Help!! Engine Miss

Alan Roehrich · 09-09-2011, 08:00 PM

How long between when the engine was on the dyno and running well, and when it was put in the car and fired up?

Did you flush all of the old fuel and crap out of the fuel system on the car before you hooked it back up to the carburetor?

Ben Kallies · 09-09-2011, 08:36 PM

Alan,

The engine was on the dyno in late December 2010. I didn't do anything with the fuel system since 2008. Just 10 gallons of fresh race gas, and probably about 2 gallons of 2008 gas. I guess if I had a fuel issue, I'd expect to have issues with staring as well, and that's not the case - It fires right up. Do you disagree?
I've looked over the new switch wiring, and I don't see anything that stands out.

Greg,

The Carb was rebuilt in 2008 and ran great on the dyno. I'd be very surprised to find something wrong with it.

Thanks for brainstorming with me. Keep 'em coming.

-Ben

krugracing12 · 09-09-2011, 09:04 PM

A while back I had an interference issue in a dragster with the green/violet wires to the distributor. It would ghost fire and break up. We moved the wires outside the frame away from everything else, it ran fine. We replaced the green/violet wires with a shielded cable and it was fine.

voltdr · 09-09-2011, 10:44 PM

Check to see if the polarity of the wires to the distributor have been crossed. Will limit RPM.

Ben Kallies · 09-10-2011, 08:22 AM

Krugracing12 - I had previously heard of others having the same interference proble,, so when I installed the new MSD, I ran the coil wires outside the car, direct to the coil to eliminate the possibility of the interference problem that you're speaking of. Thanks for your 2 cents.

-Ben

Ben Kallies · 09-10-2011, 08:25 AM

Voltdr - The MSD distributor connector is notched so that it can only be installed one way, eliminating the possibility of a polarity issue. Thanks.

-Ben

Jeff Goss · 09-10-2011, 10:03 AM

Any Ground straps not put back on? Sounds like it could be a grounding issue.

Good luck!

randy wilson · 01-25-2012, 10:40 AM

Look at the ground, it will be the problem. You may have to ground it in several places, and also, put a timing light on the motor in the car, rev it up to peak, and see if the timing moves. If it does, it is a ground.

Tony Curcio · 01-26-2012, 11:15 PM

I've been watching this for a while, scratchin my head. Here's my guess:

Water in the fuel would start and idle fine, and it would struggle to rev up. I see you drained the fuel and replaced it in October 2011, but does the fuel cell have foam in it? If so, moisture could be retained in there, which would blend with new fuel instantly.

You mentioned that you " ..pulled the plugs a number of times and I don't see anything that screams out as being an offending cylinder". Does this mean you tried pulling the plug wires off at the cap one at a time, with the engine running, to listen for one that doesn't cause the engine to drop off?

MEXJOE · 06-01-2012, 10:06 AM

How about the neutral safety switch?

09-09-2011, 08:00 PM	#1
Alan Roehrich Veteran Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Murfreesboro TN Posts: 5,116 Likes: 1,573 Liked 1,831 Times in 415 Posts	Re: Help!! Engine Miss How long between when the engine was on the dyno and running well, and when it was put in the car and fired up? Did you flush all of the old fuel and crap out of the fuel system on the car before you hooked it back up to the carburetor? __________________ Alan Roehrich 212A G/S

09-09-2011, 08:36 PM	#2
Ben Kallies Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 107 Likes: 2 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Help!! Engine Miss Alan, The engine was on the dyno in late December 2010. I didn't do anything with the fuel system since 2008. Just 10 gallons of fresh race gas, and probably about 2 gallons of 2008 gas. I guess if I had a fuel issue, I'd expect to have issues with staring as well, and that's not the case - It fires right up. Do you disagree? I've looked over the new switch wiring, and I don't see anything that stands out. Greg, The Carb was rebuilt in 2008 and ran great on the dyno. I'd be very surprised to find something wrong with it. Thanks for brainstorming with me. Keep 'em coming. -Ben

09-09-2011, 09:04 PM	#3
krugracing12 Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 171 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Help!! Engine Miss A while back I had an interference issue in a dragster with the green/violet wires to the distributor. It would ghost fire and break up. We moved the wires outside the frame away from everything else, it ran fine. We replaced the green/violet wires with a shielded cable and it was fine.

09-09-2011, 10:44 PM	#4
voltdr Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 706 Likes: 77 Liked 100 Times in 51 Posts	Re: Help!! Engine Miss Check to see if the polarity of the wires to the distributor have been crossed. Will limit RPM.

09-10-2011, 08:22 AM	#5
Ben Kallies Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 107 Likes: 2 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Help!! Engine Miss Krugracing12 - I had previously heard of others having the same interference proble,, so when I installed the new MSD, I ran the coil wires outside the car, direct to the coil to eliminate the possibility of the interference problem that you're speaking of. Thanks for your 2 cents. -Ben

09-10-2011, 08:25 AM	#6
Ben Kallies Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 107 Likes: 2 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Help!! Engine Miss Voltdr - The MSD distributor connector is notched so that it can only be installed one way, eliminating the possibility of a polarity issue. Thanks. -Ben

09-10-2011, 10:03 AM	#7
Jeff Goss Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Burlington, WA Posts: 361 Likes: 1 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Help!! Engine Miss Any Ground straps not put back on? Sounds like it could be a grounding issue. Good luck!

01-25-2012, 10:40 AM	#8
randy wilson Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: N/A Posts: 882 Likes: 0 Liked 22 Times in 22 Posts	Re: Help!! Engine Miss Look at the ground, it will be the problem. You may have to ground it in several places, and also, put a timing light on the motor in the car, rev it up to peak, and see if the timing moves. If it does, it is a ground. __________________ don,t have one

01-26-2012, 11:15 PM	#9
Tony Curcio Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: West Chester, PA Posts: 271 Likes: 1 Liked 4 Times in 1 Post	Re: Help!! Engine Miss I've been watching this for a while, scratchin my head. Here's my guess: Water in the fuel would start and idle fine, and it would struggle to rev up. I see you drained the fuel and replaced it in October 2011, but does the fuel cell have foam in it? If so, moisture could be retained in there, which would blend with new fuel instantly. You mentioned that you " ..pulled the plugs a number of times and I don't see anything that screams out as being an offending cylinder". Does this mean you tried pulling the plug wires off at the cap one at a time, with the engine running, to listen for one that doesn't cause the engine to drop off? __________________ Tony Curcio 1860 STK

06-01-2012, 10:06 AM	#10
MEXJOE Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: nhranumbers.com Posts: 875 Likes: 137 Liked 165 Times in 51 Posts	Re: Help!! Engine Miss How about the neutral safety switch?

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