First start after 25 years - problems Options

[spencercanon]

Hi all this is my first post here! I recently picked up a ’75 1.8 that was last registered in 2001! Pretty good barn find, in my opinion. It was up in the high desert of California, so no rust, great mechanicals, all the electrics work. Just flaking paint, decayed interior …and an engine that probably hasn’t run since the Clinton Administration.

The TLDR is the car has started and run for 10 seconds but now won’t start at all.

A quick timeline of what I’ve done/tested:
- Dropped the engine, adjusted valves (encountered something strange that I’ll ask about later)
- Old starter could barely turn the engine over. Replaced it with a hi-torque.
- good compression
- Replaced the old broken bellows thermostat
- New fuel lines, vac lines, spark plugs and wires
- deleted EGR system
- Fuel pump was getting power but dead - replaced it.
- Coil’s good. Cap and rotor look good. Points gapped.
- The L-Jet AFM had been opened and the adjustment wheel inside was so loose that it the flap wasn’t closing fully so the pump was running continuously. I rotated the wheel until there was enough tension to turn off the fuel pump. (I would have normally never touched the AFM!)

Put the engine back in and the car started on the key immediately, ran for 10 seconds and died. I tried again, it started and ran for 5 seconds, then popped loudly back up the intake with enough force to blow the intake boot off the AFM. Since then, it hasn’t started.

Couple notes:
- after the pop, I felt like the intake pipe connector hoses were probably leaking, so I put hose clamps on them. With those clamped down and fresh vac lines everywhere, I’m pretty sure there aren’t any more leaks.
- oil filler breather nipple broke so I’ve taped it off until I can get a new one. But I’m not sure how this affects the vacuum… should it be left open for now?
- I don’t know the fuel pressure but it does have a new pump and lines so I’d be surprised if pressure is the problem.
- tested injector ballasts and got correct ohm readings
- It did start and run on its own spark and fuel, so I assume ECU and injectors are OK.
- the AFM is obviously an issue … probably considerably off. But again, the car did at least start a few times.

So now what?
- I’d like to check/test anything I can before I start buying replacement components.
- Are there baseline settings for idle speed screw, and at least a “best guess” AFM setup?
- Should I just buy another AFM now, knowing this one may never be right again?
- could the intake backfire have damaged something?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

[technicalninja]

3) I physically verified #1 TDC and the distributor is 180 off. Is it that easy to install the distributor drive shaft backwards??

Please excuse me if I'm reading this wrong.....
But the piston is at TDC twice per power cycle, once on exhaust stroke and once on compression.
If the piston is on TDC exhaust stroke the rotor button will be 180* out.

You are correct!

If you put it in 180 out (this is 360 degrees crankshaft movement) and merely swap the wires two positions it will run just fine.

I'm not sure he was 180 out if it ran 10 seconds. If he was, I think he was ALSO wired 180 out.

I made a previous post "TDC exhaust would appear exactly as he described."

Folks get tunnel-visioned about timing. That's the easy shit.

Far more concerning is the possibility of hydros, of a valve hanging open, of a broken valve spring, and FOR SURE massive fuel flooding.

The list could be long...

Ignition is way down this list in my book

In this case the engine is already out and partially stripped NOW.

From the most recent picture I'd be less than 1 hour away from having the heads stripped to castings, jugs and pistons off, be able to "semi" test rod bearings via the wiggle test and exposing the cam lifters and lobes for inspection.

In his case there is NO WAY I wouldn't tear at least the top end down for inspection...

I'd guess there is a 75%+ chance I'd go the rest of the way, probably couldn't resist!

You know what will really pisses me off?

Having to do stuff twice!

[Artfrombama]

3) I physically verified #1 TDC and the distributor is 180 off. Is it that easy to install the distributor drive shaft backwards??

Please excuse me if I'm reading this wrong.....
But the piston is at TDC twice per power cycle, once on exhaust stroke and once on compression.
If the piston is on TDC exhaust stroke the rotor button will be 180* out.

If you put it in 180 out (this is 360 degrees crankshaft movement) and merely swap the wires two positions it will run just fine.

WHOOOOSH!
Right over his head

[VaccaRabite]

3) I physically verified #1 TDC and the distributor is 180 off. Is it that easy to install the distributor drive shaft backwards??

Please excuse me if I'm reading this wrong.....
But the piston is at TDC twice per power cycle, once on exhaust stroke and once on compression.
If the piston is on TDC exhaust stroke the rotor button will be 180* out.

If you put it in 180 out (this is 360 degrees crankshaft movement) and merely swap the wires two positions it will run just fine.

WHOOOOSH!
Right over his head

Nope. Spencer is right on. My old engine ran like that for years. The person that built it before me timed it 180 off. THAT took a moment to figure out. But I just rearraigned the plug wires and was good to go.

Zach