure, and compression i would be happy bout that lol "least you know your wipers will work well"

I would try an original distributor first to get it running. Sometimes you have to move the timing a bit to get it going.

Is the valve timing correct?

stuart.
i have my paint ready.
yes i am a mbenz technician. still kicking myself for not being able to get this beast started. over analyzing maybe?
just kidding thanks for all of your help..
still dont have the engine running but i have made alot of progress. to start this is what i have done. i figured out my lack of vacuum.. the intake and exhaust flanges had warped or twisted somehow.. either way it wasn't allowing the intake to seal correctly against the head. i got that milled. all ok. lots of suction from the carb. i have put the original distributor back in with a new coil, points,cap, rotor, and wires. i removed the oil pan, front cover and double checked the timing. dead on. i adjusted the valves multiple times(too many beers) rebuilt a second carb and installed. now my problem is it starts and then dies.. won't continue to run unless i stop cranking and give it a 5-10sec break. had a meter on the coil. not losing voltage.
not sure what else to do

Check fuel flow could be the carb is not dumbing fuil into the air stream are You giving it full choke and holding choke closed after it starts ? will it run if you feed gas into the carb? check Your fuel pump and Your float bowl gap .


Pete

Sounds like your running the hot start side of the soilnoid on the starter. The inline resister for the coil if faulty could check out good cold but over heat and stop working under a load. Try hot wiring straight from the battery to the + side of the coil bypassing the resister.