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Contributor
Location: Prescott, AZ | Finally getting around to updating this thread and my starting issues. Sorry for the delay but while waiting for some parts I ended up starting other projects. So, with new wires, plugs, rotor and cap I attempted to start her this morning. Fired right up, but died soon as I pressed the pedal. Couple more attempts with same results. At least now it was firing. It seemed like it was flooding so I took off the Holley sight plug and fuel flowed out for a few seconds. Clearly the bowl was full. I also noticed some fuel seeping from back bowl.
Anyway it appears my original issue was caused by fouled plugs as Bill suggested. Never thought to look at them since they were just installed and it had run so nice initially. So I ended up pulling the carb off today and after some quick research found this model was outfitted in early 80's Fords. This one clearly has seen better days so have decided to retire it and look for an alternative.
Thanks to all that offered advice! |
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Contributor
Location: Prescott, AZ | On further review...
Well changing out carbs made no difference. In fact there wasn't even a hint of catching, whereas when I last tried with the Holley it was attempting to catch. So after I verified I was getting fuel I went back to look at ignition. Because I knew I had good spark at the coil and weak at the plugs I decided to pull the distributor.
First sign of trouble was some red dust on the reluctor. Next when I spun the reluctor I noticed most of the teeth were hitting the pickup. About 3 teeth had what looked like the right gap but the rest were touching. Clearly uneven wear. Checked the pickup and it was tightened down. Next I noticed I had some horizontal play in the reluctor and more vertical play. So I had a problem reluctor, maybe a bad bearing in the dizzy and possibly a bad pickup. Maybe all three. So I decided to donate this one to Waste Management and just get a new one. New one came today, set the gap on the reluctor, stuck it in the hole, capped it and advanced it about an 1/8 of an inch from TDC. It started before I had time to sit my butt in the seat. Mystery solved. It idled nicely for about 30 minutes. Fine tune timing and fuel this weekend. |
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Elite Veteran
 
Location: Medford, OR | I knew it was your distributor.. Glad she's runnin |
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Extreme Veteran
Location: Ignacio Colorado | Little known distributor maintenance for the 440... Once a year, or at least when you change your spark plugs, it is important to pull the distributor cap and take hold of the rotor. Twist it back an forth to check for easy movement of the advance mechanism. Sometimes the distributor gets forgotten for so long that the advance gums up or gets very sluggish. Remove the rotor and put 2-3 drops of oil down the hollow shaft the rotor fits over. There is a piece of felt down inside that will soak up the oil and lube between the two shafts. Reinstall the rotor and check the movement again. If you happen to have the distributor out of the engine you can also look down through the breaker plate and see where the 2 advance weights hinge on pins. These pin/hinges also need to have a (one) drop of lube once in a while. Most of the FMCs are probably way overdue for this service. When you are holding onto the rotor do not worry about a small amount of up/down movement. It is in the design. There is a small clip down in the shaft under the felt that holds the top shaft to the main one. They are designed to have some up and down movement. Not like newer chevy distributor/cam sensors. Any movement means they are toast.
Bill |
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Administrator
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado | hold my feet, honey, i'm going in for the distributor cap! |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Victoria, BC. Canada | A-a-a-g-g-h-h... too much butt-crack Jimmy! Pull yer drawers up! :-) |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | Good advise bill...IM DROPPING INNNNNNnnnnnnn......Hello?...It's so dark in here... I'm scared!!! |
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Contributor
Location: Prescott, AZ | Thanks! Yes you did. In hindsight I should have dug deeper but I had so many other issues going on I had hoped if it was ignition it was wires, cap, rotor or plugs. The plus side of this is I removed a problematic carb.
dkarnath - 2015-06-19 10:49 PM
I knew it was your distributor.. Glad she's runnin |
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Contributor
Location: Prescott, AZ | Thanks for the maintenance tips Bill. To your point, the felt under my rotor was pancaked and dry. Doesn't look like it was maintained in awhile, if at all.
Vincente
B. Sitton - 2015-06-20 7:56 AM
Little known distributor maintenance for the 440... Once a year, or at least when you change your spark plugs, it is important to pull the distributor cap and take hold of the rotor. Twist it back an forth to check for easy movement of the advance mechanism. Sometimes the distributor gets forgotten for so long that the advance gums up or gets very sluggish. Remove the rotor and put 2-3 drops of oil down the hollow shaft the rotor fits over. There is a piece of felt down inside that will soak up the oil and lube between the two shafts. Reinstall the rotor and check the movement again. If you happen to have the distributor out of the engine you can also look down through the breaker plate and see where the 2 advance weights hinge on pins. These pin/hinges also need to have a (one) drop of lube once in a while. Most of the FMCs are probably way overdue for this service. When you are holding onto the rotor do not worry about a small amount of up/down movement. It is in the design. There is a small clip down in the shaft under the felt that holds the top shaft to the main one. They are designed to have some up and down movement. Not like newer chevy distributor/cam sensors. Any movement means they are toast.
Bill |
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Veteran
Location: Olympia, Washington | Finally got around to #506's no spark condition, it was indeed the ignition module! #506 runs again now I can install the rest of the tuneup parts. |
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Administrator
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado | That happened to me one morning when trying to leave the Grand Titons (was that 2008?). A friendly fellow at the campground office gave me a lift to town, I bought a new module, walked back to camp and we were on the road in 15 minutes. One more thing of which I should really carry a spare. (belts, u-bolts, now a water pump, fuel filter, geez! perhaps our late friend, Leslie Hoagland, is channeling thru me. He always carried a second carborator for high altitudes) |
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440 quit!
