car refuses to run

[rdrunning]

I am stumped, this all started last week when the distributor slung its self apart. It destroyed the button and the cap, upon inspection the bushings were gone allowing the shaft to rise up. when it ate the cap all sorts of stuff came down into the distributor and destroyed it.

I replaced the distributor and all corresponding parts and it ran for a couple of minutes so i called it a day. the following monday i tried to start the car and it backfired like a 12ga..no start.. With the distributor all the way advanced it almost starts but quickly dies.

i have replaced everything that i can think of, the regulator, the ecm, the resistor etc.

i have checked the plugs and wires and gone over the firing order 50 times..

i have tried the distributor 180* out . i have moved the distributor back and forth in its range of motion many times and still nothing, it either backfires like hell or it almost starts then backfires.

i have also returned all of the replaced parts TWICE just incase i got a bum one.

is it possible that something has changed internally that is keeping the timing from out. like jumped time?

a family member moved the car over the weekend and i don't know how it was treated or what happened to cause this.

i have spark/fuel/compression

sorry for rambling on, I'm am trying to gather my thoughts

 

[Hemi Rebel]

What are we working on?

 

[rdrunning]

1973 roadrunner 400 electronic ignition. That info would have been helpful in the first post!

 

[Cranky]

How many miles are on the motor and did you find TDC and verify it with the timing mark on the balancer?

 

[rdrunning]

#1 tdc and rotor pointing at #1, the timing mark was just past middle on the timing indicator above the balancer

 

[old_skool]

#1 tdc and rotor pointing at #1, the timing mark was just past middle on the timing indicator above the balancer

When you hit it with a timing light, are you able to set it at 0(zero) degrees timing, if the light is too far off and wants to die before you can twist the distributor that far, it may be a tooth off-the distributor that is. That's not where timing needs to be, but it will help determine that, sounds like timing, hopefully you haven't jumped a tooth on the timing gear, if so, might be time for a new chain/gear set.

 

[sleepar]

With the distributor all the way advanced ??? Is the vac hitting something and you just can't turn it far enough ? Move the plug wires over one hole in the same direction till you can get the distributor adjustable without interference

If not and you have jumped cam timing and that will cause a never start.

- - - Updated - - -

1973 roadrunner 400 electronic ignition. That info would have been helpful in the first post!

I have seen the same year 400 in a charger with plastic teeth on the cogs. It was factory and unbelievably chincy looking.

- - - Updated - - -

1973 roadrunner 400 electronic ignition. That info would have been helpful in the first post!

I have seen plastic teeth on the factory timing set off a73 400...

 

[rdrunning]

still no luck with car, i did notice something today that worries me greatly.

the valley pan under the intake has been pushed up so much that it is conformed to the shape of the bottom of the intake manifold.

it would take great pressure to push the pan up like that, i know it was perfect before all of this because i installed it.

what would cause that?

 

[Bruzilla]

Ouch! Nothing good. I would pull the intake and valley pan and see what's going on down there before doing anything else. Sounds like part of your distributor had unlawful carnal knowledge with the cam shaft and stuff went really bad. Also, pop the distributor cap off and see if the rotor is even turning when you crank the engine.

I had a 1976 Torino that had a no start/backfire issue. Turned out the oil pump had seized and the distributor couldn't turn. I replaced the distro and still no start. Turned out the second I cranked the engine with the new distro, and the oil pump still seized, the cam gear just chewed off and spit out every tooth on the distro's drive gear.

 

[Hemi Rebel]

still no luck with car, i did notice something today that worries me greatly.

the valley pan under the intake has been pushed up so much that it is conformed to the shape of the bottom of the intake manifold.

it would take great pressure to push the pan up like that, i know it was perfect before all of this because i installed it.

what would cause that?

I dont even see how that is possible. I assume the 12 guage sounding backfire caused this but how. It had to blow the intake gasket and pressurize the crank case.i would pull the intake and change the pan. Check it for signs it blew out

 

[prplcar]

Is it a magnetic pickup style distributor? I had a similar issue, no shot gun backfire, however check the gap between the pickup and the reluctor, should be .007 or .008. If the gap is too big it will not be strong enough, too small will detonate. I agree with the others about your valley pan, pull it apart and check the distributor gear while you are in there.

 

[shorty64]

Your best clue may be the "a family member moved the car over the weekend" statement.

Lots of things could have happened such as holding the pedal to the floor to start it because they flooded it initially.
I won't enumerate the other possibilities but I think you can imagine at least some.

 

[rdrunning]

yeah, after i measure the pick-up distance i will be taking the top end apart. When i first got the car running, i told myself that if something happens to this motor (pretty much stock 1977 cordoba??) i will finally build the 451 i have always wanted.

well a forged 440 crank fell in my lap yesterday at work

 

[kb67mopar]

Sometimes all ya need is a good excuse :happy1:

 

[ord27]

ouch. hope you get it all worked out. how about checking the plugs too. I was trying to tune a 350 crate motor that has an HEI distributor, while using 1967 style plugs. Switched to a hotter plug and my problems were over

 

[rdrunning]

I thought I would give everybody an update and thank everyone for their help and ideas with my car. As it turns out one of the epic backfires blew out the intake manifold gasket preventing it from starting due to a massive air leak I retorqued everything and it fired right up

 

[WP29440SE]

I thought I would give everybody an update and thank everyone for their help and ideas with my car. As it turns out one of the epic backfires blew out the intake manifold gasket preventing it from starting due to a massive air leak I retorqued everything and it fired right up

make sure you have good oil pressure. I once had a 440 that blew the valley pan up against the intake. no visible signs of injury but, after fixing what I could see, it started and ran , but shut off after a few minutes. after tearing it down , I found molten main bearings in the oil pan.