The 383 still won't fire once!!!!

[coronet68mx]

Water in the gas?

 

[khryslerkid]

Pull distributor cap and verify #1 top dead center. Watch rotor while cranking for erratic movement.

Does it sound like there's several plugs removed while cranking, no compression on several cylinders?

 

[1STMP]

Pull the carb and look to see if maybe
you've got a float bowl sticking.
Gaskets on the intake will be wet.
Same problem on my 440.

 

[furious70]

Pull the carb and look to see if maybe
you've got a float bowl sticking.
Gaskets on the intake will be wet.
Same problem on my 440.

You can also just open a bowl sight plug to check that without having to take the carb off. Gas will gush out if float stuck

 

[Gregg DeGeorge]

OP did not confirm the carb fuel bowls are full all the time.
Could be a bad pump (or pump push rod) and the manual adding of fuel sounds a little excessive and the spark plugs could be soaking wet all the time.
Just get another good battery and use that for the time being, let it charge when not in use.

Stay focused on air/fuel/spark as that is all what it needs, regardless of wiring quality. (but you need to sort that out later for sure)

I think that jump wire is for neutral safety switch car won’t start if that not right

 

[Wietse]

I think that jump wire is for neutral safety switch car won’t start if that not right

If it cranks it means it is good, the neutral safety switch controls the start relay.

 

[Moms68]

or you can just park it on the front lawn and plant petunias in it....

 

[SteveSS]

Tried a new battery, new ballast resistor, new points, and condenser, new distributor cap and rotor, new plugs. I pulled a plug and watched it spark. We have to combine the not starting with all the sputtering and backfiring it did on the way home.

 

[RemCharger]

A compression test rules out an actual mechanical problem , but there seems to be some reluctance?

 

[padam]

Have you put a timing light on it?
If the ignition timing was way off before you replaced distributor your timing chain may have jumped.

 

[pedal2themetal]

HI,, Well your mobile Mech. messed it up for sure.. There is NO way he could have gotten it timed to 12* withOUT the motor running and You've said it wasn't running. He could set the crank to 12* and maybe get the rotor close but never timed to 12*..
try watching the rotor and move the crank CCW and CW and watch if the rotor moves right away or lags.. if it lags the chain is bad.
good luck
tim

 

[Geoff 2]

You certainly CAN time the engine at 12* without the engine running with points ign. Very easy.
There is a couple of ways to do it, but easiest is with a DVM set to ohms, one lead grounded, the other connected to coil [-] terminal. Rotate dampener & when timing is correct, ie zero pointer lines up with 12* BTDC, reading changes from zero ohms to above zero [ points opening, spark generated ] as it passes through 12* BTDC.

 

[Moms68]

You certainly CAN time the engine at 12* without the engine running with points ign. Very easy.
There is a couple of ways to do it, but easiest is with a DVM set to ohms, one lead grounded, the other connected to coil [-] terminal. Rotate dampener & when timing is correct, ie zero pointer lines up with 12* BTDC, reading changes from zero ohms to above zero [ points opening, spark generated ] as it passes through 12* BTDC.

Or the old school way using a cellophane wrapper from a pack of cigarettes!!

 

[Studio70]

Sat for a long time.....how long ?....check the carburetor...its probable full of gunk or has a tiny particle of dirt in a passage...who knows. When
stuff sits all kinds of gremlins get to work. Just get into it and go through everything so it runs reliable. That doesn't mean replace everything..just give it all a clean up and once over. Flush that fuel tank...remove it and clean it. Its over 50 years old? It's worth it in the long run.