[Graham]

The car hasn't run for three years. I have replaced the dist cap, rotor, condensor, points (18 gap), new plugs (getting a spark), new gas, all wiring has checked out, it turns over fine, but only a sputters here and there.

I haven't touched the Solex carb except to spray in carb cleaner. Looking into the carb I can see gas, when I pull the plugs they are dry.

Any suggestions?

 

[jordan]

your jets might just be severly clogged or some mice might have made a home in your intake manifold.

 

[Graham]

I took apart the carb and cleaned the jets, no mice in the intake port.

What next? car turns over great! do I have the correct points setting (18).

Any other suggestions?

 

[jordan]

i dont know about the points settings because im using crane cams fireball electronic ignition system, I love it (probily because i havent had to mess with it yet)

 

[Gary]

Three things are necessary for an engine to run. correct air/fuel mix, compression, and a spark.
You have spark. Try pouring a little gas down the carb. If that doesn't work, the compression may be a little low from sitting. You can do a compression check to see or try squirting some oil in the spark plug hole to help seal the rings.

 

[Graham]

I'll try your advice tomorrow. Does anyone know the specs to set the jet screws inside the carb, and the settings for the fuel mixture screw?

 

[ConreroGT]

distributor timeing

make sure your distributor timing has been "reset" to spec. Manually turn the motor by hand until the ball lines up on the flywheel then make sure the rotor is pointing at #1 plug on the distributor. sounds like its getting gas. (might not) but if it sputters something could be off a little. You'd be amazed if it hasn't started in awhile, a little adjusment on the distributor could make a world of difference.

 

[Graham]

Well here is the latest. I bought a dwell meter and set the points to 50 degrees, the ball is missing from the flywheel cover so I can't adjut that. I bought a compression tester and all cylinders read at about 95 to 100lbs (after 5 reps).

I'm getting some nice blue and red flames from the backfires from the solex carb. Someone suggested I pour a little gas down the carb, well I'm at the stage that I might just pour the whole can over the car and light it and call the insurance company.

Gill suggested that perhaps the valves have accumulated a little rust over the years of sitting therefore don't quite seal to give the compression. Is this why it is backfiring out the carb?

If it is the valves, do I have to remove the head and re-seat them?

Any suggestions, I'm waiting with match and gas can in hand!!!

 

[jordan]

well i have never heard about any one doing this but hey it might work, you can pull all of the spark plugs and put some engine oil in every cylinder and crank it over for 45 seconds at a time and take a 5 minute brake and repeat a few times and that might remove some of the rust if it is on the valves then put the plugs back in and try it again.

 

[First opel 1981]

I have run into this problem before. What may have happened is the valves may be a little sticky. This would explain the backfiring into the carb. My suggestion for a fix is to remove the valve cover, saturate the valve assembly with WD 40, wait 1-2 hours and crank the engine. You may have to repeat this entire procedure several times before the problem is completely fixed. A word of caution... Change the oil before you drive it because the WD 40 will thin the oil.
Also just because you have put new gas in the car doesn't mean you got all the bad gas out.

Opels sometimes require a little patience to get them going again after sitting for a couple years.

 

[skidmark]

A note on Notavette's instructions for distributor installation:
Make sure #1 cylinder is on the compression stroke top dead center, if you lined up the rotor on #1 on the top of the exaust stroke the intake valves are just starting to open and that could possibly lead to backfire. I've never tried it to see the results but you may have.

 

[okieopel]

Find TDC

Graham, find TDC (top dead center) on the fly wheel. If the BB has fallen off the fly wheel, you will have to find the spot where the ball was and mark it. So you can find it in the future.

90 to 100 psi across all cylinders sound good for a sitting engine. Yes .018 inch is the correct points gap. And the firing order is 1-3-4-2.

 

[Graham]

HELP ! GT still won't start

Thanks for everyone's input so far but the 71 GT still won't start.

This is what I have done to date.

-flushed gas line--new fresh gas
-cleaned carb of all gum
-New plugs ( good strong spark)
-new points
-new condensor
-new plug wires
-new dist cap
-new rotor
-set dwell to 50 degrees
-lined up flywheel ball to pointer
-set distributor (rotor) to line on dist. body

The compression re-test I took today is as follows from front to back 1) 90lbs 2) 95lbs 3) 70lbs 4) 70lbs. Do these readings warrant a valve job? or new rings?

I have an old Solex carb, what is the cold standing initial adjustment of the mixture valve? Or should I take Gill's suggestion and buy a new Weber carb.

Any suggestions would be welcome!!!!!!

 

[Travis]

Did you check if the motor was on the compression or exhaust stroke when you aligned the rotor with the mark on the distributor? If not, here's my method for roughing in the ignition timing.

1. Note the angular position of wire #1 on the distributor.

2. remove distributor cap

3. remove #1 spark plug

4. find a helper

5. hold your thumb over spark plug hole in head

6. have helper crank the motor

What you want is for the for the rotor to be pointing at wire #1(currently not installed) at the end of the compression stroke. You'll be able to feel the compression stroke with your thumb. Rotate distributor as needed. Put everything back together and set timing with a light, or if you must, by ear.


-Travis

 

[kmon]

Hmmm, just had a similar problem after my rebuild. A couple things to try:

1.) shoot starter fluid down the throttle body while someone cranks, this will let you know for sure that the you are getting a decent spark.

2.) double chk the timming, again, rotar needs to be between 4 and 5 o'clock position if looking at from the driver side facing the passenger. That should be cylender #1. My favorite way to time is the old light bulb trick. Get a meter or small auto bulb have 1 side go to ground the other go to the condenser. Make sure you have TDC perfect then turn the points till the light goes on. Back it off just a hair, and there you go a rough tune. Also chk the vacume advane and make sure it operates, mine was stuck open.

3.) Pull your gas line off your carb, stick your thumb over it, have somone crack it over and make sure you get decent pressure (mine had no pressure at all first time I tried this).

4.) If cranking even somewhat slowley but battery on charger or have someone jump it.

A few other things to chk. When you cleaned the carb just how much did you take apart. Did you completely rebuilt it or just took it apart and put it back together? Make sure that your accelerator pump spring is the right way (small side out). Also that your float isint bent to far up. If you didnt take it that far down, think about it. Also did you replace the fuel filter? The solex will run just fine, mine runs great now and even has power (not blinding speed but will do 90). You just need to be patient and give it tlc. The weber upgrade is something that is definitly worth while, just concentrate on getting this engine running first.

How did you do your compression test? Those numbers seem really low (I was getting 120lbs on all 4). #4 at 70lbs is really low, make sure you got a good seal around your tester when you did that one (it can be tough on #4 to get a good seal).

Try all of these, some of them I'm sure you already have but its always worth double checking. Just take your time, be patient, and rember how much fun it will be the car is running, light at the end of the tunnel Good luck.

 

[oldopelguy]

yikes!

With compression #'s that low I'd start saving-up for an overhaul. I've got several "junk" motors with #'s significantly higher.

You need to verify the distributor is aligned to #1 at TDC and not 180 out. The method above should work, or you can pull the valve cover and make sure both valves are shut. Once you know the flywheel is lined-up and the distributer is pointing to #1 at TDC, you can put the distributer cap back on. Verify firing order on the cap, and the distributor should be set.

As for the Solex, verify that it is at least full of gas by holding open the choke and pumping the linkage a bit to squirt some fuel with the accelerator pump. If the gas is squirting in fine, let the choke close and the carb should work. With the gas you just squirted, and the choke butterfly shut, the motor should at least sputter. If it doesn't, try slowly retarding the timing (turning the distributor clockwise) in the smallest of incriments and repeating the process. Don't go more than 25 degrees or so total, and you might want a helper to advance it some once the motor starts, but this should get it running even if the distributor is toast.

 

[Graham]

What about the initial settings for the Solex. How many truns for the idle jet screw and how many turns for the Idle air adjusting screw and the Idle misture screw????

 

[kmon]

Okay here are the settings:

Idle screw 5 turns from bottem

Idle air speed 3.5 turns from bottem

Also: you need .25 in of clearence on the vent valve (big screw with springs on each side)

and make sure that on the bottem throttle valve, you losten the screw until the valve completly closes then give it a quarter turn.


...hope this helps

 

[jpblanco]

Was reading all of the previous posts and you have gotten really good tips on getting you engine to start. If this engine has been sitting for a while, you might have a few stuck rings which will explain the low compresion numbers. I went through this already with an engine that sat for 8 years and it is running fine so far.
make sure you plug all vacumm ports before you try anything else. Unless you have at least 95-100 compresion on all cylinders, the engine will not start. Mine had 32/26/34/50 and after four days of treatment went to 105/115/117/109 and the engine started after that. If you still have problems e-mail me and I'll give you the full formula and details.


JB

 

[webster]

Is car auto or std. autos have NSS thats not listed in FSM and it wont start without it hooked up. Has the dist. ever been out of engine? Sounds like it might be 180 degs. out because of flames comming out carb.?
If so pull dist.(mark pos. 1st. w/chauk) spin 180 degs. re-install try turnning over if it doesent work , return to org. pos.