Engine Not Starting

[frd1419]

I have a 41" Mack with an M330 Continental engine. It stopped running on day and I can not get it started again. I found no fuel getting up to the spark plugs. Upon inspection I found the carburator body gasket leak fuel out, I had the carb rebuilt and reinstalled it. I have tried starting the motor and it still does not start. Fuel pudles on the bottom but nothing seems to getting up into the cylinders. Anyone have any ideas?

[Mike]

Let's see now, scratching of small head.

1. Good Battery, no fire, no smoke.

2. Spark getting to plugs, lay attached wires with plugs on manifold for testing spark.

3. Clean or unobstructed manifold, no varmints home.

4. Good Clean Fuel

5. Primed Fuel Pump, making sure fuel pumps to carburetor into manifold.

6. Ether on standby,and use small amount.

7. Friends Supervision, Optional.

8. BMT Mack-site help.

9. Cold Beverage

10. Lounge Chair

11. Lots of Luck

12. Winfall Wimmins.

13. Lots of Money.

Hope this helps alittle.

mike

[Freightrain]

I'm guessing Updraft carburetor? Thus the fuel not getting up to cylinders. Have you tried Ether? Just a snort to see if it coughs at all. That would confirm you have spark. Suppose it has a Magneto also? Hows the timing?

I'm not familiar at all with tinkering with this old stuff, but the same basic principles apply.

[fxfymn]

Any chance you bought fuel just before it quit? Or you ran the fuel low? Either way you may have gotten water in the fuel or the fuel may have "phased out" meaning the alcohol dropped out of the gasoline due to being overloaded with water.

I would try using a small fuel tank connected directly to the fuel pump that has fresh fuel in it.

[frd1419]

Have spark and fresh fuel gravity feeding from a small lawn mower tank. Battery is old but I am cranking with the assist if a battery charger

[Mike]

Have spark and fresh fuel gravity feeding from a small lawn mower tank. Battery is old but I am cranking with the assist if a battery charger

Ok,

Have Spark, Fresh Fuel, Battery Ok.

Is the spark weak or strong? And i'm assumeing the timing is correct. The valves are opening and closing, both intake and exhaust.

I'm also still wondering if the manifold is clear of nests and such from buildup, not letting air out and or in the cylinders?

Have you ever tried to put fuel inside of each sparkplug hole and screwed them back in and tightened them, then try to fire it off?

I have done this with good results. Starting fluid is ok in a pinch, but use sparingly.

mike

[frd1419]

I will give it a try and report back.

[TozziWelding]

If she lights on a shot of sniff, my money is on a clogged passage in the carb. I ran in to this on an old Kohler engine I had a few years ago, ran a piece of brass wire through it and runs like a champ now.

[Mike]

If she lights on a shot of sniff, my money is on a clogged passage in the carb. I ran in to this on an old Kohler engine I had a few years ago, ran a piece of brass wire through it and runs like a champ now.

He did say in an earlier post that the carb. had been rebuilt. I just figured that anyone that rebuilds, rebuilds everything about it. Even to the point of soaking it in carb cleaner and blowing it out of all orfices. You do have a good point tho. I personaly would not just put a new gasket on without doing everthing else to it wether it needed it or not. I'll be glad to here how this situation turns out for this fellow.

mike

[fxfymn]

Most times these things turn out to be something simple. Big shit tends to jump out at you, but we all tend to look for the worse thing first.

Have you put a vacuum gauge on it? Even at cranking speeds it should pull a vacuum. Try spraying ether around the intake manifold gasket and/or the carb gasket to check for leaks. If it fires on the ether it is leaking and will not draw a vacuum to pull fuel through the carb.

Not to be offensive, but you are trying this without the air filter on aren't you?

Are you sure you used the correct gasket when you re-mounted the carb? Is it oriented correctly?

Did the distributor come loose and ball up the timing? Bring #1 up to TDC and check to see if the points are just opening.

Have tried turning the truck upside down so the carb will be a downdraft? If you do let us know how it works out. LOL.

[Mike]

Might know that I would forget the all important (POINT'S).......they can be closed and or pitted and give you fits. It is a good idea to check the dwell on your points. I used to take and use a small file to get the burrs off if I had no new points to install. Always install a new condenser when buying new points. They use to come in the same box.

Best regards

mike

[fxfymn]

One other thought I had: You said the truck stopped running; I assume while you were driving it. Have you checked the timing chain/gear to make sure it didn't jump a tooth? Same as checking the timing; bring the #1 piston up to the timing mark and make sure the points are just opening and the rotor is pointing to the #1 wire in the cap. If not, I'd be suspicious of the timing chain.

[frd1419]

Thanks to all for the good info. the truck is running again!! It turns out that the wires where one position off when I set the flywheel on TDC. Moved them back and she fired right off.