Well, she WAS running, and now...nothing?

[Kytoaster]

So, I just picked up a 74 620 last weekend in "non running" condition.

Got her home, checked that I had spark to all 4 cylinders, checked the fuel system (Had a SUPER old fuel filter), and the air cleaner was amazingly in great shape. 

Swapped out the fuel filter and fuel lines, and she cranked right up! Adjusted the idle, and she was purring like a 41 year old kitten!

As I was adjusting the idle, I realized I only had about quarter of a gallon of fuel in her (they used radiator hose to connect the fuel filler neck to the gas tank, and it was full of holes, causing fuel to spill everywhere when I went to put gas in)...riiight about the time it ran completely out of fuel. I didn't try to start it until I changed the fuel filter and lines to avoid sucking up any gunk in the lines.


So, it ran out of fuel, backfired once, then died.


I replaced the "diy" Fuel filler hose, put more gas in, checked the glass plate to make sure there was fuel in the carb and filter, and cranked it over....it sounded like it was running on one, maybe two cylinders, then died again.

No problem, I pulled the plugs, which were super fouled from running rich.

Cleaned the plugs, put them back in, and started her up again. Same thing, barely ran, sounded like it was running on one or two cylinders, and died. 

I replaced the distributor vacuum line as it was just as old as the fuel line, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference. 

Short of adjusting the timing, ANY thoughts as to what could cause it from starting and idling, to not starting at all? 

I checked the fuel filter, I don't see any gunk at all, and the glass window on the carb shows that it's full of fuel. 

I couldn't even get it to start up with a healthy dose of starting fluid? 

Could the plugs just be beyond saving and need to be replaced?  I have no idea on the age of them, but judging from the shape she was in when I got her, they've been in there for quite some time. 

Any thoughts/suggestions are appreciated, I'm at a bit of a loss other than to start throwing money at it, and I'd much rather trouble shoot the problem than blindly buying things, hoping they work!

EDIT: PO just got back to me, he put a petronix electric point replacement kit on the distributor.

Here is the video of it running right after I changed out the fuel lines and filter. 

 

Edit, called the local hardware store and grabbed a set of ngk's, which ended up being champion's instead, because they didn't have the ngk's.

Swapped them in, set the idle screw back to factory spec, crossed my fingers and cranked her over.



And....she started RIGHT up!

I played with the idle and timing just a tiny bit, but she is idling like a happy fuel burning machine.

Video is uploading now, will post once it is finished.

Video is up:

[LenRobertson]

My first thought is fouled spark plugs. Sometimes when plugs get black and wet from raw gas, you can burn them off with a propane torch and they work okay. But I've had times I burned them off and still didn't have all four firing so ended up replacing them. If you had old stale gas in the tank that can lead to fouled plugs. Most guys favor running NGK plugs over common brands such as Autolite. This page gives NGK numbers: http://www.davidcmurphy.com/olddat/620tech2.htm#TS

 

But you  might be sure you have a good spark at the end of the plug wires when you crank it. If you aren't getting spark to the plugs you could end up fouling a new set of plugs.

 

Len

[banzai510(hainz)]

take the coil wire comming out of coil and place near ground and start truck see if sparks if so then the Pertronix is good.

Phoots would be nice to see the hook up and to the ballast resisitor to make sure its correct.

 

I would do a valve lash ck myself on any new rig I get.

 

just do a basic tightmness ck on the carb and intake manifold

 

 

I fixed a truck once with new spark plugs.

 

Think we told you to make sure gas is clean in another thread. But if clean might just be dirty needle valave in carb causing a flood condition

 

YOu need to run the shit out if it and get it to noral temp

[Kytoaster]

Will do^

Before I started it, I changed all the lines and I made sure to use a clear fuel filter, as well as draining all the fuel from the system so that I wouldn't potentially suck up anything nasty.

I'll post up some pictures of the Pertronix setup as soon as I get home.

I will probably pick up some new plugs as well, those poor things are nasty, even after cleaning them.

[Kytoaster]

Edit, unsure how to delete posts, moving to original post up top to keep things organized.

[banzai510(hainz)]

pertronix hook up is correct

 

red will go to the positive side ballast wheich is the blk wht stripe wire

Blk will go to the -side coil. DONE

 

try to time it better otherwise I would point toward the carb being just old. But ck the valve lash and misc other stuff mention before

 

Check for no Moronic Pevois owner did before? Like plug the carbk case ir soemthing dumb like that

 

Dont use autolite plugs are the taper on the threads are slightly differtn and may make it hard to get plugs out. Thats why we use NGKs Not sure on the Champions if the same but most dont use then anymore.

Even the V8 Dragster guys use the Jap plugs now

[Kytoaster]

This might be a weird question, but...my brake reservoir caps don't fit. Like, they refuse to screw down and lock. Being that the reservoir's are 40+ year old plastic, I'm not being super rough with them to try to get them to go on. 

Is there anywhere in particular you guys find replacement parts? The vacuum/rubber seals inside the caps are gone (One had actually managed to turn to complete goo inside the rear brake reservoir...that was fun.

[Draker]

rockauto.com for parts

[Buzzbomb]

Before I started it, I changed all the lines and I made sure to use a clear fuel filter, as well as draining all the fuel from the system so that I wouldn't potentially suck up anything nasty.

 

In your second video, at :43, it looks like one good speed bump and that fuel filter will fall right off, or worse, loosen up and leak gas all over a hot engine. The hoses need to go over the barbed ends as far up as they can go so as not to leak or possibly suck air. Maybe try this and see if changes the way it runs a little.

[datsunaholic]

This might be a weird question, but...my brake reservoir caps don't fit. Like, they refuse to screw down and lock. Being that the reservoir's are 40+ year old plastic, I'm not being super rough with them to try to get them to go on. 

 

Is there anywhere in particular you guys find replacement parts? The vacuum/rubber seals inside the caps are gone (One had actually managed to turn to complete goo inside the rear brake reservoir...that was fun.

 

I've only ever seen caps come with a new master cyl (many reman ones don't have reservoirs). 

 

The caps won't lock down with the rubber seals missing- they're too loose.

 

I've had the black goo as well.  It's caused by one of Japan's bad ideas in the 1970s- to make rubber softer, they didn't vulcanize it completely.  Made it nice and soft, but somewhere between 20-35 years, the rubber completely devulcanizes into a semi-liquid.  As did your cap seals.  And my cap seals.   And the drive belts in my Japanese tape decks.  If you thought getting black goo out of a brake reservoir was bad try getting it out of electronics.  Particularly the moving parts.

[Kytoaster]

In your second video, at :43, it looks like one good speed bump and that fuel filter will fall right off, or worse, loosen up and leak gas all over a hot engine. The hoses need to go over the barbed ends as far up as they can go so as not to leak or possibly suck air. Maybe try this and see if changes the way it runs a little.

 

Will do! The filter had 4-5 barbs on each end, but I'll move it up completely just to be sure. 

[Kytoaster]

I've only ever seen caps come with a new master cyl (many reman ones don't have reservoirs). 

 

The caps won't lock down with the rubber seals missing- they're too loose.

 

I've had the black goo as well.  It's caused by one of Japan's bad ideas in the 1970s- to make rubber softer, they didn't vulcanize it completely.  Made it nice and soft, but somewhere between 20-35 years, the rubber completely devulcanizes into a semi-liquid.  As did your cap seals.  And my cap seals.   And the drive belts in my Japanese tape decks.  If you thought getting black goo out of a brake reservoir was bad try getting it out of electronics.  Particularly the moving parts.

 

Ahh, well that explains a lot.  Time to start searching the interwebs for a master cyl set! 

 

Thanks!

 

Also....noooo....I had enough trouble sucking it through the MC and flushing with brake fluid..I can't imagine trying to get it out of a tape deck...

[Buzzbomb]

Will do! The filter had 4-5 barbs on each end, but I'll move it up completely just to be sure. 

 

Ahh.. So the end looked like this >>>> instead of this >. That explains it. As long as it's tight, it should be good. The filters I've used have all had only one end barb, and I was wondering how the heck your filter was even staying on there!