Ford resistor AGAIN?

[butch27]

The great Ford ran good for 3 days  and now it won't start again. Turns over great. I unhooked the "I"  wire at the starter relay and it still won't start. There is one thing --Number 1 header pipe runs cool.. Have not burnt the resistor. I'm am lost.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

does it have spark?

[38HAULR]

Butch this must be giving you nightmares. For #1 header pipe to run cool would tell me that there is not enough/zero exhaust gas flowing, indicating the cyl not firing,but you would have a  noticable miss in this case.
Back to the non starting again.  Time to start at the begining.
Do you have a multimeter or test lamp Butch?.
First simple visual though,  remove the distributor cap.   Turn ignition on, and with a screwdriver run it between the points if they are open, sitting on a dist shaft lobe  and see if any  arcing can be induced, or if the points happen to be closed due to being on a flat section ,open them with the screwdriver and look for any sign of arcing.......Frank.

[butch27]

O.K. The points are arcing and sparking.LOL I got the engine running and it lopes like crazy I Bought a spark plug tester and the number one cylinder is not firing well. I have 8mm wires from Jeg's ( carbon core or something) Not stranded wire. The plug is fuel fouled and I suspect the wire. I've visually checked it , seems allright. How do I check if the wire is at fault? Thanks

[enjenjo]

How do I check if the wire is at fault? Thanks

Use a Multimeter, set on Ohms. connect to each end of the wire. you should have somewhere between 10,000 and 40,000 ohms resistance.  Any thing much above or below that reading is probably bad.

[38HAULR]

Easy check for a sus lead is to measure the resistance of a good lead of similar length.   I would go for a figure of around 8k Ohms on these..............Frank.

[Carnut]

I woulda just swapped two similar length wires and see if miss moved to the other cylinder.

[butch27]

I did just swap the wires--same result. Oh man! No compression to that cylinder. Valves are opening   and it was a new rebuild on  the engine and a 30 overbore.  I'm screwed somewhere. I am beginning to hate Fords.

[38HAULR]

Valves opening, make sure they are closing. No compression at all if they are staying open for starters.
That only leaves something like a hole in the piston or more likely head gasket.
Is it pumping up compression and leaking down or just zip?
No matter what engine make,they can all suffer trauma,especially after a rebuild if something was overlooked or lack of diligence or bad luck.
I can recall a Ford Y block some 100 miles after a rebuild pumping smoke out of one bank after idling [visible due to the twin exhaust] ,thought it was a valve stem seal and it ended up being a gouged bore due to lack of diligence with ring fitting. Block was stuffed.
A SBC 283 rebuilt.On the second day of running she got a rough idle and threw steam out the exhaust on take off.  Replaced the headgaskets from the rebuild kit pressed items with composition gaskets.This went on to do many miles after that hiccup. Do not despair yet Butch..........Frank.

[butch27]

ZERO  compression on number one.Pulled the valve cover and the valves are moving up and down (both). I guess pull the head now.

[2rods]

What about the valve lash? Did you check it? Maybe valve or valves hanging open?

[GPster]

Maybe you could just roll it to TDC, pull the spark plug and put air pressure in the cylinder through the spark plug hole. If you have 0# compression it would be blowing somewhere, the crankcase (hole in piston) the exhaust or intake. I had a 354 Hemi on time that I got from the juckyard. It had been in a "Demolition Derby" car so it was running when it stopped. I had built my Model A around it and when I was getting close to test drive stage I wired it up and started it. It ran fine for about 5 minutes and then started going down hill. When it stopped it was blowing oil out of the oil fill cap and never ran again. Out of disgust I pulled it out and installed a 318 with a 2 barrel and a torqueflite. I enjoyed the car that way for 5 years and the guy that ended up with it after me enjoyed it that way too. I gave the Hemi away and never thought about it until I saw one in a localy built "T" bucket. It might have been the same one and the car was built around it. I didn't ask so I never knew but I also never did any engine checks on it the hemi so out of disgust I missed the chance to know. GPster something

[butch27]

The valve lash is non adjustable( just go to TDC and torque to18 pounds) Weird huh.  Oh GPster That's a good tip I'll try that today . Must be a heck of a leak though to have NO compression    Thanks

[wayne petty]

The valve lash is non adjustable( just go to TDC and torque to18 pounds)

just because its does not have adjustable valve train..  does not mean it has the proper lifter preload...

depending on the type of rocker arms...  there are longer and shorter pushrods... +or- .030" or .060"  

if there is no preload on the lifter.. the rocker arm will click. as the engine runs...

if there is too much preload...  the lifter will pump up and hold the valve off the seat...  letting the compression out ..


i think that we went over this a long time ago..

with pedestal rocker fulcrums.. there are shims that fit under the fulcrum to raise it a fraction...   these are available in various thicknesses..

anybody got a ford factory manual out right now.. for 80 and up that shows a 302 or 5.0    how much is the clearance at the top of the valve with the lifter bottomed out by using a special tool on the rocker arm to exert force to bottom out the lifter...    this is the measurement one want to aim for...   too little... you want a shorter push rod or a shim under the fulcrum...    too much... a longer pushrod.. or put a thinner shim in..


edit...

Collapsed Tappet Gap
8-CYLINDER ENGINES


8-302 (5.0L) and 8-351 (5.8L)
Allowable: 0.089-0.193 in. (2.260-4.902mm)

Desired: 0.096-0.163 in. (2.438-4.140mm)


how about a video

&NR=1

[butch27]

Great video I'll give it a try. Thanks Have to pic up the shims and I think the stock length pushrod is good. Don't know why I would have to buy different lengths with using the shims.