Crank no start 1972 440

[marty koirtyohann]

While I agree with the good advise given here, let me tell you what happened to me about 45 years ago.
I had a 63 Windsor, with a tired 383. A friend had it out and he called to tell me the timing chain had jumped. He said a "mechanic" had checked it out. We towed the car home and when I was changing the very loose chain, I realized it had not jumped. In the end I learned that the engine had been flooded and the cylinder walls washed down. Solution was to remove the plugs, squirt some engine oil in each cylinder, spin the engine and install the plugs. The engine then started and, after the oil smoke cleared, it ran well.
Just in case it might be useful. Lindsay

u got lucky

 

[rags]

u got lucky

more like skill, experience, wisdom.

 

[Imperial_Eagle_72]

I guess that my baffling methods have resulted in a step forward…



I still have work to do under the hood to do to get it to do more than sputter but I can now focus on the engine in earnest.

 

[Boydsdodge]

Don"t run the starter that long, Four cranks rest, four cranks rest.
Sounds like your battery is low, or you have a few corroded connections along the line to starter.
Clean connections will go a long way to deliver better power. You need to get that engine spinning faster.
Keep a battery charger hooked up while you work so you have a good crank when you're ready.

 

[Imperial_Eagle_72]

That starter will be removed and rebuilt. The battery is not low. It has a trickle charger on it all the time.

 

[marty koirtyohann]

I guess that my baffling methods have resulted in a step forward…



I still have work to do under the hood to do to get it to do more than sputter but I can now focus on the engine in earnest.

sounds to me like its out of time is it getting fuel?

 

[Imperial_Eagle_72]

It was very out of time. I had to retard the timing a lot to get it to sputter. As I suspected everything I have done is good including my wire placement on the distributor cap. I ran out of time before it got cold out so I will get back to it next weekend.

Of course it has fuel. I dumped some down the carburetor myself. I’m not going to run the fuel system on the car. It’s full of varnish.

 

[marty koirtyohann]

It was very out of time. I had to retard the timing a lot to get it to sputter. As I suspected everything I have done is good including my wire placement on the distributor cap. I ran out of time before it got cold out so I will get back to it next weekend.

Of course it has fuel. I dumped some down the carburetor myself. I’m not going to run the fuel system on the car. It’s full of varnish.

ok it sounds like to me its kicking back that tells me & some point in the past it jumped time is # 1 on TDC when it sould be ? of its not then it jumped time &u probable need a tiiming set , chain & gears I WOULD PUT A DOUBE ROW SET . BUT THAT ME TOO. when i do a timing set thars all i use . but not being there its hard to tell but it sounds to me like its kicking back

 

[Imperial_Eagle_72]

It’s not kicking back. It’s just not running on all cylinders. I need to redo 7 and 8. I’m sure there are many things to adjust yet.

Sounds like you have a Johnson to do a timing chain.