Engine rebuild - doesn;t start

[froggy]

Just finished rebuilding my 1600 SP, its had new bearings, new piston rings, a full gasket set, re-used my existing vac only dizzy and my 30 pict 2 carb and it just wont start.
I've pulled the fuel pipe off and it definately pumping fuel, i've pulled a lead off and fitted a spare plug and its sparking but it still wont start. Turns over a bit slow (but my battery needs charging) but just wont start. have checked and rechecked all the valve settings, checked and rechecked the points gap, static set up the timing (0 deg) but nothing any ideas before i throw either a wad load of money away or set fire to it?

 

[nora]

is it possible to have the distributor 180 degrees out?

 

[sparkywig]

Charge the battery?

 

[geenjay]

:lol: just been down this route this evening after fitting my sons recon engine in his beetle..ok check plug gaps..check spark take of no 1 lead fit spare plug switch on ignition rotate dizzy as points open on no 1 the plug will spark.. set imming to no 1 tdc set dizzy to no 1 tdc notch on dizzy lip lining up with the rotar arm re-fit and prep to start turn engine over ..if it pops bangs.or coughs and bangs try switching the leads round 180; so that no 1 is now were no 3 is and set firing order 1.4.3.2. from that point and try starting here again you sound as if you know what youre doing so im sorry if im preaching to the choir if youve got fuel ,compression, and spark, she,s got to go even if its a pop bang and fart then you know its got to be timming and when she does erupt into life everyone will think youve got trapped wind because of the big smile on ya face... oh yes and use a good battery as youre compression rate should be up.. :mrgreen:

 

[froggy]

Battery on charge
Will try and swap the leads round just out of curiousity (have tried everything bloody else :lol: )

 

[Cali_bay]

When you put the dizzy drive shaft in, did you ensure that the engine was TDC on cylinder one? Very easy to get it on 3, I had to rotate the engine a few time by hand to check the firing order of all the cylinders to ensure the TCD was on 1. After TDC on cylinder 1 the next valve movement should be exhaust only.

If it is wrong you can swap the leads round and you should be able get it to run but the rotor arm will be facing away from cylinder 1 rather than toward it.

Give the battery a good charge as it needs a bit extra power to turn the tight engine.

 

[froggy]

Yeah gonna try and swap the leads around tomorrow.
Set it when No 1 rockers where rocking (TDC?) but will try and change the leads anyway.
Have wasted about 15 hours this weekend and still no further along the road than when i started. Originally built it with twin port heads and SVDA dizzy with a rebuilt solex 34 pict 3 but as this didn;t run and the parts where unknown i changed it all back to single port, vac only dizzy and 30 pict 2 but still nothing

 

[Cali_bay]

Yeah gonna try and swap the leads around tomorrow.
Set it when No 1 rockers where rocking (TDC?) but will try and change the leads anyway.
Have wasted about 15 hours this weekend and still no further along the road than when i started. Originally built it with twin port heads and SVDA dizzy with a rebuilt solex 34 pict 3 but as this didn;t run and the parts where unknown i changed it all back to single port, vac only dizzy and 30 pict 2 but still nothing

The end of the exhaust stoke and begining of the intake the valves exh and In are closing/closed/opening if that makes sense. Therefore the rockers can still rock especially if that is where the clearance was adjusted, but the important thing is to check that the exhaust is the next value to open after the TDC firing stroke (after the engine has been rotated 180 degrees clockwise).

 

[67panel]

froggy,you muppet :lol: if the valves are rocking ie intake closing and exhaust opening then its 180deg out cause its then firing on no3 :roll: think about it ,valves need to be closed for comprresion and cyl to fire!

 

[matt-me]

A little tip from my clever neighbour that helped me be sure of finding TDC when i had my timing 180 out and had spent a frustrating 4 hrs like you Froggy; if you can spin both pushrods on cylinder nr 1 (by hand) then this will be the TDC stroke. You need to still position your pulley to get exact TDC.

Hope that helps.

Al

 

[froggy]

is it possible to have the distributor 180 degrees out?

Yes

froggy,you muppet :lol: if the valves are rocking ie intake closing and exhaust opening then its 180deg out cause its then firing on no3 :roll: think about it ,valves need to be closed for comprresion and cyl to fire!

Easy when you know :lol:

When you put the dizzy drive shaft in, did you ensure that the engine was TDC on cylinder one? Very easy to get it on 3, I had to rotate the engine a few time by hand to check the firing order of all the cylinders to ensure the TCD was on 1. After TDC on cylinder 1 the next valve movement should be exhaust only.

If it is wrong you can swap the leads round and you should be able get it to run but the rotor arm will be facing away from cylinder 1 rather than toward it.

Give the battery a good charge as it needs a bit extra power to turn the tight engine.

Cheers mate spot on, leads swapped round and its purrs like an angry cat :lol:

 

[67panel]

nice one ,about time just of to fire up drag race motor for our beetle to run cam in ,20mins @2500 rpm!!!!! then have to remove heads and fit double valve springs ,refit and do ratio rocker geometry and cut to lenght push rods.and all for 150hp,it had better ,cost 3k in bits.

 

[froggy]

nice one ,about time just of to fire up drag race motor for our beetle to run cam in ,20mins @2500 rpm!!!!! then have to remove heads and fit double valve springs ,refit and do ratio rocker geometry and cut to lenght push rods.and all for 150hp,it had better ,cost 3k in bits.

Dare you to put it in back of the van

 

[Cali_bay]

Glad you got it sorted. How's it running now? A bit more than 45 flat out I hope. :mrgreen:

 

[froggy]

Glad you got it sorted. How's it running now? A bit more than 45 flat out I hope. :mrgreen:

Got that excited about it running that i never drove it, timed it up and then re-timed it then had to look after the son while Lu went shopping :?