[Roadsters] Out Of Ideas

[Gary and Cindy Ault]

Chas,

I agree with Scott.  The symptoms sound like ignition.  Carburetors don't 
fail abruptly.  Fuel pumps do, so the suggestion to check fuel delivery is a 
sound one.  The fact that you have an electronic distributor suggests the 
possibility that the ignition module is at fault.  I once pulled our '83 
Olds into the garage one night, and it wouldn't start the next morning. 
Dead EI module.

I assume you do not have a timing light, or you would have tried that.  Can 
you borrow one, or rent one from Advance, Pep Boys or the equivalent?  You 
could crank the engine and make sure the plugs are firing on the timing 
mark.  There's no substitute for a dynamic test -- checking the overall 
system function rather than relying on what one can determine by having the 
rotor pointed at the plug wire and believing the piston is at TDC.

If the ignition is working right, shooting some starter fluid into the carbs 
will allow the car to fire, if not run without fuel from the pump.  If that 
doesn't do it, it almost has to be ignition somewhere.

Beyond that, it's tough to diagnose a problem from miles away.

Gary

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <fairlady at putermail.net>
To: <datsun-roadsters at autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2012 5:04 PM
Subject: Re: [Roadsters] Out Of Ideas


> Sorry my bad, I neglected to say. I checked the spark on each
> cylinder, replaced all four
> plugs. The the rotor is turning. I removed all four plugs and turned
> the engine until the
> rotor was pointing at each plug wire and checked the piston and each
> seemed to be at the
> top.
>
> Chas
>
>
> Quoting "Scott Sheeler" <poontang188 at hotmail.com>:
>
>>
>> Chas:
>>
>> 1. Have you confirmed you have spark at the plugs? Possible bad coil
>> or coil power connection(s).  Check by holding the spark plug wire
>> with a spark plug installed near the valve cover with an insulated
>> pliers (or you can get a nasty shock) and see if the spark will jump
>> to the cover or across the plug gap.
>> 2. Have you confirmed that the distributor rotor is still turning?
>> Possible broken jackshaft.  This could also show as no oil pressure
>> when cranking the engine.  Check by removing the cap and turning it
>> over.
>>
>> You describe a "catastrophic" event that just caused the car to
>> stop.  Bad SU's make it run worse and worse, slowly over a long
>> period of time.  If it cranks but won't fire that suggests a
>> complete failure of the ignition spark.  Even a bad cap or rotor
>> will allow the engine to cough. I would check power to the igintion
>> system, coil, etc.
>>
>> Scott Sheeler
>> http://thedatsunroadsterbook.com/
>>
>>
>>
>>> Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2012 16:13:34 -0500
>>> From: fairlady at putermail.net
>>> To: datsun-roadsters at autox.team.net
>>> Subject: [Roadsters] Out Of Ideas
>>>
>>> My 1969 srl311 has decided to test my mechanical ability and I am
>>> coming up woefully short. My son has been driving this car regularly
>>> for a couple of years but yesterday it died,while he was driving it he
>>> thought that it ran out of gas but it wasn't.
>>> It seemed as though it wasn't firing at all, gas was fine, I drained
>>> it and put new gas in. I replaced the plugs, distributor cap and rotor
>>> on the GBEI Dizzy.
>>> I am guessing that something has gone awry with the SU's BUT I can't
>>> even get it to fire up using starter fluid.
>>>
>>> Any thoughts, suggestions or even hey stupid did you check xxx?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Chas
>>> ________________________________________
>>>
>>> datsun-roadsters at autox.team.net
>>>
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> m
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