The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Won't Start

I picked up my 54 3100 about a month ago. I don,t have much time to work on it due to traveling for work. Two weeks ago It started right off and I drove it around the parking lot at work and all was fine until it started to overheat and I shut it down right away. At that point I had only put new points in and gapped them at 20. I had tried to change out the thermostat last week and rounded a bolt. Thanks to advice here I ordered the bolt out and was able to get the bolt out easily (thanks guys) and I changed the thermostat and upper radiator hose and put new bolts in the thermostat housing. I tried to start it and it cranked fine but would only start and run with starting fluid. When the starting fluid ran out it died. I pulled the line before the fuel filter and there was fuel coming out. I pulled the filter and blew through it and it seemed clear but I bought a new one and installed it. At some time the gas tank was replaced on this truck and fairly recently. I put a new distributor cap on and regapped the points at 18 but I had the same problem. Then I gapped them at 22 and same results. I went back to 20. I tried tapping on the carb thinking stuck floats, I sprayed in carb cleaner and I cant get it to run. It sounds like a fuel problem with the carberator but I am not sure. Anyone got and advice? Oh yeah the choke knob eventually pulled off in my hand. Thanks in advance.

sounds like your carb might not be pumping gas. Look down into the throat of the cab and pull the the carb linkage. If you don't see any gas squirt inside the carb then you probsbly have some trash in the bowl of your carb or your carb pump went bad. I had the same problem once. As long as I was pouring gas down the thraot of the carb the engine would run. I ended up just replacing the carb.

Is the fuel pump working?

We need to go back to basics here. Look for spark and then fuel.
Take a spare plug, hook it to one of the plug wires and lay the plug on the valve cover. Turn the engine over and check for spark.

Look down the carburetor throat and pump the throttle a couple of times. You should see gas come out. Also you need the choke on to start it.

Third, check the timing. look in the hole above the starter and turn the engine over until the steel ball is at the pointer. Adjust the distributor timing until the points are just opening.

These are the basic steps to getting it to run.

By the way, I would stop using the starting fluid. You can do a whole lot of damage with it.

Could I have mis read the original post? I thought that the truck was running when he put the starting fluid in it. Then it would stop when the fluid ran out. And that he checked to see if there was fuel getting to the carb and there was. So that would most likely be a problem with the carb not working right, wouldn't it??

Well, if you look at it, the points were adjusted several times after it ran initially. That changes the timing and if something else is compromised it just gets more complicated. I think it is best to deal with knowns rather than several unknowns, if you know what I mean.

truckernix, you got a point there. Sounds like something I would do. Start out with a easy problem to fix and fiddle with everything else and end up have to figure out 10 different things to have to fix.

How many times have we overlooked the simple solution because we thought the problem was more complicated than it actual was????