I have a strange issue happening with my ignition.
If I remove the spark plugs and ground the plug on the block I get Spark for all "cylinders". But if I install all of the plugs and use a timing light I am only getting it to light up on cylinders 3 and 4. I get nothing on 1 and 2.
I installed a Pertronix 1241LS Ignitor conversion kit in it earlier this year to replace the points and condenser. And it had been running ok.
Any ideas what might be going on here?
I have been working thru a ton of issues with this lately and I think this might be the last link that gets it back running.
***WARNING - really long read***
Here is my saga with this the last month. If you want to read.
Over the last year it has been getting harder and harder to start. Turn the key and the solenoid wouldn't always kick the gear in. It was also very slow spinning the motor over. Just thought it was a dieing battery. It got to the point where I was having to jump start it with a jump box or my car to get it going. Took the battery back to Walmart, still under warranty, but they tested it as good.
About a month ago we got a bunch of dirt delivered and a guy got a dump trailer stuck while I was at work. They asked to use the skid steer, I said sure but it is a pain to start. They got it started, used it and parked it. I went to use it a day later to move the dirt and couldn't get it to start.
After trying and trying it wouldn't start. I figured I flooded it, so took off the intake tube. And a ton of gas poured out. I left it that night to evaporate. The next day I tried again. It wouldn't start and gas was pouring out of the carb again.
I guessed it was just something in the needle and seat. Took the carb off and just tried disassembling and cleaning it. The previous owner had replaced it in 2023 so it shouldn't need any replacement parts. It is a Zenith 13805A carb, not some knock off Chinese one. Put it back on and same thing, pouring gas while starting. I did it again, a 3rd time and same thing. It does not pour gas when off or sitting, it also does not have the shutoff solenoid and this has never been a problem.
I ordered a float rebuild kit from Amazon. Got the parts in and and seat does not thread into the carb, wrong threads. Put the carb back in. Sigh, leaking gas again. One more time ordered another float kit, a more expensive one. Again wrong size seat. Re-assemble, put it back in. Yay, still leaking.... During all of this disassemble/reassemble I found something on the net saying a float height.
So what do I have to lose, change the float height. Didn't start, but also didn't leak! Thought maybe it was to high. Changed it a total of 4 times, each time reinstalling and trying, until it was back to the original height. Though all of that what it looks like is that it only pours gas if I use the choke too much. I can now remove, disassemble and reinstall the carb with my eyes closed.
But it doesn't still doesn't start.. doesn't even try. Even with starter fluid. So I just checked Cylinder 1 for spark and there was. Next, I checked for compression. It was abysmal, but it was there.
Next I go to replace the starter. Drove 40 min away to look at one at an autozone but wasn't even close to right. Since this motor is basically a 72 Pinto motor n thought the starter would be the same. NOPE. Driving back home i stopped at another autozone. IDK what the guy typed in from my original 45yr old starter, but after research it is exactly the one I need.
If you need a starter for a Ford 1.6L. Look for a Wilson 91-15-6836 at autozone.
I got the starter in. It turns over i would say close to 4 times faster. Still doesn't start but there were faint hints. With a little bit of starter fluid it sounded like one would try to go and another was backfiring thru the carb, had a little fire for a sec.
Thru all of this on-off, on-off, on-off. I remember searching the web for a quick answer of the firing order and found it as 1-2-4-3. But the service manual i have has it listed as 1-2-3-4, on page 7C-xx. But i ended up finding in 3 more places in the manual an order of 1-2-4-3. Switching to that it sounds like two cylinders want to go and no backfire.
Now you are caught up. I am sure i probably missed taking off that damn carb off and disassembling a time or two. I just can't wrap my head around 1 and 2 showing Spark or off the engine but they don't light the timing light.
If I remove the spark plugs and ground the plug on the block I get Spark for all "cylinders". But if I install all of the plugs and use a timing light I am only getting it to light up on cylinders 3 and 4. I get nothing on 1 and 2.
I installed a Pertronix 1241LS Ignitor conversion kit in it earlier this year to replace the points and condenser. And it had been running ok.
Any ideas what might be going on here?
I have been working thru a ton of issues with this lately and I think this might be the last link that gets it back running.
***WARNING - really long read***
Here is my saga with this the last month. If you want to read.
Over the last year it has been getting harder and harder to start. Turn the key and the solenoid wouldn't always kick the gear in. It was also very slow spinning the motor over. Just thought it was a dieing battery. It got to the point where I was having to jump start it with a jump box or my car to get it going. Took the battery back to Walmart, still under warranty, but they tested it as good.
About a month ago we got a bunch of dirt delivered and a guy got a dump trailer stuck while I was at work. They asked to use the skid steer, I said sure but it is a pain to start. They got it started, used it and parked it. I went to use it a day later to move the dirt and couldn't get it to start.
After trying and trying it wouldn't start. I figured I flooded it, so took off the intake tube. And a ton of gas poured out. I left it that night to evaporate. The next day I tried again. It wouldn't start and gas was pouring out of the carb again.
I guessed it was just something in the needle and seat. Took the carb off and just tried disassembling and cleaning it. The previous owner had replaced it in 2023 so it shouldn't need any replacement parts. It is a Zenith 13805A carb, not some knock off Chinese one. Put it back on and same thing, pouring gas while starting. I did it again, a 3rd time and same thing. It does not pour gas when off or sitting, it also does not have the shutoff solenoid and this has never been a problem.
I ordered a float rebuild kit from Amazon. Got the parts in and and seat does not thread into the carb, wrong threads. Put the carb back in. Sigh, leaking gas again. One more time ordered another float kit, a more expensive one. Again wrong size seat. Re-assemble, put it back in. Yay, still leaking.... During all of this disassemble/reassemble I found something on the net saying a float height.
So what do I have to lose, change the float height. Didn't start, but also didn't leak! Thought maybe it was to high. Changed it a total of 4 times, each time reinstalling and trying, until it was back to the original height. Though all of that what it looks like is that it only pours gas if I use the choke too much. I can now remove, disassemble and reinstall the carb with my eyes closed.
But it doesn't still doesn't start.. doesn't even try. Even with starter fluid. So I just checked Cylinder 1 for spark and there was. Next, I checked for compression. It was abysmal, but it was there.
Next I go to replace the starter. Drove 40 min away to look at one at an autozone but wasn't even close to right. Since this motor is basically a 72 Pinto motor n thought the starter would be the same. NOPE. Driving back home i stopped at another autozone. IDK what the guy typed in from my original 45yr old starter, but after research it is exactly the one I need.
If you need a starter for a Ford 1.6L. Look for a Wilson 91-15-6836 at autozone.
I got the starter in. It turns over i would say close to 4 times faster. Still doesn't start but there were faint hints. With a little bit of starter fluid it sounded like one would try to go and another was backfiring thru the carb, had a little fire for a sec.
Thru all of this on-off, on-off, on-off. I remember searching the web for a quick answer of the firing order and found it as 1-2-4-3. But the service manual i have has it listed as 1-2-3-4, on page 7C-xx. But i ended up finding in 3 more places in the manual an order of 1-2-4-3. Switching to that it sounds like two cylinders want to go and no backfire.
Now you are caught up. I am sure i probably missed taking off that damn carb off and disassembling a time or two. I just can't wrap my head around 1 and 2 showing Spark or off the engine but they don't light the timing light.
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