D14 starting issue. UPDATE

Having problems getting a 149 started. Engine has new points and condenser, have tried three different carburetors, new wiring, new ignition switch, defiantly getting fuel, very close on timing, new wires and plugs. Engine will fire off while cranking engine very quickly but dies immediately. Have checked to make sure it is getting fire to the coil/distributor in the cranking position and the run position, both are doing what they need to do. What am I missing?


Edited by AJ - 22 Feb 2017 at 8:27pm

desertjoe wrote:    Hey AJ,,,sounds like you might have a "short" in the ignition switch that loses contact when you let the key go after it starts,,,try "ole Shameless Trick" and hot wire it,,and then jump across the starter solenoid contacts to crank it,,,,,

I have checked current to the distributor and coil during cranking and running. It has constant power. I even tried to run a wire directly from the battery to the coil and had no difference.

Pretty sure the ballast resistor is inside my coil on this one. Ignition switch has no two wires on the same terminal.

Put an ammeter in series with the power to the ignition system. Break connection between coil- and dist points, put ammeter in series there. With ignition ON, and points closed( bump to get them closed) ,you should read 4 Amps on the meter ( say 3.5-4.5). That would be normal. Any less and coil won't make a good spark, any excess and the points will burn...
Now IF the coil is a 12 volt WITH internal resistor AND you still have the original ballast resistor ( on plate with fuse...) then you'll NOT have enough power(amps) going to the coil. You'll get 1-2 bangs then nada...
I've rewired my D-14s to supply solid 12V from switch to coil+, coil- to resistor, to dist points. Makes it easy to check and never had resistor go bad out there.

Jay

Have you tried pull starting it. ? Darrel

SFSutton wrote: I realize you just installed a new condenser, I'm suggesting replacing it.

Took the distributor out of a running engine (because I didn't want to waist anytime, just want trying to figure out if the engine is crap or not)  and it did the same thing with the old condenser and points as the new ones.

darrel in ND wrote: Have you tried pull starting it. ? Darrel

Have not tried pull starting it yet, seems it should run with the way it acts. I mean it starts when you're cranking it.

Already did the jumper wire. Same results.

Roll the engine over by hand to the FIRE line in the timing hole at #1 TDC. Then with the coil wire off the distributor and the ign switch on, rotate the distributor against the direction the rotor turns slowly until you get a spark from the coil wire. This will get your timing very close to where it should be. If your problem is timing this should get you running.

   Hey AJ,,,as you well know,,,engine has to have two things to run,,,fire and fuel,,,, running a jumper from positive of battery to positive of coil should give you fire,,,so have your can of starting fluid ( WD-40 is better) handy and see if it will keep running while  sprayin into carb inlet ,,,,I'll bet you  a quarter it will stay runnin,,,,,

You replaced the wires?  Check to make sure they are on the correct plug and coming from the correct post on the cap.  Also they should be copper wires.

     AHA,,,,,,,!!! we're gettin closer all the time,,,,
     You are correct in that the LPG engines did have higher compression ratios ( 9-1 Vs 8-1 for the gasoline mainly due to the lower BTU value of the propane. I do not remember if the different timing setting was specified in the book I had,, but I did wind up havin to set the timing on the 1963 D15 SeriesII LPG "advanced" by about 4 degrees (if I remember right)
    I have always set the timing on all my stuff based on how the engine sounds when reving it up, as well as how easy it starts but always leaning towards setting it more advanced than not as long as it doesn't make for hard starts or get into pre-ignition. The LPG 160 in that tractor liked the 4° advance real good.
   Using gasoline in that LPG engine would be "richer" than the LPG but hard to believe that engine will not stay runnin just cause of the different fuels,,,,,has to be something in the carb you're using,,,,?
   What you have similated is an old Hot Rodder trick to raise the compression ratio  for added horsepower but the carb is just not keeping up with the fuel demands of the engine. I'm puzzled that you say, that you have to hold the choke " almost all the way "open"  for it to keep runnin,,,???
 Having to hold choke partially "closed" is indication of engine starving for fuel,,,,?

Check intake for a leak where it is sucking in air. This would explain why you have to richen up the mixture to get it to run and also explain why three different carbs did the same thing.

I will do some inspecting Stan, thanks.