SOrry bout the long title, but i'm about at the end of my rope here. We've had the engine in for about 48 hopurs and can't get the ******* thing to start. It's a half bridge from Atkins with a weber 48 IDA sitting on the side. We can get it t6o turn and such, but when it does start it dies of quickly. We've tried ******* around with the air fule ratios and the idle, but we're now at a loss. ANY help would be great. The sooner the better.

 

check + terminal on coils

 

Maybye you could try roll starting it

 

The idle screwes won't have much to do with that. Are you sure you have your timing set right. The TDC is going to be slightly different on a bridgey than on a stock port...i would assume the same for the half bridge.

 

Sounds like a fuel delievery problem, is your fuel getting to the carb? IS the fuel pump running?

 

ok we are getting MORE then enough fuel, i mean a lot of fuel, i actually think it's flooding the engine.plugs, wires, rotor, cap coils are all BRAND new and the dizzie and ignitors are all in good shape.
How would i go about setting the timing? I know hopw to work it for stock port, but if the timinig is diff for a brdige, how would i find out?

 

I have read many times to roll start a new engine.

Can't hurt.

 

Your Weber only needs 2.5-3.0 psi of fuel pressure.


The Holley 804 fuel pressure regulator is the one you need (1-4psi).


Mine is set at 3.0psi.

 

Again, roll start it. Get another car to push you up to a decent speed and drop it into second.

 

actually a 'neater' way is with a tow rope and pull start it with another car. messes up less things.

dale

 

Yeah, roll start is sometimes required for a new/rebuilt engine. For any car. I don't know why, but that's the way it is. Best is to tow start.

B

 

hmmm, i was thinking of pull starting it, but i only thought it was for when the engine is cranking fast enough. Now if i pull start it is there any chance of damaging anything? if so what? We had to pull start my car last year when we put in the street ported engine. Also, if i pull start it, will it start up agian next time off the key? Thanx for all the advice, i'll try the pull startin thing tomorrow.

 

another vote for pull start. after you get it running it SHOULD restart fairly easily

 

call atkins

 

sounds like electrical probs to me. double check everything and make sure power is actually getting to the points
DAVE

 

before push starting the car, put new plugs and pour a small amount of gas in the carb. otherwise, to play it safe, take the carb out and remove all jets, venturies out and clean it with brake cleaner and compressed air.

Yes, you are getting gas but not at idle. this is a common problem if the carb hasnt been used for quite sometime, especially if you dont clean the carb for storage. old gas becomes a varnish and cloggs the transition.

 

Yeah, it's a new carb, we have taken the carb apart, cleaned it made sure everything was top notch. We're prolly gonna pull start it today. We've replaced all the plugs, dizzy cap wires coils and so on, thanx for the help, let you kniow how it goes.

 

(sorry , long suggestion)
I cant see how roll starting will solve anything other than either a starter prob or that the ignition wiring is cactus.
If it wont start, get back to basics, pull the plugs, turn it over to clear it out. Check the accel pump in the carb works.
Put in plugs that you know will fire, better still before you put the plugs in , connect all the plugs to leads, turn off the light and try the ignition and check all plugs are sparking. (easy at night time...)
IF that is ok, then put the engine right on the timing mark and pull out the dizzy - check the marks on the dizzy are lined up, reinstall with great care with the timing on the engine at 0deg and the dizzy with both timing marks lining up. THe engine can fire and run with the teeth out by a cog. Not well... but it can run (just avoid hills...)
Check your fuel flow pressure is LOW enough. (start the pump and ensure no fuel is dripping into the engine).

OK - now you should be ready to fire it.
Take off the air filter, find a syringe (big 5/10cc sucker) and fill it with petrol (pouring a little petrol or squirting it in is good but the syringe can really meter it in nicely).
Squirt a good couple of cc's into each throat and refill the syringe. Then make sure you have safety goggles on (in case of backfire through the carb) and start or have someone else, start it . Only use the throttle on the carb as its firing, it should start, or want to, if it does, keep squirting in petrol into each throat to keep it idling while using your other hand to turn the throttle to get some airflow. If your ignition wiring is ok You can keep it running with NO fuel flow from the tank, all juice metered in my hand.
I've found this creates vacuum that helps draw fuel through the carb. Great for stuffed gaskets, reluctant metering, etc.
Just be real careful with the petrol...

 

IDA's are actually meant to run on 4.5psi. Go lower than that and it can start to lean out at high speeds.

 

My IDA is set at 5.5 @ WOT since my fuel bowl is not modified.

 

I was just going by what the Weber customer service told me.


It is probably a little different on a half bridge, compared to my mild streetport.

 

make sure it's getting spark. unplug spark plug wires from the plug and put the metal ends next to a good metal contact, I like the four nut and bolts for the strut tower tops. crank car and make sure each wire is getting spark.

set timing? just set it to factory specs to get it running. pull distributor, align the round dot on the distributor gear to the alignment mark on the distributor body. turn engine until 0 degree mark on pulley lines up with timing needle. slide distributor in there careful not to bump it in the process.

dies before ideling could be a vaccuum leak. check the brake booster hose it needs to be on the intake manifold tight; check carb gaskets too.

i didn't need to pull start my brand new tight tolerenced 12a J bridge with ceramic apex seals which increase compression higher than carbon or steel. to the point that the starter has to work extra hard to turn her over. rob @ pineapple says that's the NORM.

set the carb's idle fuel jet and mixture screw to slightly richer than a streetport motor. i'm using size 88 idle fuel jets in my dellorto dhla on the j-bridge. not 100% sure that's the BEST size but it's better than the 80 and 85's I've tried so far.

best of luck!