I recently rustled up a new buggy for the wife and me. It lookd good and is structurally sound but the engine won't start. The guy who owned it before me got the motor from somewhere and we put it on but it has not run yet, and the motor had not run for quite awhile before he got it. I put new plugs, wires, distributor cap, and rotor button, and replaced the stock fuel pump with an electric job from NAPA. I rolled the #1 cylinder to TDC and then pointed the rotor button at #1, then replaced the wires in a 1-4-3-2 firing order. It has new gas in the tank and i've even tried ether to get it to start, but it just cranks and cranks and sometimes pops or puts a little puff of smoke out the exhaust. There is fire going to the plugs, as my brother-in-law found out the hard way by grabbing a wire =).

It seems to be flooding out with the new fuel pump so I tried just giving it a squirt, but that doesn't help. Any ideas?

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Ever wonder about they guy who first saw a chicken and said "i'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta that bird's ass"?

"Make it an offer it can't refuse"


The valves might be leaking from sitting. Have you tried adjusting the valves and checking the compression.

An electir fuel pump needs a regulator set to 3.5 psi. The stock one works best as it puts out 2.5-5 psi depending on RPM.

By now the plugs may be fuel fouled. Have you tried to static time it.

did you have it on compression stroke at TDC?

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Just Stand On It!!!!

Chris

Ok I didn't think about that, but if it's not at TDC on the compression stroke it will be about 180 degrees out of time, right? So how can I tell which is the compression stroke? Also the valves don't appear to be stuck because they appear to open and close ok. They might need a cleaning. How do I regulate the electric fuel pump to keep it from flooding out?

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Ever wonder about they guy who first saw a chicken and said "i'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta that bird's ass"?

To make sure its TDC on #1, make sure both those valves are closed. I usually shine a light down in the sparkplug hole to make sure I can see the top of the piston, or you can poke a piece of plastic, like a drinking straw, in there and feel for the piston. Hold onto the straw and slowly move the pulley back n forth and when the piston is at its highest, there's TDC. Not all pulleys are notched in the same place, and degreed pulleys can be off.

i usuall pull the coil wire and have sombody BARLY bump the engine over with starter while i hold my finger over spark plug hole until it starts building compresion and then stick something in the plug hole and role it over by hand till i get it at TDC

about fuel pressure i run an electric pump with one of the chrome adjustable regulators mounted right after pump and it works fine for me you can usually find them at most buggy shops or autozone and oriley type parts stores

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Just Stand On It!!!!

Chris

my buggy done this and it was the valves needed adjusted

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Brandon

remove the rockers,tourqe the heads,adjust the valves,be certain your at tdc on compresion stroke,and make sure plugs are not fouled. if you do that and your certain you have fuel and spark and it still won't start do a compresion test. this confirms weather all basics are in order or not.

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Turbocharged Ecotec,vanogon midshift,Berrien WoodsBuggy wagon.

dont put one of them chrome regulators on it,there junk,the little square fuel pumps put out 3 to 5 lbs,no need for a regulator

The Autojunks and O'Wronglys around here sell two different versions of those lil square facet style pumps. One is 3-5 psi, the other is 7-9.

I've had really good luck with the rotary pumps, but seen a couple of the square ones fail in the woods.

Ok so I know where to start now. I'll pull the jugs and check the rings first, and maybe give them a shot of PB Blaster, then maybe clean up the valves because they do look a little iffy. Torque everything down and adjust the valves, then double check that it's timed on the compression stroke. Then it should run...

Thanx for the help guys, i'll probably bug you a lot about this. Wife didn't like the idea of the buggy but now she's excited to go...

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Ever wonder about they guy who first saw a chicken and said "i'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta that bird's ass"?

Ok I jumped into it today and did all kinds of stuff to the buggy: loosen up the rings, turn it around to TDC on the compression stroke and set the time, then adjust the valves. And replaced the distributor bracket because the bolt was buggered and couldn't loosen it up. Changed the oil too. Been cranking on it for awhile and it's doing more than it did, but it's still not running. Throwing fire out the exhaust for 2 feet and popping like crazy and scaring the hell out of the dogs, but still not running. I checked the pipes and they're hot on #1, #2, and #4, but #3 is still cold so i'm guessing the rings are still stuck here or maybe no fire for some reason. I put half a can of PB Blaster in that one to soak overnight.

Am I still missing something? Should I go ahead and pull the jug on #3?

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Ever wonder about they guy who first saw a chicken and said "i'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta that bird's ass"?

Do a compresion check. pull all 4 plugs and crank engine over 4 to 5 revolutions for each cylinder and record readings. This is best way to tell if there is cylinder leakage,a timing problem,broken valve train,etc. A cheap comp tester should be available at parts store. This will lead you in a direction when your done.

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Turbocharged Ecotec,vanogon midshift,Berrien WoodsBuggy wagon.

make shore that the it firing at the plug you could have a lob gone on the distributor. stell sounds like it out of time
do you have the right nuber one cly dont get mad some people get it mix up so just asking

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here hold my beer and watch this shit!!!!!

I'm gonna double-check everything tomorrow. I got more compression when I did the PB Blaster treatment so maybe it will work again. For the valve adjustment, I put #1 at TDC on the compression stroke, then adjusted to .006, roll it CCW 1/2 turn then do #2, and so forth. I hope that's right, and if not please tell me the right way.

Hoping to avoid major surgery so i'll take any advice at this point...

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Ever wonder about they guy who first saw a chicken and said "i'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta that bird's ass"?

theres a guy that works on mine you can give a call he can tell you what it is i would say he works on my buggy and he has 2 or 3 bug himself if you want his # send me a msg

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Brandon

Its #1 at TDC with your rotor button pointing at #1 plug wire on distributor,adjust to .006",then 180 degrees ccw or 1/2 turn ccw, then do #4,then another 180 degrees or 1/2turn ccw to adjust #3, then another 180 degrees to adjust #1. 1-4-3-2 firing order .006" tight all around.

Ok thanks for the valve adjustment info. I went out day before yesterday and cranked it over, and although there's no more popping it still won't quite take off on its own. You can hear it hit and the motor speed up like it wants to run but when I let off the button it just dies. Pipes on all 4 cylinders are getting warm and there is some smoke coming out the exhaust.

I'm thinking about dragging it up the hill and trying to coast start it after I pull the jugs just to check the rings...

Yes it has brakes...

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Ever wonder about they guy who first saw a chicken and said "i'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta that bird's ass"?

Hippie has it right.
Engine runs CW looking at the pulley from behind.

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Gary

Turbo VW Sand Racer
Polaris Ranger



"If you don't run into the Devil every once in awhile, you must be going in the same direction!"

Davis Motorsports FaceBook Page

Yep cw it is ,sorry. Same sequence that i posted but in cw rotation.

did you check the rotation of the distributor rotor when you wired it up ?

if you wired it backwards 1 & 3 will still be right and try to hit and run but 2 & 4 will be crossed and trying to fire at the wrong time and cause popping and snapping

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Just Stand On It!!!!

Chris