Almost got it!

[craiga]

You give two clues, trying to start but cranking slower than expected, this could be timing too far advanced. Does it crank unevenly? Sort of like now and then it reaches a harder point to turn over?

And trying to start but not quite, again timing or low spark energy.

Timing is the common denominator in both issues.

Timing is affected, in your case, by the distributors mechanical timing, or by the module/pickup.

Might be time to seek help..................

[Ed]

the last bike i put together had the same symptoms.

I know it's silly...

but i was using what looked (to me) like good plugs and leads.

In the end, I changed these items out of desperation and presto...

apologies if you've done all this already.

how's your coil?

Cheers

Ed

[Ed]

.. oh another time,

my valve stems had stretched resulting in the combustion chambers not getting a good seal and hence not enough compression.

when hot, the valves would expand and seal, when cold, it would stumble on and on and if i was luclky just manage to fire.

your valves are seated properly?

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Ed, you are putting horrible thoughts in my head  :-/
I don't want to be spending anymore money, the motor is not too old in operating hours and the head has had some work to lower the compression. I would say any problems would have been picked up then.

Next stop is the coil and points dizzy off the working 186 in the junker FC. I will see what happens from here.

[Al]

Stinky,
           It sounds like you might have valve timing problems. Are you sure the marks on the cam and crank were lined up properly. It only has to be one tooth out to make a difference.

   Cheers Al

[fc4me]

Stinky try swapping the coil out for another. Been there had spark and fuel but under compression just wasnt good enough to start and the spark would break down. Hope it works.

[fastjbav6]

Have u the correct coil for the dist? It must b the HEI type. Ohm reading is approx 900 ohm on primary side & approx 7000 ohm on secondary side of coil.
Check that the dist shaft is not bent & causing polling.
Are the 2 screws that hold the ign module tight?
The special grease under the module could be dried up.
Hope this helps

Regards Seb

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Do coils go off?
This coil is quite old now, although it was working fine when it was last on a motor, over 5 years ago now.
I'll try the coil first then swap in a points dizzy.

[4hammers]

Stinky.
I don't know if they do, but I had one of those big yellow ones, with the brown top. It was used it in a 350 Statesman for a couple of years & ran perfectly. I bought that, the radiiator & some other bits & stored them for about 2 years. Then I built my 350 Monaro. They bloody engine would not idle at all. It turned out to be that coil. Even though it was working fine when the guy wrecked the Stato (Ran out of rego).

Rob J

[collecta]

Stinky
have you actually checked that you have compression in ALL cylinders, also i have seen lifters that sit around pump up when not under load of valve springs and when reassembled are holding valves open thus causing low to no compression in the pots,to remedy this, engine has to run to bleed the lifters down. Also you mention head work ive also seen heads come back from repairs where valves and seats are machined which raises the valve stem height and not remedied, when you bolt down rocker posts the valves are also held open [ with all the spark and fuel in the world it isnt going to run properly without compression] you would need to remove rocker gear and place straight edge across valve stems and see if they are all the same height for starters. hope this helps and if it does not, just give me a call and i can always have a look for ya.what r club members for....
cheers

Scott

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Well it wasn't the coil, although I have a new one now anyway.
Going back down the timing path, the car cranked worse (ie not firing at all) if I turned the dizzy back clockwise. Therefore I thought anti-clockwise would run better and it did, but the dizzy was as far as it would go. Ah!!! but I wasn't using these finned sideplates on the old motor was I, there was more room with the old ones.

So I twisted the dizzy around a bit more and by pushing in the cap spring a little I got it to a position where the motor FINALLY F#$%ING FIRED UP!! WAAAAAHOOOO!!!

Now I just gotta button up a petrol and water leak for it all to be sweet.

Next problem.

Many thanks to all those that gave some input to this problem.