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| Fuel, Air, Spark but no Bang (Page 2/3) |
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Patrick
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MAY 14, 06:01 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by Intel:
The spun dist could be possible, but then it can't move that far.
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It doesn't need to rotate much to completely throw off the timing.
I didn't understand the following. Why did you feel the need to move the location of the spark plug leads in the distributor cap? All you had to do was to reposition the rotor (by lifting the distributor up just far enough to disengage the gear).
| quote | Originally posted by Intel:
I had to move all my wires 2 poles counter clockwise to get in the ballpark where something started to ignite (got a backfire so loud the neighbors thought the hunting season was on). After a little playing around (with the ALDL shorted) I got it at 12 degrees. Runs great now.
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| quote | Originally posted by Intel:
- Check/reset the timing, but why, it ran when parked. Not easy to do when it doesn't start.
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You may wish to have a look at how to set the initial static timing.
 [This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 05-14-2023).]
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Intel
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MAY 14, 06:16 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by Patrick:
You may wish to have a look at how to set the initial static timing.
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I know but I didn't have a 15 mm wrench in that garage.
I forgot my tools in my daily driver that my wife took to work. So I drove out to the Fiero garage in my Corvette with only a Fluke multimeter and a Leatherman.
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Patrick
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MAY 14, 06:50 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by Intel:
So I drove out to the Fiero garage in my Corvette with only a Fluke multimeter and a Leatherman.
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Should've been enough for a complete system analysis and engine rebuild. 
Anyway, you got it running. 
I got my '84 running yesterday after it had sat unstarted for three years... with three year old gas in the tank.  Charged up the battery beforehand, and it basically started right up. Fortunately, the gas here doesn't appear to turn into a gummy substance like what I've heard reported happens to gasoline in the States.
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armos
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MAY 15, 04:55 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by Patrick:
I got my '84 running yesterday after it had sat unstarted for three years... with three year old gas in the tank. Charged up the battery beforehand, and it basically started right up. Fortunately, the gas here doesn't appear to turn into a gummy substance like what I've heard reported happens to gasoline in the States. |
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I guess the corn lobby isn't as influential in Canada.
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Patrick
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MAY 15, 06:07 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by armos:
I guess the corn lobby isn't as influential in Canada.
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Corn syrup would definitely gum things up.
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Intel
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MAY 16, 10:34 AM
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Okay, so I just found out why my timing is totally off.
My harmonic balancer must be slipping. I tried the piston stop bolt in the spark plug hole 1 method, cranked clockwise until stop. Set mark at zero, cranked anticlockwise till stop, set another mark at zero. Right between these two marks should be my timing mark..... it's not even near!
From the pictures I've seen of a stock fiero balancer the mark should be a few degrees (-) from the axle keyway. My mark is at -90 degrees.
I guess the low mileage doesnt matter anymore, age takes it's toll on things.
So I guess I'll be trying to source a new one and then use this metod to find my timing mark since most harmonic balancers marks nowadays doesn't line up with the fieros. Oh the fun....
Are the fiero-stores HB's any good? I have bought quite a lot from the before, mostly because I get parts that I know will fit my car and returning parts is not possible for me. Would cost more in shipping than the part. Buying locally is also not a viable option. Last time I looked something up they wanted $250 for a set of Taylor ignition wires. 
Mostly writing it here if anyone searches around for a similar problem.
At least the 40 liters of fuel I emptied from the fuel tank is good, after 8 years! I put it in my motorcycle that was out of gas and it runs just fine. Maybe it matters that I "spoiled" my Fiero with the Shell V-Power "gimmick". The E10 we have now I've been told goes bad after 2 years or so.[This message has been edited by Intel (edited 05-16-2023).]
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ArthurPeale
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MAY 16, 11:01 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by Intel:
Okay, so I just found out why my timing is totally off. |
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A slipping balancer wouldn't affect a slipping timing chain - but, sudden tension from starting might affect it, depending on the wear.
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zkhennings
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MAY 16, 11:36 AM
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Someone must have messed with it, no way it goes from running to not running while sitting due to timing being out. I would imagine clogged fuel things or stuck injectors, or mice have been nibbling at wires.
You can use a coat hanger or equivalent and put it in cyl 1 and rotate the engine by hand to find TDC, it will not be perfect without a dial indicator or other precision tool but should be able to get you close enough that you can mark a new 3.4 balancer (which I think are more common) at TDC ish and at least get it running. There may be something on this forum somewhere that give you a concrete measurement of where to mark the balancer.
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Intel
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MAY 16, 12:01 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by zkhennings:
Someone must have messed with it, no way it goes from running to not running while sitting due to timing being out. I would imagine clogged fuel things or stuck injectors, or mice have been nibbling at wires.
You can use a coat hanger or equivalent and put it in cyl 1 and rotate the engine by hand to find TDC, it will not be perfect without a dial indicator or other precision tool but should be able to get you close enough that you can mark a new 3.4 balancer (which I think are more common) at TDC ish and at least get it running. There may be something on this forum somewhere that give you a concrete measurement of where to mark the balancer. |
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It's the running to not running thing I struggle with the most.
Even if I set the timing "wrong" all those years ago when I swapped the dist, it still ran fine when parked and the car was in the middle of nowhere in a barn, locked, with battery out.
Is there any tell tales of a loose chain? There is no play in the harmonic balancer, there is no weird idle, no knocking in there that I can hear with my mechanics stethoscope.
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ArthurPeale
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MAY 16, 12:50 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by Intel:
Is there any tell tales of a loose chain? There is no play in the harmonic balancer, there is no weird idle, no knocking in there that I can hear with my mechanics stethoscope. |
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Without removing the timing cover ? Regrettably, that's a question I can't answer.
When you re-timed it, what steps did you take? How far off was it ?
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