Car will not start, unable to figure out why.

[65Polara383]

Hello, I last posted on here a couple months ago about my project car not wanting to start.
At the time I had very little experience with working on old cars. I have since learned much more, and I have repaired the entire fuel system.

Despite all my best efforts I still cannot manage to get the car to run or start without lots of effort.

The car is a 1965 Dodge Polara with a 383 motor and a 727 transmission.

Below is a list of what I have done:
Rebuilt carburetor, replaced fuel pump, and replaced fuel lines.
Verified that ignition is not 180 degrees out, replaced ignition switch and ballast resistor, also verified proper electrical current through all other ignition-related components.
Checked for compression, all cylinders read about 100-110 psi.
Replaced the starter with a factory high-torque unit.

I am unable to figure out why it wont run at this point.

Thank you all for any answers you can provide.

 

[DCMC]

The easiest and simplest reason is the ballast resistor, I read it's been replaced but that dosen't mean its

 

[DCMC]

It good. Hitting the pain in the *** pop up ad sent message before it was typed out.

 

[Big_John]

The easiest and simplest reason is the ballast resistor, I read it's been replaced but that dosen't mean its

It's actually the wrong reason.

If the ballast resistor was bad, it would start and as soon as you let the key off to "run", it would stall.

 

[azblackhemi]

Have you determined if it's not getting fuel or spark?

 

[carguy300]

Make sure there is spark to each cylinder, verify firing order and wires in the correct location on cap. Fuel squirting in carb.

 

[carguy300]

Ck spark coming from coil.

 

[Big_John]

Hello, I last posted on here a couple months ago about my project car not wanting to start.
At the time I had very little experience with working on old cars. I have since learned much more, and I have repaired the entire fuel system.

Despite all my best efforts I still cannot manage to get the car to run or start without lots of effort.

The car is a 1965 Dodge Polara with a 383 motor and a 727 transmission.

Below is a list of what I have done:
Rebuilt carburetor, replaced fuel pump, and replaced fuel lines.
Verified that ignition is not 180 degrees out, replaced ignition switch and ballast resistor, also verified proper electrical current through all other ignition-related components.
Checked for compression, all cylinders read about 100-110 psi.
Replaced the starter with a factory high-torque unit.

I am unable to figure out why it wont run at this point.

Thank you all for any answers you can provide.

Perhaps it would be good for you to link your other threads so we can see what you've already tried.

At first blush, the compression test is low. Spec is 130-155 PSI. That could mean a lot of stuff, but I can't help but wonder if there is some timing chain issue.

Changing a lot of stuff sometimes makes it harder to figure out.

Does it try to start.. Chug, fart, burp etc.? Have you tried starting fluid? That's a good diagnostic tool... If it fires on starting fluid, it's a fuel problem.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Big John is absolutely correct. We need to know what it does (or doesn't do) when you try to start it. Does it do anything except "turn over/crank"? I mean, when you turn the key, does the engine turn over, but it doesn't start up and makes no noises other than turning over?

Turns Over, but Doesn't Start
1. make sure you have spark by getting one extra spark plug, unhook any one spark plug wire, put your extra plug on that wire, touch the threaded part of the spark plug onto a good ground such as an alternator bracket bolt, have a buddy try to start the engine and see if you can observe a spark jumping across the grounded extra spark plug. It's best not to lean on the car while you do this.
2. Make sure you have fuel - take off the air cleaner, look down the throat of the carburetor, open/close the carburetor by hand and look to see if fuel is squirting inside the carburetor in the front two "barrels" of the carb
3. IF both 1 & 2 are OK, then check your firing order AGAIN and make sure that your firing order is correct in a COUNTER CLOCKWISE rotation on the distributor cap (small blocks are clockwise I believe, big blocks counter clockwise). If something with the firing order is off, the engine would "cough and spit" backfiring out of the carburetor and/or exhaust.
4. If all looks OK so far, as John mentioned, you can determine if your timing chain is bad (usually) by loosening the distributor (mark where it is at the base and on the block so you can put it back where it was) and rotating it pretty far both directions while a buddy tries to start the engine. If it wasn't coughing & spitting before,, but now it "tries" to cough and spit or "almost start", the timing chain has jumped a tooth and needs to be replaced. Also, you should leave the distributor cap off and have a buddy try to start the engine. Look at the rotor in the distributor. If it doesn't turn while cranking the engine, the timing chain has broken completely and needs to be replaced. You also wouldn't have gotten any spark at step 1 now that I think about it.
5. If EVERYTHING listed above checks out OK.... you have spark, you have fuel, the timing chain isn't broken and the engine cranks over without making any "coughing/spitting/backfiring noise", then your piston rings are too work and the engine needs to be rebuilt. Your compression on ALL cylinders being low indicates worn piston rings.

Hope this helps

 

[Old Boomer]

Turn the key on. Check for power at both sides of the ballast resistor. Power coming in but not out. Jump the two wires and hit the key. Should start. Replace the ballast resistor or do a bypass on it.
If no power at all. Pull the bulk head connectors and clean it. Highly recommend getting a wiring diagram. I get mine from classic wiring out of Florida. I get the big one.

 

[3C's & a D?]

You mentioned it's a project car, is the gas old? Sock on the sender clogged?

 

[rags]

The car cranks, and if loaded with starter fluid will sputter to life for a about a second and then stop running.

At first blush, the compression test is low. Spec is 130-155 PSI. That could mean a lot of stuff, but I can't help but wonder if there is some timing chain issue.

engine went from bad to worse when pushed with starting fluid. gee, why?

 

[commando1]

Y'alls giving solutions without starting going to the start of the problem.
What changed between the last time it started and when it wouldn't start.

 

[Big_John]

Y'alls giving solutions without starting going to the start of the problem.
What changed between the last time it started and when it wouldn't start.

 

[commando1]

He drank the ballast resistor fluid?

 

[65Polara383]

Big John is absolutely correct. We need to know what it does (or doesn't do) when you try to start it. Does it do anything except "turn over/crank"? I mean, when you turn the key, does the engine turn over, but it doesn't start up and makes no noises other than turning over?

Turns Over, but Doesn't Start
1. make sure you have spark by getting one extra spark plug, unhook any one spark plug wire, put your extra plug on that wire, touch the threaded part of the spark plug onto a good ground such as an alternator bracket bolt, have a buddy try to start the engine and see if you can observe a spark jumping across the grounded extra spark plug. It's best not to lean on the car while you do this.
2. Make sure you have fuel - take off the air cleaner, look down the throat of the carburetor, open/close the carburetor by hand and look to see if fuel is squirting inside the carburetor in the front two "barrels" of the carb
3. IF both 1 & 2 are OK, then check your firing order AGAIN and make sure that your firing order is correct in a COUNTER CLOCKWISE rotation on the distributor cap (small blocks are clockwise I believe, big blocks counter clockwise). If something with the firing order is off, the engine would "cough and spit" backfiring out of the carburetor and/or exhaust.
4. If all looks OK so far, as John mentioned, you can determine if your timing chain is bad (usually) by loosening the distributor (mark where it is at the base and on the block so you can put it back where it was) and rotating it pretty far both directions while a buddy tries to start the engine. If it wasn't coughing & spitting before,, but now it "tries" to cough and spit or "almost start", the timing chain has jumped a tooth and needs to be replaced. Also, you should leave the distributor cap off and have a buddy try to start the engine. Look at the rotor in the distributor. If it doesn't turn while cranking the engine, the timing chain has broken completely and needs to be replaced. You also wouldn't have gotten any spark at step 1 now that I think about it.
5. If EVERYTHING listed above checks out OK.... you have spark, you have fuel, the timing chain isn't broken and the engine cranks over without making any "coughing/spitting/backfiring noise", then your piston rings are too work and the engine needs to be rebuilt. Your compression on ALL cylinders being low indicates worn piston rings.

Hope this helps

I have verified that it has good spark in all cylinders. The carburetor is squirting fuel properly. The distributor rotor turns properly.

The distributor itself is stuck in place when I try to turn it, what would cause this? (I have made sure to remove the bolt holding it in place.)

The ballast resistor is good, I have checked the resistance with a multimeter and current runs through it correctly.

If someone can point me in the right direction with getting the distributor unstuck that would be incredibly helpful.

 

[65Polara383]

You mentioned it's a project car, is the gas old? Sock on the sender clogged?

The fuel system is good, the gas is fresh.

 

[57fury440]

I would hot wire the coil and jump the starter solenoid and see what happens.

 

[Big_John]

The distributor itself is stuck in place when I try to turn it, what would cause this? (I have made sure to remove the bolt holding it in place.)

Ahhh... So you haven't been able to turn the distributor to get the timing right?

The car has to be timed correctly to run. Try taking the cap off so you don't break it (I would end up breaking it anyway LOL) and give the distributor a couple taps with a soft mallet. Just light taps as you pull up. It sounds like it's stuck to the block and just needs to be popped loose. I see you've removed the bolt, did you remove the bracket too?

 

[65Polara383]

Ahhh... So you haven't been able to turn the distributor to get the timing right?

The car has to be timed correctly to run. Try taking the cap off so you don't break it (I would end up breaking it anyway LOL) and give the distributor a couple taps with a soft mallet. Just light taps as you pull up. It sounds like it's stuck to the block and just needs to be popped loose. I see you've removed the bolt, did you remove the bracket too?

I have removed the bolt and bracket, I will try doing that tomorrow and get back to you on the results.

I would hot wire the coil and jump the starter solenoid and see what happens.

Already tried that, no success.