No start, we have compression, fuel and spark
11-14-2005, 12:35 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 17
Hi again guys. We got the returned engine running after being sent back with a cracked water jacket. The motor ran nicely once delivered to our customer for about a week.
He had parked the car on a cold night recently, went to start it in the morning and nothing. The car was towed to us after which we found the following.
Compression is "good" we checked it using the same method one would with a piston engine which might not be the right way but the compression is matching at 120 psi.
Fuel pump runs
We have spark on 4 plugs
Now, what we've found is that the car is blowing the gauge cluster fuse and the AC fuse (under the hood) This could be unrelated but I wanded to include it just in case.
My hypothesis is that somehow the spark plugs are getting blown out by fuel. Once removed, the plugs are soaked. We had the car bump and sputter a bit after removing the plugs and cleaning/drying them but the car still wouldn't start.
Do we have some unregulated fuel pressure situation here? Thoughts?
Thanks,
Alex Grabau
He had parked the car on a cold night recently, went to start it in the morning and nothing. The car was towed to us after which we found the following.
Compression is "good" we checked it using the same method one would with a piston engine which might not be the right way but the compression is matching at 120 psi.
Fuel pump runs
We have spark on 4 plugs
Now, what we've found is that the car is blowing the gauge cluster fuse and the AC fuse (under the hood) This could be unrelated but I wanded to include it just in case.
My hypothesis is that somehow the spark plugs are getting blown out by fuel. Once removed, the plugs are soaked. We had the car bump and sputter a bit after removing the plugs and cleaning/drying them but the car still wouldn't start.
Do we have some unregulated fuel pressure situation here? Thoughts?
Thanks,
Alex Grabau
11-15-2005, 04:16 AM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 233
After you get new plugs make sure you have new plug wires as well. Not the cheap ones. I bought a FC that didn't run for $100. I took new plugs and wires to the guys house and drove it home. Should have seen the look on his face.
11-15-2005, 08:37 AM
#4
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 17
The plugs are new, probably 6 hours of run time on them.
After you get new plugs make sure you have new plug wires as well. Not the cheap ones. I bought a FC that didn't run for $100. I took new plugs and wires to the guys house and drove it home. Should have seen the look on his face.
Originally Posted by rotaryinspired' post='778462' date='Nov 15 2005, 02:16 AM
After you get new plugs make sure you have new plug wires as well. Not the cheap ones. I bought a FC that didn't run for $100. I took new plugs and wires to the guys house and drove it home. Should have seen the look on his face.
11-15-2005, 01:23 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: fredneck MD
Posts: 4,107
Once plugs get wet, they dont like to come back to life.
If you even come close to flooding the race plugs i run, they are toast. No amount of cleaning can save them.
Get some new plugs, It's a cheap way to elminiate a factor.
the thing is, if you have fuel, spark, and compression it will start.
Mabye try a pull start, sometimes getting the motor spinning fast will break a loose seal free.
did you remove the shrader valve from the compression checker?
If you even come close to flooding the race plugs i run, they are toast. No amount of cleaning can save them.
Get some new plugs, It's a cheap way to elminiate a factor.
the thing is, if you have fuel, spark, and compression it will start.
Mabye try a pull start, sometimes getting the motor spinning fast will break a loose seal free.
did you remove the shrader valve from the compression checker?
11-15-2005, 03:16 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 233
The key was the plug wires. You can have new plugs bad wires and no start. Once a new motor is flooded it can get very hard to start until its broken in. Plus plugs that have been repeated used trying to start a flooded engine will often no longer work to start a new motor, but will be useable later down the road. Thats because the seals haven't set in yet and need a little more help w/ spark.
I'll say change the plug wires if they are not new. Most times they are the factory originals.
I'll say change the plug wires if they are not new. Most times they are the factory originals.
11-16-2005, 07:20 PM
#10
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 17
You guys are truly awesome. The plugs were replaced this afternoon and the wires as well. The car started right up and smoked for a few minutes. A pungent fuel smoke filled the shop but we were happy. I'm going to stick around here because I'm learning a lot.
PS- you guys are masochists.
PS- you guys are masochists.