Thread: 350 Won't Start After Degreasing

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Hey all,

New to the group, and to the Chevy 350.

I am restoring a 1980 Jeep CJ7 that has a '70s 350 with Edelbrock carb.
The engine has been neglected but was running fine until yesterday. I protected the electricals and carb and used Purple Power to degrease a decade of grime. It started and drove fie after rinsing. Later, I removed the air cleaner and used a rag to clean some areas around the carb. After getting it back together, it will crank, but will no longer start...

-gas squirts into the carb when the throttle is pressed
-the choke seems to be adjusted correctly
-i pulled the distributor cap off, but nothing seems to be damaged/ cracked
-I can't find any bad/ corroded connections

Any other ideas?? My knowledge is limited, and I'm frustrated!
Thanks!

Sounds like you have a firing problem. Check all plug wires and dist
cap. Clean well and make sure they are all dry.

Thanks for the advice rdobbs. After cleaning, I still don't think I'm getting a spark. The wires seem OK, but there are some burned terminals and a small crack where the coil screws into the distro cap. I think I'll replace it, and see what sparks up. =)

Got a hair dryer? Blow everything dry - spark plug boots, spark plugs, distributor cap.

pull the dizzy cap and dry it out ..

my bet is on hoss. condensation under the cap .

I agree with moisture in the cap, but with a crack and burned terminals I'd change the cap, and probably the coil, too.

My favorite way to confirm spark is to unplug #1 plug, insert an old plug, and lay it down where it will ground, and I can look for spark while I crank.

Check the points and condenser, and under the advance plate where they mount, and if there is a bell shaped shield over the points, look inside it, too. If there is a shield, any water that gets under the advance plate will condense there when the engine warms up, drip on the points and condenser, and get slung around by the cam, shorting them out, but it may not condense or be evident in the cap or rotor. Voice of exasperated experience.

.

I use to drive around with a can of WD-40 and had to spray the distributor everytime it rained, displaces the moisture and doesn't conduct electricity, something with a Small Block and a points ignition I just got use to until I later switched to a HEI after they where widely available had to do it even with all new cap, rotor etc, one of the things we forgot about like vapor lock & choking the carb.........

a louvered hood will teach you quick. wd40 is a required tool in the trunk .

Write a song about this---


A louvered hood will teach you quick---


WD40 in the trunk is a trick

WD 40, duct tape, and bailing wire and you have all bases covered.

used bailing wire for lots of stuff back then WD40 and duck tape are modern


and match book covers for point gap after burnishing them with the striking strip

I didn't know about the striking strip. Cool tip