New here pulling out my hair...

[Ncherry84]

Not something many people would have looked to check... Nice catch...

Thanks, I was literally to the point of trying just about anything....about another day away from pulling the cam on the off chance of a bad firing order....Thank God I didn't have to get that far....

 

[Chris51280]

It is a non interference motor. if the chain breaks, no problem. Glad it works again

 

[Lou C]

Well, I figured it out. I partially feel like an idiot, and I partially don't. Tough to say....

So I went in and set #1 TDC, felt the compression release by my thumb covering the #1 hole as I've done what feels like a million times now....Pulled the cap after I KNOW for FACT I hadn't set it 180 off....low and behold, the rotor is like 270 degrees off...not even close. I pulled the rotor off, went to reset the distributor to find that it was already set to #1 wire.

WTF right? So I put the rotor back on and put the cap back on and got ready for a test fire. Hit the key, came to life (a rough awakening to say the least) for a brief moment, popped and died. Reset #1 TDC AGAIN and pulled the cap.....now it was facing about 90-100 degrees off from the #1 wire. Reset it AGAIN.... this time leaving the cap off. Hit the starter and cranked it a few times, let off, found #1 TDC again, and the rotor was off again....this time maybe half as bad as the last.

So I barred the motor over by hand to see if maybe I had bad teeth on the distributor drive on the cam. Tight all the way around like a new motor. I was heading back to TDC on 1 and had lost my balance and I leaned down and missed putting all my weight on the rotor and grazed it on the way to the riser to catch myself and the rotor spun. WTH?

Pulled the rotor off, looked at the shaft and saw the slot...put the rotor on and gave it a twist. It spun on the shaft. Looked up inside the rotor and the tab that locks into the shaft of the distributor was not there. At all. Not broke off, partially there, filed or tampered out....just never filled the mold. Ran to the marine shop and showed it to them and exchanged it for a new one....and it spits right off smooth as can be....

I can't believe I missed this! To be fair, how often does something like this happen to a guy anyhow?

I thank you all for the input and ideas everyone!

Wow! that's the very definition of a serendipitous discovery!
This is why being a do it yourselfer makes you smarter than most people!

 

[Rick Stephens]

Amazing!

Glad you hung in there, and here. It is hard to make a post that sounds like you can't find #1 TDC....... since that was what every symptom seemed to point to. Make a guy start to doubt himself.... Great job!

Rick

 

[QBhoy]

Big bang out the prop and through the carb does indicate that fuel is there. No fuel, no bang. It's also VERY indicative of the firing order being out. Either the distributor is 180 out, or you've read the rotation of the dissy the wrong way and you have the reverse order... The only other possibility is the firing order of the cam doesn't match 1-6-5-4-3-2....

Chris........

Agree but could also indicate that the fuel is bad too reducing octane levels does this too, as you’ll know Chris.

 

[QBhoy]

Brilliant. Just caught up. Well done

 

[Ed Harris]

Great post. Everyone that read this post to the end will now be checking those new rotors. I know I will.