Another Starting Woe.

ShieldWolf · Post by **ShieldWolf** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:49 am

I have been gleaning much usefull info from the various posts here, they are great! My problem like so many others is she refuses to start.
I have pretty much stock 51-M37, Turns over no problem and acts like it just wants to catch but won't. Here is where I get a little confused. At TDC shoul'd the rotor be at 6 O'clock or at 7? At 6 I can not get the distibutor adj. to get the pionts to "just" open to set dwell. I havn't really used the course adj yet. This is of course assumes it is a spark issue and not fuel, don't think fuel though from the fact she is smelling to high heaven after trying to start.

I have resolved as an Xmas present to self to get one of the Electronic ignition kits from Charle's, but wou'ld still like to get this moose running on pionts. It is now becoming a piont of honor!

I have had her going on 2yrs now and am dying to get on the road. All of the other issues except one headlight and tag light have been solved. Any help wou'ld be appreciated.

Let me check archives to see if I am missing something. TNX in advance.

MSeriesRebuild · Post by **MSeriesRebuild** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 3:26 pm

The rotor should be pointing at the 7 o'clock position when #1 cylinder is at TDC on the compression stroke. Correct timing as set using a timing light is 4 degrees BEFORE TDC.

VROD02 · Post by **VROD02** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 5:49 pm

With charged batterys pull a plug , reconnect chech for spark. You can pull ignitor top and check for spark at the points. My experience , ignition most of the time when the wont "fire". Running correctly is another animal.

HingsingM37 · Post by **HingsingM37** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 3:32 am

Yes, 7 o'clock. I just went through this issue. If you bought a re-man distributor make sure it is assembled correctly. That was my problem. If your distributor is correct, and it is not at the 7 o'clock postion, then you may need to check your oil pump timing assuming you had it out? Or somebody else did? If you need to re-time your oil pump there is a picture of the manual timing procedure under "Oil Pump install help" currently here on page 2 of the technical heading.

Post by **Cal_Gary** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 7:28 am

Be sure you check the firing order too, and make sure the timing isn't 180 degrees out.
Gary

ShieldWolf · Post by **ShieldWolf** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 11:15 am

Tnx fer all the great info.
Went ahead and got all the timing situated and... nothing! It's definetly spark. Pulled #1 and no spark when cranked. Went ahead and sprayed Deoxit on pionts and contacts and am letting it air out. I was getting voltage on Breaker plate even with pionts open so assuming there is some crud causing a short somewhere. Will check coil to make sure its alright, have a spare just incase.
Next free day i will try again and maybe she will fire.
I do see where the ignition switch looks like it has been rebuilt so will check that out as well.

ShieldWolf · Post by **ShieldWolf** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 7:08 am

Me thinks i got it!
While fooling around with the coil, I pulled the condenser to clean breaker plate and lo and behold it turns out that it was a 12volt! condenser in there. Took it out and replaced with spare 24volt from another engine awaiting rebuild. I was also right on ignition switch rebuild, talked to former owner and he said that the switch just fell apart one day and that he put it back together, explains all the electrical tape surrounding the body.
Now hopefully coil isn't fried. When i short across the contacts it juices up so may still work. I will find out when warms up alillte. It's way to cold to play outside now.

MSeriesRebuild · Post by **MSeriesRebuild** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:12 pm

ShieldWolf wrote:Me thinks i got it!
While fooling around with the coil, I pulled the condenser to clean breaker plate and lo and behold it turns out that it was a 12volt! condenser in there. Took it out and replaced with spare 24volt from another engine awaiting rebuild. I was also right on ignition switch rebuild, talked to former owner and he said that the switch just fell apart one day and that he put it back together, explains all the electrical tape surrounding the body.
Now hopefully coil isn't fried. When i short across the contacts it juices up so may still work. I will find out when warms up alillte. It's way to cold to play outside now.

The correct condensor ia AL869, points CS725A, both these are NAPA #'s.