FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Hello every one

Would any locals around Albion Park NSW be available some time to come over and show me what I’m missing
The grey wants to run just won’t.
I think a few small issues have me stumped
Would be good to have someone who actually knows what there  doing instead of guessing most of the time
Cheers

have you just recently re built the engine and reassembled a stripped down engine ,put it back in the car and it sorta wants to go but wont ...Have you double checked the usual trouble makers , strong spark ,fuel supply ,ignition timing ,  ..if it starts and momentarily runs ok and dies ,I think fuel ..if it fires ,back fires ,bangs and pops ,then timing ..tell us your particular symptoms ...cheers vern ..

Hi Vern

Yes it was striped down fora look see and looked good so some new caskets and seals
Yes it’s the timing and fuel issue just doing a pop bit of a fire and nothing
Carby kit done I can see fuel wet area coming out of the throttle body must be warn out

Has spark
Thanks

Trevor,

It's pretty normal that petrol leaks out around the throttle shaft if you've been pumping the accelerator.  This won't stop the engine from running, and doesn't mean the carby's worn out.  So you've got fuel, and you've got spark.  Do you have compression?

The only other thing that I can think of is that you've got the distributor 180 degrees out.

Open the timing mark cover at the bellhousing.  Pull no. 1 spark plug.  Stick your finger in the spark plug hole and turn the engine over by hand, until you can feel the compression in the cylinder.  Then, looking at the flywheel through the inspection hole, turn the engine over slooowly by hand until the ball lines up with the pointer.  Pull the cap and leads off the distributor.  The rotor should be at the 5 o'clock position.  If it's anywhere else, you'll need to pull the distributor out and put it back in again with the correct timing.

Lining the oil pump drive up can be a bit frustrating.  If you have the distributor out, set the rotor to the 5 o'clock position and note which way the "screwdriver end" of the distributor shaft is pointing.  Get a long screwdriver, stick it in the distributor hole and turn the oil pump drive till it points in the same direction.

Now you can put the distributor back in.  Turn the rotor to about 6:30.  With the vacuum advance pointing to the front of the motor, put the distributor in. It should slide home easily and pick up the oil pump drive as it drops, and the rotor should be in the 5 o'clock position.

All good?  Now you just have to set the ignition timing.  Turn the ignition on, and rotate the distributor body slightly clockwise.  Make sure that the points are closed.  Now turn the distributor body anticlockwise.  At some point, you should hear a "tick" and see a little spark from the points.  Turn the distributor body clockwise and anticlockwise again: "tick".  Do it again, but stop turning the distributor once you hear the "tick".  Tighten the clamp bolt, put the cap and leads back on (check firing order: 1-5-3-6-2-4 going clockwise from the 5 o'clock position).

Start engine.

Rob

Rob has about summed it up Trevor ..I will add a little bit ,The aspect of the disributor he has outlined assumes your distributor is in good shape ,if it is the distributor should be sitting in the block with the vacuum chamber facing straight ahead ,not turned in towards the block or facing widely away from the block , as Rob suggests lift it out  with the cap off and observe how much the rotor moves as the gear meshes in the camshaft ,then if necessary put your driver down into oil pump and rotate the drive till your position is correct ,if you look closely there is a little groove in the dissy body on the rim where the cap sits , it is above the screw in the body that holds the vacuum advance leg ,its a fine little line across the rim ,this is where your rotor button should point when no 1 is about to fire.directly in line with that mark is no 1 cylinder lead hole in the cap ,so then your leads go clockwise in firing order around the cap ,set your dissy up that way ,then turn engine over till rotor button points to same mark on dissy rim when no.1 cyl is TDC on compression ,rotor button should be about to contact the terminal inside the cap at the correct point ,lock of your securing plate to the block near engine number  ,make a chalk mark near the ball in the flywheel thru the little inspection hole at say 5 deg BTDC , put a piece of paper in the points contacts when points correctly gapped,  and rotate distributor body so that the piece of paper pulls out ,lock dissy body clamp ..a dwell angle meter should confirm or allow you to make fine final adjustments..cheers Vern ..

Hay thanks guys
I’ve got some ammo to work with now I’ll have a go at the instructions see how it goes
I will let you now

Cheers for the help

couple more things ,are you sure your tappet clearances are correct ,at this stage a clear gap is essential ,certainly too tight is NOT wanted ,you will need to do adjustments later after some running ,especially if the head has been off .also you will observe a fine centre line on the brass arm of the rotor button ,when installing the dissy as described above ,the two lines, one on rotor arm and one on body as described above should be in alignment ,then you can be confident your dissy is set in the block correctly, also the vacuum advance ,is it free ? not jammed ? or diaphragm collapsed , base plate sticking ,lots of little gremlins down there ,if you have the dissy out ,just suck on the vacuum line opening and see if it functions ,little arm should pull on base plate .. ...cheers Vern .

Thanks for the info Rod and Vern,  the beast is alive though rough and loud with no exhaust.

I was a few teeth out on the dizzy a few other little issues to sort but she’s a runner again.

Cheers

Bonus.

Rob

yes , a few teeth out will assure a problem ..well done ..vern .