L18 Firing Order/Spark Wire Hookup?

[atkinson40]

Firing Order 1342. Correct??:confused:

 

[izzo]

depends on what year your l18 is, order 1 3 4 2 is right but where it goes is different i guess

 

Edited August 14, 2009 by h2theizzo

[banzai510(hainz)]

if motor is TDC and oil pump is lined up where your rorot locks down you will assign that as #1 then go Counter clock wise fire order 13 4 2

 

 

your foto is correct using a L16 dizzy.

you sure your rotor is at #1 at TDC.

 

try tunning the dist one way or the other.

 

make sure the valve lash is OK

Edited August 14, 2009 by banzai510(hainz)

[atkinson40]

depends on what year your l18 is, order 1 3 4 2 is right but where it goes is different i guess

 

 

I'm not sure what year my L18 is. :( It's a '72 620 with an L18 installed so I know its had an engine swap. Thanks Kevin

[atkinson40]

if motor is TDC and oil pump is lined up where your rorot locks down you will assign that as #1 then go Counter clock wise fire order 13 4 2

 

 

your foto is correct using a L16 dizzy.

you sure your rotor is at #1 at TDC.

 

try tunning the dist one way or the other.

 

make sure the valve lash is OK

 

I turned the dist back and forth with no change. Set the engine to TDC and here is the position of the rotor. I think its pointing at #1 cap position.

 

[izzo]

something you may want to check is the intake bolts, make sure its seated down good. if not and getting to much air it will backfire, when i put my weber on it wasnt completely seated all the way, and i was getting shitty runs and backfires thru the carb. just something to double check.

 

 

************edit************

cant tell because of the way the cap is sitting but it almost looks a tooth off, but could just be cuz of the way the cap is sitting. double check that too.

 

did you pull the oil pump drive shaft out when you did the head gasket or leave it in? Make sure while the engine is at TDC, pull the valve cover off and make sure first two lobes on the cam are at 10 and 2

Edited August 14, 2009 by h2theizzo

[atkinson40]

 

your foto is correct using a L16 dizzy.

 

 

Being a newb I'll assume "dizzy" means distrubutor. Could someone put an L16 "Dizzy" in an L18 engine?

[Jayden71]

Being a newb I'll assume "dizzy" means distrubutor. Could someone put an L16 "Dizzy" in an L18 engine?

 

Yes it can be done. I have an electronic L20B dizzy on my L16

[atkinson40]

 

************edit************

cant tell because of the way the cap is sitting but it almost looks a tooth off, but could just be cuz of the way the cap is sitting. double check that too.

 

did you pull the oil pump drive shaft out when you did the head gasket or leave it in? Make sure while the engine is at TDC, pull the valve cover off and make sure first two lobes on the cam are at 10 and 2

 

I didn't pull the oil pump drive shaft. Here's the cam lobe positions @ TDC.

 

[izzo]

and the chain lines up with the cam sprocket exactly as before you pulled it apart?

 

 

If so i would start checking for air leaks. intake... to much air and it will not fire or it will but run like crap and backfire thru the carb. if you have water coming out by the intake the bolts need to be double checked all of them, and make sure the NEW gasket is in there nice. that's all i can think of. maybe someone else knows more. but to me sounds like you have air being let in somewhere and its not firing cuz of that

[banzai510(hainz)]

are you getting spark at the end of the coil wire???????? place coil wire near the chasis and see if sparks when trying to spark, If not then the points might not be opening. Condensor grounded good?

 

If you have spark then I would ck to make sure the valve lash is good. Make sure you have about .008 intake and .010 exhauset. I just make sure the rockers are loose when the cam lobe points up then you know your intake is getting compressed and not shot out the intake/exhaust.

 

 

going tby the photos looks like the rotor dist is correct for a L16 distributor you have(yes its a L16 dizzy) and cam timming is correct also. If the sprocket "V" lines up with the dash on back of cam tower plate then its pretty much right on.

 

make sure your plugs are ok incase is suckes up water/anti freeze.

 

so ck valve lash

spark

 

gas goin in the carb? try pouring some in and see if it fires.

[atkinson40]

gas goin in the carb? try pouring some in and see if it fires.

 

I've removed the intake/exhaust headers and gooped and retightened the gasket/headers. No more leak.

 

I'm beginning to think maybe no gas. Normally if I look down the throat of a carb and pump the gas I can see a stream of gas going in the carb. I don't see this. Should I be seeing a stream of gas? Thanks Kevin

[atkinson40]

I haven't changed anything that would account for the change, but was able to get the motor to start and run very rough if I continually pump the gas pedal lightly. It won't idle or run correctly, but it will run rough as long as I lightly pump the pedal a bit. What are the carberator health checks I can perform? Thanks Kevin

[HRH]

I'll guarantee you it's not carb, it's timing. Tooth off or way out of adjustment.

 

Go back to square one. Pull #1 plug, observe piston at top dead center, and crank mark on pulley at 0 degrees. With that set, pull distributor and check oil pump drive spindle location. It should be about 11:30 position, in between the two distributor housing bolts, the small side of the circle facing towards the front of the motor.

 

If out of adjustment, remove oil pump and realign drive spindle, if correct, check where that location points, and put the distributor rotor at #1. If no adjustment, loosen 8 mm bolt at bottom of plate, and adjust that to get the amount of adjustment required.

[banzai510(hainz)]

Ill disagree wirth HRH on this one. HRH,He never removed the oil pump.

If your Cam sprocket is lined up correctly the V and the dash on the plate the cam is correct(when crank is at ZERO)

Im not a stock carb expert but if truck runs while your pressing the gas your running off the accell pump on the carb(gas squirtingwhen you cycle the linkage) so I would ck the idle jet. to see if plugged or maybe adjust the mixture screw with the brass tension spring at the base of carb. Maybe it has a ilde cut off selinoid wire that was to plug in(i dont know when they were installed on later datsuns as you migh might not have this)

If it was a weber I would have it about 1.5 turns from bottom(or all the way in)

Turn the mixture screw out in 1/2 turns and see if stays running. then fine tune it once you can get it to run by adjusting distributor and the carb.

 

 

 

dont give up this is a EZ fix

 

 

also I forgot to mention if you took the carb off the manifold sometimes esp with a weber DGV they have a updated thin carb adapter and they can crack the adpater which will cause no idle cuase its sucking threw the crack. seen this twice.

 

best always to remove the intake and carb as one pc not to break a seal.(not saying you did this)

Edited August 15, 2009 by banzai510(hainz)

[atkinson40]

If your Cam sprocket is lined up correctly the V and the dash on the plate the cam is correct(when crank is at ZERO)

 

I'm a bit confused about this V/Dash I see a notch in the cam sprocket(Actually 3) and one of them lines up with a "dash" on the cam tower. Not perfectly, maybe half the width of the dash off, but very close. Its the same now as when I removed the cam sprocket.

 

Im not a stock carb expert but if truck runs while your pressing the gas your running off the accell pump on the carb(gas squirtingwhen you cycle the linkage)

 

It runs VERY rough as I feather/pump up and down the pedal. I got a flashlight and was able to see a stream of gas going in the carb barrel as I slowly moved the pedal with the engine off.

 

Here's an image of the drive to the dizzy with the engine at TDC. I think its at 11:30

 

 

[atkinson40]

One of the points is adjusted to not work? I assume there's a reason?

 

 

Took off the Air Cleaner and took some photos. Maybe I did something dumb and it'll show up to those who know.

 

 

[banzai510(hainz)]

the main points will be near the valve cover. I think its a red/blk wire.

the sendondary set of points will use the smaller capcitor(condensor)I think its a yellow blk but look on olddatsuns.com.

 

I would say your cam sprocket is ok as when you ck it you dial it up to Zero on crank and keep the chain tite then look up at the V and dash on plate.

 

dist shaft look Ok to me.

 

adjust the points to about .020

the main point will have the bigger condensor hanging out side of it.

Your second set of points font kick in untill the trans is in 3rd gear. I persoanlluy would just pull the wire and not use it.

 

if in dought the V /dash is on olddatsuns.com on my vid the first 10 mins I show a book youll see it watch it.

[atkinson40]

going tby the photos looks like the rotor dist is correct for a L16 distributor you have(yes its a L16 dizzy) and cam timming is correct also.

 

When I go to the auto parts store what do I ask for when buying a cap/rotor/points group?

 

 

Currently the motor fires right up after sitting all night and runs good for about 5 secounds before I need to start pumping the gas pedal to keep it running roughly. What is the item in the below picture? Am I missing something?:(

 

 

I also have a mystery o-ring left over??? I don't remember where it came from but its been around since before I started any engine/head/intake-exhaust dismantle dismantle. Maybe air cleaner?:confused:

 

[atkinson40]

I thought I'd post an image of the climb to Tecate Mexico this pony will need to do once up and running. Tecate is about a 45 minute ride from me into the hills.:)

 

 

Here's the rest of the images of the house I'm working on.

 

http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f285/atkinson40/Tecate/

[HRH]

That O-ring is from the distributor housing. You need to put it back in or you'll start to ooze oil from the distributor base.

 

I dunno Hainz, I still think it sounds like timing to me [edit wait, now I see where he didn't change anything just re-torqued the head?]. But those crappy looking points will certainly add to the problem. Personally I'd huck those things in a heartbeat and get an electronic matchbox or Pertronix unit, but I suppose I have "lots" of money to spend on my Datsun, Ratsun-speaking. :)

 

If you're on a budget, just go down and get a points set and a condensor. Re gap and see what happens.

 

Did you check the fuel filter and or fuel pump?

[atkinson40]

That O-ring is from the distributor housing. You need to put it back in or you'll start to ooze oil from the distributor base.

 

Thanks HRH. I think ring has been around since before I pulled the Dizzy, but I'll pull it out again and see if it fits in there somewhere.

 

I dunno Hainz, I still think it sounds like timing to me [edit wait, now I see where he didn't change anything just re-torqued the head?].

 

I did rings and head gasket, but have been over the timing issue pretty well. It starts right up and runs fine for about 5 secounds and dies.

 

If you're on a budget, just go down and get a points set and a condensor. Re gap and see what happens.

 

I'll do that but the truck being a mute confuses me about what set of points to ask for. Hence my question above.

 

Did you check the fuel filter and or fuel pump?

 

I pulled the gas hose to the carb and it spurts out gas as I turn over the engine. Thanks Kevin

[Buzzbomb]

I did rings and head gasket, but have been over the timing issue pretty well. It starts right up and runs fine for about 5 secounds and dies.

 

As h2theizzo said, you might have a massive vacuum leak. When I did my headgasket, I had the exact same problem you are describing. I retorqued the intake...with a torque wrench to 12 ft.lbs...and it solved the problem. I had to keep hitting the gas to keep the truck running, and then it sounded like it was loading up. FWIW, I didn't "goop" anything on the intake. I cleaned it as well as I could, and put the intake gasket on dry. If you have a leak on the exhaust ports, it won't cause this problem.

 

If you have a vacuum gauge, stick it on manifold vacuum, if you don't have one, rent one, borrow one, or buy one. This simple tool will eliminate A LOT of guesswork, and more than likely will point to a vacuum leak as your problem. Either way it will give you some idea of where to look.

Edited August 18, 2009 by Buzzbomb

[yello620]

It starts right up and runs fine for about 5 secounds and dies. Thanks Kevin

 

A timing problem would not be starting right up and running good.

 

It is running out of fuel or getting to much air(vacuum leak).:D

[atkinson40]

If you have a vacuum gauge, stick it on manifold vacuum, if you don't have one, rent one, borrow one, or buy one. This simple tool will eliminate A LOT of guesswork, and more than likely will point to a vacuum leak as your problem. Either way it will give you some idea of where to look.

 

I think I do have a vacuum gauge. I can put it on. I wonder if me needing to continually feather the gas pedal and the engine running rough will cause it to read wrong. :confused: