232 not starting

[Allen]

I am trying to troubleshoot why my Jeep will not crank again. I have replaced the timing chain and coil, I am getting spark, and fuel (well, only fuel when I pour it in the carb, I think I have a plugged line-I pulled the pump off and it checked out fine). Anyway, with the '75 AMC 232 i6 where should I begin to troubleshoot? I have adjusted the distributor forward and backward to adjust the timing a bit, and the jeep will turn over as long as the battery will let it, but it just will not fire, I am getting a few "exhaust puffs" out the back, not the loud backfiring I was getting before replacing and reseting the timing.

On a similar note, anyone around Lexington, NC want to swing by and drink a few beers and figure this one out?

 

[JR74CJ5]

Hey Man...

Only thing I can think of is to double / triple check the timing and firing order (I've done wrong before while reading it out of the book and spent days trying to figure out.)

If you are getting spark, and you're dumping fuel in, it should fire. As they say, should is a very loose word

I suggest playing with the timing by hand, and double checking firing order.

Past that, any chance we got distributor on the wrong tooth whilst doing timing chain stuff?

 

[BusaDave9]

my Jeep will not crank again.

Will not crank? Do you mean the starter won't turn over the engine? If so the problem is not fuel, spark or timing. Its a problem with the starter or the starter not getting the voltage necessary to crank the engine.
Are sure your battery is good? Try a jump start.

If the battery is good you can by pass the starter solenoid.


Put the parking brake on. Put it in neutral. Turn the ignition key on and supply 12 volts to the stater.
This can be done by using a jumper cable to bypass the starter solenoid. Put one red end of the jumper cable on the + battery and the other end of the red jumper cable on the side of the solenoid that has the big cable going to the starter. (you wont be using the black ends of the jumper)

 

[JR74CJ5]

the jeep will turn over as long as the battery will let it, but it just will not fire,

Thought he meant wouldn't start, but did say in beginning wouldn't crank...

Let us Know Allen...



~ JR

 

[BusaDave9]

Thanks JR74CJ5. After re-reading the post I think your sugustions are more on target. Lets let Allen clarify.

 

[Allen]

The starter is doing it's job, the jeep will crank over until the battery dies, then I recharge it and try some other things. It's just not "igniting" the fuel and continuing to run on it's own. I'll try moving the wires around and rechecking a few things, will let you know if I come up with anything different.

 

[BusaDave9]

The misunderstanding was my fault. Now that I am on the right track I would try double-checking the timing. Then check the spark plug wires. The distributor rotates clockwise. From the #1 plug the firing order is 1,5,3,6,2,4.
Let us know how it goes.

 

[Allen]

I made some "progress" this evening, after blowing out the fuel line and switching the plug wires to the pre-74 combination I actually got the engine to puff through a couple of cycles on its own. Then it backfired very loudly (like a gunshot), I decided to call it a day there and am now happily into my second local brew. What should I do now? I am getting fuel, and spark, and it appeared briefly that everything was coming together, what does the loud backfire indicate?

(when I first started going through the engine it had bent pushrods, and was out of time, I have replaced the rods and timing chain and checked to make sure it was in time) The jeep is a '75 model, but this is the second motor in it, and it may be from '74 or earlier.

 

[BusaDave9]

Backfire sounds like you have a timing issue. but then you said you had bent push rods. How are the valves?
Do a compression test