a fresh start

[stevea]

Well, I've been a bad owner. I haven't started my Clipper since December, 2003. No, I was not sent to prison. I have been finishing up the addition/remodel to the stationary house. (same thing?)

I went out to give it a try, and she's getting even with me by cranking, but not starting.

I have heard that when an engine sits for awhile, it may stick a piston ring if you don't squirt some oil down the cylinders first. (of course, I didn't think of this until I was cranking along. Pretty much like the remodel-mess up and fix it.) Is this a fact or an old wives' tale? If I do need to squirt some stuff down there, is there a specific type oil or brand I should use?

Keeping my fingers crossed. Thanx all.

[aliendude]

It could happen though I guess.    Squirting
some oil in wouldn't hurt to prevent cylinder wall scoring -from no residual
oil being in there.    I've heard people say to put oil into cylinders and crank them over -- to put a engine into storage.  ( Maybe that is why )  

I guess you could do a compression test to verify if you have a sticking
ring(s)  Does it crank evenly?   That should be a pretty good indication.  

Modern gasoline (especial California blend) will start to jellify and gum up
stuff  30-45 days from when you buy it.    Your main metering jets or power valve could be gummed up.    It will also dissolve older rubber
hoses turning them into black flammable bubble gum.    NICE of Them
Huh?  
Stabil fuel storage helps prevent the solidification of the fuel.  
( But you already knew this......... )


The power needle valve in my holley 2210 2bbl was encrusted with hardened 'plaque' and would not even move.    An evaporated dry
carburetor gets a hardened residue.    Like hardened dentist plaque.

If your really really stumped on this no start,  and you have 'spark',
unscrew your idle mixture screws and liberally spray into the holes
with carb cleaner, spray any idle air bleeds in the carb body throat.  

This would get my 2bbl started - before I would up replacing it.  
( It was totally worn out )

Put the screws back 1 1/2 turns out from lightly seated ( fully in ).
Also you carb base gasket my have shrunk.  tighten up the carb a bit to
see.  

Also your EGR valve base gasket may have deteriorated and blown out
when you started cranking it - making a HUGE vacuum leak and no
run condition after an initial fire up.   ( only will run at 3/4 throttle or more. )

All this happened on my '76 Dodge clipper.

Your ignition ballast resistor could have burnt out.  If you have
no spark.

[handyman]

before you start tearing things apart first if you have elec pumps let them run awhile and make sure you have gas in the carb open the butterfly and pump the pedal and see if theres gas if no elec pump go get a can of starting fluid spray a little in the carb and see if it starts you may have to do this several times to get the engine pump to get gas to the carb last but not least make sure your battery is freash and storng good luck let us no

[Robert P. Anderson]

The first thing I would do is pull the cover remove air cleaner and check
for spark by removing wire from distributor cap center hole and hold end of wire about 3/16 inch from good ground.  If you have spark there (while turning engine over)
- put wire back on.
Make shure the automatic choke plate is closed over the small throates.
Get some starting fluid in a spray can and give the small throates on top of carb a 3 second spray. If it starts and dies - try that a couple of times.
If the problem is not solved - check  fuel pressure at carb inlet.

[Robert P. Anderson]

I see Handyman and I were making up posts at the same .
So mine was a repeat of his good advice.

[Andy Illes]

Bob and Handyman are on the right track.  Remember that gasoline evaporates..... including in the carb's float bowl.  The bowl has to be full before the engine can pull fuel from it.   An electric pump - particularly if mounted close to the gas tank - will refill the bowl faster, whereas the standard mechanical pump (or electric pump mounted nearer the carb) will take some time to suck fuel from the tank and pump it into the bowl.

After assuring you have a spark (as noted), take the air cleaner off and while looking down into the carb, "blip" the throttle - preferably with the engine NOT running... backfires are tough on eyebrows.  You should see a spray of gas.  If not, you ain't got no gas in the carb.... get some in there.

[stevea]

Hey all-

You guys ROCK.

I started poking around, following your suggestions. Found a forgotten Prolong sticker from the last oil change, so that eased my fears a bit about cranking it up. I went to check if fuel was getting in, and noted things were looking pretty rusty/dirty/sticky around the carb. Brought out the Gumout, and things started moving proper. Started up, went to idle, smooth as silk. I'm in love.

Now for the bad news. Governator Ah-nuld went and signed AB2683, even after a pulitzer prize candidate e-mail from yours truly. Oh well. Smog checks forever. :cry:

Thanx again you all.

[aliendude]

Isn't Cal exempt now '79 and older?    I heard they changed it up from
'74 ( when I used to live there. )

[aliendude]

If you really don't like smog's, I read in an old camper maintenace manual about a system called 'san-i-jector' that would pump the black tank poop slurry into an exhaust injector - after the engine was hot, and a
speed sensor would send that your moving...... But I was thinking, if
someone could find one of these systems and install it, they could switch
it on - just prior to going in for thier smog test, and make everyone
in the emissions center PUKE.    

:wink: