Car cranks but won't turn over?!?

[Stang_Crazy]

This weekend, I finished putting my motor back together. Go to start the car, nothing. It will crank and crank but doesn't want to turn over. I re-installed everything exactly the way it was when I dis-assembled it but I guess I missed something.

Could a bad TFI module be causing my problem? I replaced the TFI over the winter but when I changed it, I put the dilectic grease on and didn't tighten it to the distributor right away......it was probably a month before I remembered to tighten the TFI module. If the dilectic grease was sitting on there for that long before tightening the module, would it go bad? Can dilectic grease dry and become hard?

When turning the key, I can hear the fuel pump so it's not the pump. I don't think it's a prob. with the distributor either....the dist. matches up with the marks I made when I removed it.

These are the only things I can think of...I have checked and double checked the wiring and grounds. Does anyone have any ideas why my car won't turn over?

[302 LX Eric]

Are you sure the coil wire is connected? I've done that one once or twice Are you sure the distributor rotor is in the right place? You may try rotating the rotor 180* and see if it fires - common mistake.

E

[sedanman]

Yeah its not uncommon to be 180^ out try spinning the rotor 180 degrees.

Also take a timming light and hook it around each cable and crank it, if it lights up you have spark if not then it could be the TFI.

[Stang_Crazy]

Messed around with the distributor today and finally got the car to fire up. It was backfiring like a MOFO so tomorrow I'm going to back the timing off and see if it'll idle decently so I can check over everything.

[PKRWUD]

Pull the number one plug and shove a wadded up paper napkin in the spark plug hole. Bump the engine until the napkin pops out. Check the timing marks. It should be very close to TDC. Manually turn it so that it is. Now line up the rotor with the number one pin on the cap. It should now fire on the first turn of the key, and run just dandy. From this point, you can advance the timing to the point where you want it. If it's still backfiring, double check the valves.

[Stang_Crazy]

I had it running for ~10 seconds today at around 3000 rpm. I noticed that all of the headers were very hot except the tube coming off the #5 cylinder. That tube wasn't even starting to get warm and all of the others were almost too hot to touch. Shouldn't all of the header tubes be about the same temp?

Chris, I'll try your suggestion this weekend when I have an afternoon to play around. I'm too frustrated with the POS to bother with it until then.

[PKRWUD]

It sounds like you're close. I've got a hunch you've got the exhaust valve on #5 too tight. I'd double check them both (#5 intake & exhaust) before you pull out much more hair.

[Stang_Crazy]

I didn't mess with the valves when I took the heads off. I just removed the rockers and left the valves and springs untouched. When I torqued the rockers back down, I followed proper sequence and tq. specs.

If I don't have to work Saturday, I'll check and double check everything. I'll either find the problem or leave a few handfuls of hair on the garage floor.

[PKRWUD]

Check the compression in #5 first.

[Stang_Crazy]

OK, I checked the rotor position while #1 was at TDC and it's right on the money. I checked my plugs and they were really flocking black!! Before checking compression in #5 or fussing with the valves, I'm going to bump the fuel pressure down a couple pounds. It might have been running super duper pig rich which was causing it to stall out after a few seconds...I'm gonna get some new plugs and throw 'em in this week. Hopefully, that will cure my idle/backfiring problem. I'm crossing my fingers....

[sedanman]

I agree that it is a possibility that the valves are too tight. Twice I have not had motors start after rebuilds because the valves were to tight, loosend the up and they fired right up. If you think its to rich try starting it with your foot flat on the floor this will turn off the injectors and it should fire right up regardless of pressure.

[mpj76]

Check injectors. I forgot to reconnect one of my injectors once. Of course it was the one you can't see. You can smell the plugs to verify they're getting fuel.

[302 LX Eric]

So what's the status, Dan?

E

[Stang_Crazy]

I still need to pick up the new plugs and try em' out. It's been raining for two days straight and I haven't had any time to fuss with the car.

Friday is supposed to be 60* and Saturday will be 65* and sunny. I'll pick up the plugs on Friday and if they don't cure my problems, it HAS to be the valves. This weekend I'll have enough time to take the valve covers off and see what's up....and if the plugs solve my problems, it will be nice enough to take the old girl for a little spin.

I'll bump this thread to the top on Friday when I have some new news to report.

[Stang_Crazy]

Ok, I got the new plugs today. They didn't help anything at all. The car still has a problem firing. I tried adjusting the fuel pressure a few psi at a time from 35 to 45 psi and nothing worked. I took off the h-pipe and tried starting it with open headers....same thing. I did notice alot of water/condensation coming out of the headers.

After playing with the fuel pressure, I can't even get the car to run for a few seconds anymore. Before, it would run for 5-10 seconds before dying but now it will fire (once in a blue moon) and then immediately die. I really feel like I'm diging myself into a hole here. I'm almost ready to push it into the street and over a hill.

Any more suggestions to try? I wish I could record a sound clip so you guys could hear what it sounds like...it's almost like a gurgling sound. Hard to describe.

[PKRWUD]

Check the compression in each cylinder, and post the results.

[Stang_Crazy]

No need to check compression....After taking some time and calming down I decided to take everything apart and see what I could find. As soon as I took the discharge tube off I found something frightning. There was water/coolant in my discharge tube Checked the oil real quick and guess what.....milky and watery. Get the upper off and see a bolt missing out of the lower intake, oops. I guess in my mad rush to assemble everything, I forgot one of the bolts.

Could the missing bolt have caused water to mix with the oil?? I don't see how it could be a head gasket because the gaskets I used were new and I used ARP bolts torqued to spec. Or maybe some coolant got into the crankcase when I removed the heads the first time......I swear, it never ends.

[302 LX Eric]

You didn't change the oil after assembly and prior to starting her up? DOH!

Did you use Black RTV around the water jackets?

E

[Stang_Crazy]

Originally posted by 302 LX Eric
You didn't change the oil after assembly and prior to starting her up?

Oops I was in such a rush to get everything back together, my brain forgot a few steps.

Originally posted by 302 LX Eric
Did you use Black RTV around the water jackets?

I did but upon inspection, I don't think I used enough. There were spots around the water jackets where I could see how coolant could get through.



So how bad could/did I flock my motor up? Could I replace the lower intake gaskets, change the oil and try to fire it up again?