My Tercel wont start

[Ridlbox]

If it was a stuck needle in the carburetor wouldn't it still attempt to start when I spray starting fluid in it

[larry mcgrath]

After re-reading this post this engine is OUT------------OF ----------TIME ------ 180........... Do you relize that the timing marks are on TDC twice for one ,rotation of the dizzy.. This is a 4 CYCLE engine, crankshaft rotates TWICE to ONE rotation of camshaft Larry

[Ridlbox]

That doesn't make any sense I verified the top dead center like 4 times

[BaileySims]

I've ran into a problem like this once before on a honda. I'm not sure if the cam pulleys are the same but there was a tooth that it lined up on the cam and that tooth had sheared off causing the cam pulley to spin freely but the cam wasn't moving at all. Does it have good compression?

[Ridlbox]

Yes I do have compression and I checked top dead center and made sure all pistons move by using a flashlight as well as checking the marks on the harmonic balance on the front.
Over the last two years I've rebuilt this car this is the first time its never not started

[Notmikeb]

When you checked spark did you check against the engine block or another part of the car? Is the engine ground strap connected? If the engine isn't grounded at all spark plugs may not fire. Should be a ground strap connecting the rear most upper intake bolt to the firewall.

[Ridlbox]

That is a good thought I will check all the grounds to the engine I'll get back to you guys as soon as I get done with that

[Petros]

There is a simple diagnosis "tree" or spiral you need to do, check one at a time. 1)There are only two reason it will not start: no fuel, or no spark. 2)If it will not sputter and want to start with starter spray down the carb, likely it is no spark. 3)If you have spark, than spark is either too weak, or at the wrong time. 4) if timing is correct, than check wires and spark plug, and verify you have a strong spark by grounding a spark plug wire 1/4" away from a good ground and crank it. You should get a strong bluish-white spark that goes "snap! snap! snap!". If it is yellowish, irregular or weak, likely coil, pick up or other ignition component is marginal or bad.

5) if it starts with starter spray, likely weak or inadaquate fuel supply. this would be a fuel line, plugged filter or tank pick-up, bad pump, bad carb.

You just keep working down the list. do not jump around, you waste time, follow the procedure. Something failed overnight and now that you started messing with it you may have caused a new problem, or possible by accident solved one problem and created another.

good luck

[Ridlbox]

I will do that thank you

[Gottolovem]

did you put you thumb on # one spark plug hole to confirm it spit air past? "compression stroke"

[dlb]

Yes I do have compression and I checked top dead center and made sure all pistons move by using a flashlight as well as checking the marks on the harmonic balance on the front.

when the car first died, you found it had no spark. you replaced the dizzy, now it has spark. but if it's still not running even with spark, you probably have the dizzy incorrectly installed. shining a light in to see the piston is at the top of its travel does not confirm that the cylinder is on the compression stroke. to do this, you must remove all the plugs, put a ratchet on the crank, put your thumb over the 1st cylinder spark plug hole, and use the ratchet to turn the crank clockwise. when you feel pressure build up under your thumb, you know that cylinder is on the compression stroke. NOW REMOVE THE RATCHET BEFORE YOU START THE ENGINE AND DESTROY YOUR RADIATOR! then install the dizzy with the rotor pointing at about 10:30 when the dizzy is fully inserted.

i made a similar post about this a while back:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=9552&p=69516&hilit= ... ing#p69516

[Ridlbox]

did you put you thumb on # one spark plug hole to confirm it spit air past? "compression stroke"

Yes I did this

[xirdneh]

a few tercels back in time i had one that would not start in the morning (this only happened two times)
it did nothing, all you could hear was the starter turning
i towed the car to a steep long hill
un hitched it and compression started it.
on both occaisions it fired up about 3/4 of the way down the hill
i swapped the carb and it never did that again

[Ridlbox]

Verified again top dead center rechecked the distributor everything there seems to be fine check fuel filter fuel filter got fuel at carburetor those both appear to be good finally got my sisters car so I can hook it up to try to jump it it backfired twice still won't start I do have fuel and I do have spark it does not want to start.
I'm not completely ignorant on these motors I do have the book and a lot of knowledge from rebuilding 1. And just after Christmas I redid the head gasket on this one so its not that hard to figure out what goes where just need a little help figuring out what I did wrong here. is there anybody in the area that could help ? It's probably something very simple that I just keep overlooking

[dlb]

that's interesting it backfired a few times. that's good, at least it helps narrow it down. spark plug wires maybe connected in the wrong order?