Frijid Blue

My 85 will not start. You can just crank, crank, crank, and IF it does start it will run for just a few seconds (like maybe 2) then quit, and won't hit again. I changed the spark plugs with new ones several time, and still the same. I was first thinking the fuel filter, but i poured a little bit of gas straight into the carb, and still nothing, so i'm thinking it's a firing problem (coil,points,etc) anything else anyone can point me to??

also, i pulled the distributor cap off, to clean the points and there is the little piece of metal "tin" that was loose and covers the whole thing and i can't get to the points to clean/replace them. How do i remove this piece of "tin" metal. It was loose when i took the distributor cap off.

It was running perfect, then i parked it for about a week due to working outta state,and this is what i came back to.

I'll buy anyone a beer if they can point me to what the problem is that fixes it!

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

welcome to the board.

obviously, you should start with checking the basics: air, fuel, compression and spark.

is the car new to you or have you owned it for a while? i ask simply because i want to get a feel for maintenance - as in, when was it last tuned up? you mentioned changing the plugs a few times. were they wet? go through a deflood procedure.

if the piece of "tin" is what i think you're referring to, then it simply comes off after you remove the rotor.

Frijid Blue

The plugs weren't really THAT wet. I dried them off, and turned the engine over a few times with them removed to "blow" anything out of the engine. I plan on when it warms up just a bit to check for spark by grounding the spark plugs onto something to see if it has spark.

I bought a haynes manual for it, but all in all, i'm not a person who can fix things by reading, i'm more of a hands on watch someone kinda fixer. Is the rotor hard to take off?


I've had it now for about, oh 2 months. but the guy who owned lived next to me, and he had drove it a lot, he was the orginal owner. He kept all the receipts for everything. and the only thing that has ever been changed on it is the alternator, water pump, and something else simple (can't recall off the top of my head, but it was something simple and not a critical/vital part)

other than that, everything else is still stock, even the distributor, points, coil, fuel pump, fuel filter, etc (well obvisouly the battery, a new belt, tires and stuff have been changed, when i say stock, i mean everything "important" wise)

Like i say, it's hard to actually go into anything with it getting so cold lately. If it would have broke down, i wouldn't have been mad at it, if it would have broke down in the summer time!

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

meaning they were at least somewhat wet ... well, i've had the experience that flooding in cold weather seems to take on a special kind of tenacity. in addition to blowing out the chambers, i would sometimes resort to mixing a concoction of gear oil and paint thinner and poured it down the throttle bores. now, i'm not saying you should do the same, but it might not hurt to use some oil and maybe starting fluid to get it started and make sure you run the engine up to operating temperature.

not at all. once you pull the cap, you just pull up on the rotor. sometimes they can be stubborn, but that's really all there is to it.

well, you can go through his receipts, but i would strongly suggest you give the car a thorough tuneup when you are able. KNOW for sure that everything is fresh and start keeping your own records.

for the record, '81-'85 cars all came with electronic distributors. there are no more points. i noticed you referenced "points" a few times, but your distributor should NOT have any.

Frijid Blue

I appreciate your reply's. When i was refering to points, i was mostly refereeing to what looks like points that in the distributor cap. If that not called points, i was talking about those little metal "tips" inside the cap.

when i took the cap off, the "tin" was loose and didn't seemed to locked down to anything. Was it supposed to be "free" or was it supposed to be locked down? for the future, what is the name of that "tin" thing i keep referring to.

On a side note, on what you was talking about when starting it and it being flooded, i've heard someone say they used to pour 2 cycle oil in the spark plug holes, or directly down the carb. have you heard this?


again, thanks for answering, and sorry for all the questions

Frijid Blue

In case i forgot to mention it's got a carburetor

Cookboy

iTrader: (10)

The piece of tin is a cover that rests beneath the rotor. You'll notice a tab that holds it in place. Get some plugs. Try starting with some choke cleaner. If it starts and runs on choke cleaner you have a fuel delivery issue.

Fuel tank pickup, fuel filter, carb rebuild.