Engine won't startt. Getting spark and starting fluid doesn't help....

[79K10]

holy ****! back when i was working at an oil change shop, one of the workers camaro hoods started to bubble, he runs out there and pops the hood and his carb was on fire! other worker grabs a bucket full of washer fluid, me and the owner had just rebuilt this 350, he put it out with a rag and didnt have anymore issues, with fires anyway..

can you smell gas? if not i would think its the pump, but if you have spark and fuel then it may be timing, doesnt sound like you could be 180 out if you didnt pull the dizzy ... my guess is the dizzy hold down came loose and you dizzy turned, if youre really advanced itll blow out the carb... trust me, ive blown all my eye brows off leaning over my motor, adjusting timing by ear, lol oops, was pretty funny though ...

youve got a huge mess there, but after you clean it all up and put it back together, itll fire up, we'll work the problem out, this forum has some really knowledgeable guys!

 

[79K10]

I was hoping to avoid a dumb thread like this, but I'm totally stuck....

I washed the old engine bay yesterday to get as much grim and dirt out as possible. I used engine degreaser and a brush, then washed it away with a hose. The air cleaner was on and keeping water out of the carb and tried to not get it too wet, but I didn't worry much about it because I'm replacing the air filter.

I started the truck and it started just fine. Then the RPMs slowly went down until it stalled. I couldn't get it to start again. Now I run the starter and it cranks but it's not even trying to start at all, not even a stumble. Exactly as if I ran out of gas. So I flipped to the other gas tank, but it still wouldn't start.

Here's what I checked, in order

1. First thing I did was check for spark. Of the two spark plugs I checked, both are providing spark. So I don't think ignition was the problem. Also, the plugs were completely dry.
2. Next, I sprayed a little starting fluid into the carb. Engine did not start, sounded exactly the same.
3. I thought maybe the distributor cap got wet and the firing sequence is now off. I opened it up and it looked bone dry. I sprayed some WD40 in there just be safe. Afterwards, engine would still not start. Starting fluid did not help.
4. The guy at O'Reilly's said that a little water could have gotten into the carb and that it doesn't take much. And what I need to do is hold the throttle all the way open and crank the engine for at least 10 seconds. So I tried that, it didn't work. Now my battery is nearly dead.

Help!

i ran my stepside completely dry on one side once, took forever to start, i think the pump just drains the lines all the way back to the tank and then when you switch tanks, it takes a lot of cranking to pull fuel all the way back to the motor... just a thought

 

[350runner]

i ran my stepside completely dry on one side once, took forever to start, i think the pump just drains the lines all the way back to the tank and then when you switch tanks, it takes a lot of cranking to pull fuel all the way back to the motor... just a thought

If you fill the carb fuel bowl with gas through the vent on top of the carb the engine will run long enough to pump fuel from tank to carb.

Sent from the dust in front of you!

 

[MannyDantyla]

I have the carb off and drained two bottles of carb cleaner through it. I'm wondering if I should take the top off to adjust the floats and check the jets, but it was running perfectly fine so maybe I shouldn't mess with it. It's an Edelbrock Performer 1400, supposed to be super reliable and maintenance free.

holy ****! back when i was working at an oil change shop, one of the workers camaro hoods started to bubble, he runs out there and pops the hood and his carb was on fire! other worker grabs a bucket full of washer fluid, me and the owner had just rebuilt this 350, he put it out with a rag and didnt have anymore issues, with fires anyway..

can you smell gas? if not i would think its the pump, but if you have spark and fuel then it may be timing, doesnt sound like you could be 180 out if you didnt pull the dizzy ... my guess is the dizzy hold down came loose and you dizzy turned, if youre really advanced itll blow out the carb... trust me, ive blown all my eye brows off leaning over my motor, adjusting timing by ear, lol oops, was pretty funny though ...

youve got a huge mess there, but after you clean it all up and put it back together, itll fire up, we'll work the problem out, this forum has some really knowledgeable guys!

No I don't smell any gas...

If you fill the carb fuel bowl with gas through the vent on top of the carb the engine will run long enough to pump fuel from tank to carb.

Sent from the dust in front of you!

Kind of like priming the carb?

 

[350runner]

Yes exactly

Sent from the dust in front of you!

 

[MannyDantyla]

I'm afraid it doesn't end here. No gas is coming out of the new fuel pump...

www.gmsquarebody.com/forum/showthread/....

I have a build thread, and this little questions has evolved into a full-on engine restorations. Go to: http://www.gmsquarebody.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11942 thanks

 

[79K10]

If you fill the carb fuel bowl with gas through the vent on top of the carb the engine will run long enough to pump fuel from tank to carb.

Sent from the dust in front of you!

oh yeah for sure. i was just saying it took a min to start when i ran the lines dry... i thought he said he ran out of gas right?

 

[350runner]

Yea. I figured I'd throw it out there...

Sent from the dust in front of you!

 

[PrairieDrifter]

You may have to try and prime the fuel lines with gas, I had that problem on derby cars just blow some air in the tank with an air nozzle and hold a rag over the filler neck opening and blow air in it

 

[MannyDantyla]

You may have to try and prime the fuel lines with gas, I had that problem on derby cars just blow some air in the tank with an air nozzle and hold a rag over the filler neck opening and blow air in it

That may be it.

We cranked it for 10 seconds, nothing came out. Switched the other other tank and cranked it for 10 seconds, nothing came out. Battery nearly out of juice (I'm using a motorcycle battery tender, much too small for these big batteries but will help a little bit).

Is 10 seconds not long enough?

 

[firebane]

Pull the line off to the carb and try starting the truck are you getting any fuel coming out?

 

[MannyDantyla]

Pull the line off to the carb and try starting the truck are you getting any fuel coming out?

I tried this, before and after installing the new fuel pump. No fuel came out. Do I need to prime the fuel line or something?

 

[350runner]

Have you primed the carb yet?

Sent from the dust in front of you!

 

[MannyDantyla]

Have you primed the carb yet?

Sent from the dust in front of you!

The carb is off the engine, was hoping to see good fuel flow to it before I put it back on.

 

[350runner]

Try putting the pump to tank fuel line in a portable gas tank and see if that pumps fuel to the carb.

Sent from the dust in front of you!