HELP Again 305 merc. '99 not starting (tbi 4)

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mestey2004

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Hi, blew the head gasket and fixed that. put it all back together. put the distributer back in aligned with marks when the engine was at tdc. Now I turn the engine over and I get only the wine from the starter and engine turns over, but 0 ignition. No smoke, no cough, nothing. Next I looked at the coil to see if I am getting anything there. Got a spark. Then pulled the coil wire from distributer cap and got spark there. <br /><br />I am totally stumped. Am I missing something? The only thing I can think of is that there is no spark coming from the distributer to the plugs. (girlfriend pulled me away for dinnner) Check that in a bit. :)
 
Bondo

Bondo

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Re: HELP Again 305 merc. '99 not starting (tbi 4)

put the distributer back in aligned with marks when the engine was at tdc.
Click to expand...
Was that With #1 cylinder at TDC ?????<br /><br />You Could be Out by 180*,+ Still have the Marks line-up.............
 
Don S

Don S

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Re: HELP Again 305 merc. '99 not starting (tbi 4)

Bondo, you would still have spark, even if 180 out. There would be popping and backfires, but no start.<br />Mike. Did you check for spark at the spark plugs? Also, see if you have any fuel coming out of the TBI injectors.<br />What engine and drive combo do you have? Merc? Volvo? Nothing better than knowing what one is working on to give a proper opinion of a problem.
 
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mestey2004

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Re: HELP Again 305 merc. '99 not starting (tbi 4)

Yes, I actually tried putting the distributer at the other position. and still no good. I'll check at the spark plugs for spark and pull them to check for fuel and repost the results.'<br /><br />thanks/<br /><br />Mike<br /><br />p.s. engine is a 305 merc, 1999 tbi 4 with an alpha drive. Carborated
 
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mestey2004

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Re: HELP Again 305 merc. '99 not starting (tbi 4)

Ok, Now I know I have spark at the plug (checked for an arc). Also I took the flame arrestor/air filter thing off the top of the carb and advanced the throttle and turned the key. Suddenly a short flame shot out the top of it. So I now know that Ihave fuel and spark, but just not at the right time? (i.e. the intake was open when the spark occured). So now what? :) <br /><br />The top dead center I am using is the notch cut in the top of the main pully wheel and the V cut. I dropped the distributer down when it is that position and align it with the number one cyl. position and then snug it down. Other than the possibility that the TDC is actually alligned with the 6 cyl, is there something I am missing. I'll move the distributer to the other side tomorrow morn.<br /><br />Thanks for all your help.<br /><br />Mike
 
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tylerin

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Re: HELP Again 305 merc. '99 not starting (tbi 4)

You have to pull the #1 spark plug and when the piston is at the top (TDC) ie at the compression stroke than you align the mark and drop the distributer in. Like Bondo said your more than likely (50% chance) 180 degrees off
 
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mestey2004

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Re: HELP Again 305 merc. '99 not starting (tbi 4)

Tried rotating the distributer three times with no avail. Pulled off the wire to # 1 spark plug and turned over the engine with the throttle advanced and then pulled number one spark plug (brand new) and there was no smell of fuel. <br /><br />The carb smells like fuel and when I advance it there is a hissing noise and a small puddle of fuel at the bottom. So it seems like fuel is entering the intake manifold, but no fuel is entering the cylinders. HOW CAN THAT BE?!! GRRRR. :) Trying to keep my sanity. <br /><br />Is there something that I missed when I put the manifold back on? When I tightend down the valves they all were moving up and down like they should. Im totally baffled<br /><br />Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated<br /><br />Thanks<br />Mike
 
Don S

Don S

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Re: HELP Again 305 merc. '99 not starting (tbi 4)

First off, starting an EFI engine is not like starting a carbed engine. If you have a flooded engine, you put the throttle lever to full to clear the flood. If it's not flooded, you just leave it at idle. When cranking, with lever at idle, you should see fuel coming out of the injectors. Since you see fuel in the manifold, you may be flooded. But first you need to get the timing right. I think you are missing the point on how to set the distributor. If you have it off even 1 tooth it's not going to start.<br />First remove the distributor. Then remove the spark plugs (this will also allow the fuel to evaporate in case you have it flooded)<br />Now turn the engine over by hand until you feel compression building in #1 cylinder. Continue turning by hand until the timing mark is at TDC on the vibration dampner.<br />Now put the distributor in so the rotor is pointing in approximatly the forward position. You may have to turn the oil pump shaft to get the distributor all the way in. A long screwdrive will turn it. Put the distributor cap on and turn the distributor housing so that one of the wire holes is directly over the rotor. That is #1. Now put the rest of the wires on in the proper firing order. Clockwise 1,8,4,3,6,5,7,2.<br />Put all the spark plugs back in and make sure the wires are on the proper plugs.<br />You should now be ready to start the engine. You may have to turn the distributor a little one way or the other to get it to run smooth prior to sitting the timing.<br />You will need to find a manual and get the proper timing setting procedure for the EFI engine. Just looking at the timeing mark with a timing light is not the way it's done. You need to put the system in base timing mode to set the timing.
 
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rodbolt

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Re: HELP Again 305 merc. '99 not starting (tbi 4)

hello<br /> move the #1 piston to TDC compression stroke. install the distributor with the rotor pointing at #1 dist tower. make sure the oil drive is engauged and the dist body is seated on the intake. then lighty install the clamp. hook all the ign parts up. now install a spark plug in the #1 cyl plug wire. turn the ign on. rotate the dist ccw and cw with the plug grounded on the block. if all is correct it will spark. the exact point of spark is close enough to start. if this is a delco EST you will have to do this with the shunt tool installed to lock the timing.<br /> good luck and keep posting. you may also wish to run a compression test to elimnate tight/misadjusted valves.
 
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Mahoney

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Re: HELP Again 305 merc. '99 not starting (tbi 4)

Timing, I was running into the same problem after pulling my distributor and manifold and replacing.<br /><br />It is entirely possible you put the distributoor in excactly 180 degrees off, timing on TDC of the intake stroke.<br /><br />What I did to fix my issue, and symtoms were excactly the same, was to manually turn engine to mark TDC on crankshaft, pop distributor cap, and note where contact is pointing, check and double check that it the #1 cylinder wire it is pointing to, and recheck clockwise order of plugs, it can be very easy to cross those things up when routing around stuff. <br /><br />I then did a static tiing using a cheap lightbuld type volt detector. Place positive lead on 12 volt lead going to distributor, turn key on to Accesory position and rotate cap till the light lights up, indicating the pionts have opened on the #1 cylinder spark, tighten the cap and give her a whirl. My engine lit up like a tornado, so make sure if you were mucking with the throttle cable and fast idle screwes, tey are set so you dont go running at 4000 rpm in idle!<br /><br />Good luck
 
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tylerin

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Re: HELP Again 305 merc. '99 not starting (tbi 4)

What I did to fix my issue, and symtoms were excactly the same, was to manually turn engine to mark TDC on crankshaft, pop distributor cap, and note where contact is pointing, check and double check that it the #1 cylinder wire it is pointing to,
Click to expand...
And you can still be 180 degrees off with this method. You need to check to see if your on the compression stroke
 
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mestey2004

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Re: HELP Again 305 merc. '99 not starting (tbi 4)

Hi all, <br /><br />Thanks for all the advice. I looked around on other posts and found one mentioning that if you have overtightend the valves they will not close properly. I did a manual compression test (finger over the spark plug hole) and discovered no compression at all. Since I knew that the engine had good compression before, I believed i had overtightend the valves when I installed the heads. I went back, losened them all and started over. I found that the nuts were in a much higher position than they were. Finished, I checked the distributer and made sure it was in the proper position. turned on the water, hit the starter and VROOOM. She started right up. Timed it and was out on the water about 30 minutes later.<br /><br />Alas no tuna today, but I was happy just the same. THanks again for all the posts.<br /><br />of course, when I got back to the dock a new problem occured. I'll post another topic on that though. Will it ever end?!<br /><br />mike
 
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