Help me get my boat running before 4th weekend! IT WON"T START

[dshaff24]

There is only a few things needed to get this thing running, and in my case im stumped

ITS GOT FUEL
ITS GOT SPARK NOW
Compression is good
Timing is 6 degrees btc

I did have a no spark issue for a while but it turned out to be the coil! This boat ran perfect last year, Only thing I did was put new wires and electronic ignition mod in and removed my points, I DO HAVE SPARK!

When I didn't have spark and I just put the fuel tank in I put gas down the carb hoping it would fire to get the fuel pump primed but I have yet to have any firing,

battery and starter is new and cranks fast

I did pull the rear plug to see that there is fuel running back to it, Front plug just normal so im guessing I might have to much fuel to the rear of the motor?

When I installed the electronic ignition upgrade module I did not have to pull the disty so that timing is still where it was last year!


DOES ANYBODY HAVE A DIAGRAM FOR PLUG WIRES AND WHERE THEY MOUNT? I got the factory manual but it does not tell you where to start with 1

my motor/prop is left hand rotation

Any help would be awesome as Im 3 days into trying to get this to run!

[mapleleaf]

I'm hoping you hear from Mr. Hunter or Al on this one....It's gotta be like one disconnected wire somewhere......
BTW swapped the glass outta your speedo's into mine, 10 minutes to sweet looking speedo gauges....thx

[Mani]

Wild guess, but since your rebuild have you checked all vacuum hoses. If you've got fuel and spark, maybe it's too much air. Just a thought.

[autobahnracing]

Have you checked if your plug wires are connected correctly for your firing order?

[dshaff24]

Have you checked if your plug wires are connected correctly for your firing order?

I got the firing order from the tag on the motor and set it at tdc of the # 1 piston, I also have the book on this motor that shows a diagram on it for the firing order,

[quote]Wild guess, but since your rebuild have you checked all vacuum hoses. If you've got fuel and spark, maybe it's too much air. Just a thought.[quote]

To be honest I didn't see any vacume lines? Thanks for your input!




I GOT A QUESTION FOR THE OLD SKOOLERS, i DON'T think this is my problem but it bothers me, On the coil the ground wire is just the gray tach wire! Should there be a actaul ground to it?

[dshaff24]

What gets me is it does not even TRY to start! Just for the heck of it I did a compression test and it was all good!

Im so lost! It has to be some kind of timing issue even though it is set to 6 degrees btc


On these electronic ignition upgrade kits, There is a flapper wheel that replaces the points, Is it possible I have to some how put it in time?

[Hematoma]

My timing is set at 10degrees, 6 seems kinda low. I have read people going all the way to 12degrees but mine runs perfect at 10. have you tried moving the distributor to see if you can get a result? Dunno but 6 seems suspect.

[autobahnracing]

My timing is set at 10degrees, 6 seems kinda low. I have read people going all the way to 12degrees but mine runs perfect at 10. have you tried moving the distributor to see if you can get a result? Dunno but 6 seems suspect.

Agree, but it should still start even if the timing is off by way more than that?

[dshaff24]

ive read that 10 degrees is on the 87 and up 351's and 86 and down is 6 degrees btc, My manaul that came with the boat says 6 degrees btc, and on the pully where the lines are to set it they actaully have the 6 degrees btc actaully scribed into it so that you know!



I just went to the shop to pull all my spark plugs and decided to AIR out the cylinders since I did have a bad coil that I could have seriouslly flooded the motor? Im just looking for some type of a solution so Im trying everything

I also pulled the cap and double checked that the 0 degrees TDC was on # 1 spark plug and it was!


Tomarrow im going to put the plugs in and try to fire it once again!


Does anybody have any kind of input on these electronic upgrade kits? I have good spark but im still puzzled how the lower part that takes place of the points works and if there is something in there that I have to tweek? Other then setting it to 8 thousanths gap

Its a pcm Kit that was a direct drop in and very simple to install

Oh and one more thing that might help is that This motor ran good last year and when I put the electronic kit on I did not have to remove the distributor so Timing really never should have been a issue! Other then the points to electonic?

Would I have spark like I do if the electronic part of the ignition wasn't working?

[michael hunter]

dshaff24
This problem sounds more complicated than I can handle on line give me a call and I will walk you through some tests. 219-712-5060

[Mani]

Dshaff, the only reason I mentioned it is because the vacuum hose coming off the starboard valve cover to the carb plate on my 351 had come loose and the engine wouldn't start unless I was gassing the hell out of it.

I'm sure Michael will figure it out. Good luck guys and let us know how it goes. :)

[dshaff24]

Ill check that tube/pvc valve

[Memmer99]

What about your ignition ballast resistor? Some electronic ignitions say to remove it and some tell you to keep it. I installed a Mallory kit and I had to keep the resistor. Even with the upgraded coil. Did you get your kit from Skidim? if so you need to keep the resistor inline per skidim customer support.

I'm no pro but just a thought.

[beast 496]

On Ford 351's the number one cyl is on the port front corner Port side cyl's are 1234 front to back starboard cyl's are 5678 front to back. This is completely different than a Chevy. How are you checking for spark? Do you have a spark tester? How do you know the timing is at 6 btdc if it is not running? Crank speed is to slow to set timing. Which conversion did you install in the distributer? I use Petronix and have great success. If you are using a spark tester a good ignition will jump a 5/16 to 3/8" gap. Do you have 12 volts to b+ side of the coil while cranking? Alot of questions need to be answered. Good luck Al

[dshaff24]

On Ford 351's the number one cyl is on the port front corner Port side cyl's are 1234 front to back starboard cyl's are 5678 front to back. This is completely different than a Chevy. How are you checking for spark? Do you have a spark tester? How do you know the timing is at 6 btdc if it is not running? Crank speed is to slow to set timing. Which conversion did you install in the distributer? I use Petronix and have great success. If you are using a spark tester a good ignition will jump a 5/16 to 3/8" gap. Do you have 12 volts to b+ side of the coil while cranking? Alot of questions need to be answered. Good luck Al


Okay where to start!

Basically I guess I didn't set the timing, What I did is found tdc of # 1 piston which is at 0 degrees correct? That put me to the exactly where I had the #1 plug wire in the begining [ I never took the wires off the cap when It ran, I just removed one wire at a time and then reinstalled the new wire ] So that in my mind was correct and the fact that I never removed the distributor has me thinking this motor should actaully be in time

I bought the direct drop in conversion from ski dim made by pcm or at least it was labeled on the packaging, Very staight forward install So I thought! I even bought the coil that is recommended to go with that electronic upgrade,

Everything went smooth till now! I do have the prestolite clip on cap and this conversion was ment for this distributor!

I do not have a spark tester! but it sounds like something Id like to have! I did test spark by pulling a wire and grounding it to the altenator bracket and it seems decent, definitly blue!

It does have ignition power to the positive side of the coil, And I used a test light to test the negitive side to see if the electronic part of the distributor was working and it flashed or pulsed like it was susposed to

[dshaff24]

What about your ignition ballast resistor? Some electronic ignitions say to remove it and some tell you to keep it. I installed a Mallory kit and I had to keep the resistor. Even with the upgraded coil. Did you get your kit from Skidim? if so you need to keep the resistor inline per skidim customer support.

I'm no pro but just a thought.
in my kit it says to bypass the ballast resister so it is! I did get the kit from ski dim but my distributor is the clip down cap so its different!

Thanks everyone for helping me with ideas, Tomarrow [ tuesday evening ] is my next night to work on this so please shoot any idea at me!

[dshaff24]

Thanks to you guys that tried to help me out over the web and phone! It always turns out to be something stupid and well it was, When I wired the new gauges I had the ground and tach hooked up wrong and it actaully caused this mess! I had a mechanic thats my buddy come over and look at it and he was puzzled because everything was good! So then I thought if that looks good maybe I messed something up so I checked and BINGO

[mapleleaf]

Interesting...your boat started running and look at the number of posts you've put up....351.....Hmmmmm

[michael hunter]

Good deal you cant pay for the education you just received . When you get a mind bender problem it forces you to go over every system and detail of your boat . Now you have a much better understanding of how things work. I glad you got it before the weekend . Have a great 4th.

[Okie Boarder]

Glad you figured it out. I would second what Michael just said.

[dshaff24]

Interesting...your boat started running and look at the number of posts you've put up....351.....Hmmmmmgood call!