253 won't start

[Natstar]

Hey fellas,

Ok so my bro's Wb started playing up a couple of weeks ago now i'm running out of options. Just so you know we put some fuel line cleaner in then the problems started from there . The old girl runs occasionally but a Bitch to get going then runs like crap and dies out. Replaced the fuel filter and have just cleaned out the Qjet carby out but still nothing. Fuel is definitely getting through so theres no blockage making me think it's got nothing to do with the fuel lines.

The coil is almost new with new leads and dizzy cap (elect dizzy)
Starter motor is not that old either.

The only thing i'm left with is the plugs which I haven't checked yet but almost know it can't be them (could be wrong). Is there anything i'm missing?

When we turn it over it does fire but dies out straight away.

Any advice?

[bjwynd]

maybe its getting to much fuel now and flooding might have been tuned with half blocked lines ect

[Krisp]

or the choke. does it die when you have the accerator pedal on

[ari666]

I haven't checked yet but almost know it can't be them

lol, famous last words

[Natstar]

Doesn't die when I accelerate...Can't even get that far! I will be checking all plugs tonight but the reason I say I don't think its them is they're not that old and up until about two months ago it was running fine. I have amnually played with the choke when trying to start but nothing. It seems like it wants to start thats the thing thats driving me nuts!

[DerekP]

Are you getting a strong & consistent spark? Got water in your tank? Have the plugs fouled as a result of cleaning the fuel lines? Maybe check the float and pin in the quaddy also.

[Tree cutter]

Could be a crook ignition switch. When you have the key in the position for the starter to run you get battery voltage to the coil, to help it start but as soon as you let the key go back to the on position you should have ouly 9 volts to the coil. The run position on the switch burns out sometimes so you have no power to the coil at the on position. You need to undo three bolts that hold the steering column to the dash so it drops down so you can get to the switch. the switch is bolted half way down the steering column and has a thin metal rod connecting it to the key mechanism. If you go to the wreckers for another one, then any Holden from HQ to WB will be the same also LH or LX Torana will fit.

[Natstar]

lol, famous last words

Ok so in my mechanical wisdom I forgot to mention that the exhaust had recently been replaced and had come off at the manifold. Once I checked the first plug I realised that yes it had been getting crap up the manifold and all over the sparks from the loads of rain we have been getting. Replaced the plugs and fired straight away.

The problem I have now and this has been happening for a while but seems to have become worse is the car chokes when I accelerate. When I cleaned out the carby I reset the idle mixture screws to about 2 full turns out so i'm hoping if I turn them out further the choking will stop. Although from what I have read they only affects the idle but would this count when I accelerate? If i drive like a little old granny it drives fine but just can't accelerate?

[ari666]

messing with the idle mixtures will just mess with the idle mixtures. its such a hit and miss game that i wouldnt bother. getting them right means you have to get them within a 16th of a turn. if you want to play with the carby i would recomend getting yourself a vacuum guague, timing light and tacho. there are whole kits for 100 or so bucks and using them all at the same time is the only way to get it right.

starting from post #6 there is a little guide to tuning: how to rebuild/ modify quadrajets (also vac hose diagram)

i stress again, there is literally no point messing with the idle screws if you have not set your timing and got yourself a good vac guage. it'd be 1000 to 1 odds on you lucking it and getting it right. and setting idle mixtures should be the last thing in a whole long list (spark plug gaps, coil, leads, timing etc) of things to check.

[SL/ENUT]

Sounds like a timing issue.

[Natstar]

Thanks Ari666 i'll be leaving the carby alone for now. It's idling fine so no point changing it. I am hoping I found the problem but not having the right tools kinda sucks. I tested the spark plugs last night to see if its giving a weak spark and basically to get it to spark at all I had to hold it directly on the rocker cover so i'm now thinking it is a weak spark. They also looked quite good, no black soot on them but a healthy red colour so i have eliminated fuel is the issue. The dizzy cap looks pretty crap inside so I tried to sand it down with no luck. Would be easier if I had a volt meter to be sure but my thoughts are that when its under load and the rotor is spinning faster its not arcing correctly hence the choking when I accelerate. Either way it won't hurt to replace the cap anyway but would this cause the issues or just be part of the problem? It's electronic BTW.

[ari666]

yeah mate, change the cap and rotor button. even the smallest amounts of that white crap in there and i ditch them. sanding does help, but it increases the gap between rotor and button which decreases the spark at the plug.

i also suggest buying a cheap-o crap ebay dizzy cap and button. they are smaller and cheaper than the large cap bosch, and when i say cheaper i mean CHEAPER. think a cap and button will set you back 15-20 bucks, whereas the large bosch cap alone was 30 bucks last time i checked. but the big plus is that you have more room around your dizzy which means you have more scope for turning it.

just my opinion, im sure others will disagree.

[bjwynd]

actualy coils are lazy and thats why they have a gap without a gap the coil dosent produce that much amps to increace the amps they give them a gap wich makes the coil produce more amps and gives more spark how do i know this is my partners uncle is a mecanic

[ari666]

how do i know this is my partners uncle is a mecanic

so what you are saying is having a larger gap inside the rotor cap is actually better???


riiiiight...

[Cane_It]

bet it's the coil....
seen it a 1000 times before, dodgy coils always feel like a carb / fuel issue under acceleration.