Help Starting

I bought a 53 Pontiac with a six and a hydro trans a few weeks back, and I'm having trouble getting it started. I got it to crank decent for a 6 volt, I have a decent spark, I timed the car, put new points and capacitor in, gaped the points to .020. All it will do is pop out of the carb now and then and spit gas out of the carb gaskets. I have been using starter fluid to try to get it going. Any ideas?

Thanks for all help!

-Chris

 

Recheck you timing. Do a good static time to assure #1 TDC then make sure your wires are in the correct towers on the dist cap. I had mine correct but one tower off and it acted the same way. Just popped and snorted. When I got it sorted out, it started so quickly it scared the crap out of me.

Also if your are positive ground (shouldn't it be?) make sure the wires on the coli are correct, Neg from ign and pos to dist. It doesn't make a big difference till higher rpms but with a 6 V system everything helps. What size cables are you running from teh battery to the solenoid and then to the starter. Should be 1 gauge minimum.

 

Thanks Plym46. How do you do the static test? I have done the timing more than a few times at this point. I've been pulling the balancer to TDC(center mark on the balancer) and putting the rotor on the #1 wire(in case I'm missing something). This car is a negative ground, and i have the negative from the coil going to the distributer. I'm not sure the gauge of the starter wire; however, its seems to be typical size, about a half inch diameter.

-Chris

 

It sounds like your timing it right except that you need to make sure the #1 piston is at TDC and both valves are closed. Otherwise you coud be off by 180 degrees with the timing. Given your description of what's happing I think that may be it.

Good Luck

 

The damper mark will be at TDC twice, once for #1 and once for #6. So you must determing that you are timing #1 on its compression stroke.

Pull all the plugs, then hold you thumb over the plug hole for #1. Have some one crank the engine till you feel compression on your thumb. then bring the timing mark around to allign with the pointer. You will now be at TDC for #1. Now make sure your rotor is pointing to the tower for number 1, and then go around with your firing order.

 

chris.

is the firing order correct?
perhaps the dizzy rotates the other direction? Clockwise or counterclockwise?

if the carbs leaking.. thats a separate issue.

 

This may be my problem I was not keeping in mind that the balancer indicators would be for both the 1 and 6 cylinders.

Hey Jeff,

The firing order is correct (it's stamped on the side of the block) The dizzy spins counterclockwise and I already did this wrong once and caught my mistake.

-Chris

 

I just went through the same thing with the L8 in my 53 about a week or so ago.

you're distributor is 180 out if (see below is correct)

Pontiacs are counterclockwise distributor rotation. Check wires.

Your points should be at .016 also (unless the 8 and 6 were different...have the 8 and mine are .016) This will keep it from running so make sure you have the correct gap.

 

This was my first thought... 180 degrees off.

 

My Motors Manual calls for .022 for the 6 cyl points and .016 for the 8cyl points. It won't prevent it from starting, but you do want to start out with the correct settings.

 

Thanks for all help, I'm going to recheck this timing.

-Chris