AboutBen Deutschman Expertise Questions ONLY related to Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge Slant-Sixes from 1960-1975. You can ask me about Engine Timing, general specifications, do`s and don`ts, and details such as proper installation of `Spark Plugs` on the 1960-74 `Slant-Sixes.`
Experience I own and work on a 1960 plymouth, powered by a 'Slant-Six', have also worked on a 1968 'Slant-Six', a 1975, a 1964, and and 1970 'Slant-Six'
Organizations Ben Deutschman
POCI Legislative Liaison
President Of The NY/NJ Slant-Six Club Of America
http://www.poci.org
http://bencar.freeyellow.com/76TAPage.html
http://bencar.freeyellow.com/benscarpage.html
http://clubs.hemmings.com/frameset.cfm?club=nynjslant6 (NY/NJ Slant-Six Club Of America Website)
Publications Smoke Signals (Pontiac-Oakland Club International)
Hemmings Motor News
Education/Credentials B.A 'Labor Relations', 'Rutgers University' (Livingston College Campus)
Question I've got a '72 Valiant with the 225ci slant six. I have never seen it run. Someone hacked the car's wiring and so I have begun to fix that. The car was rigged with a 'starter button' that merely bridged the two connections on the starter relay to run the starter (because someone stopped the tumbler from doing this.) What I've tried doing is to simply get the engine running. I replaced the stock points with an electronic ignition robbed out of a Dart. I've set the firing order as found on the Valiant.org website. I ran a 'hot wire' to the coil straight from the battery and was able to determine that the plugs are indeed sparking. I set the timing per instructions found on a similar site. When that didn't work I tried advancing the timing a variety of degrees with no success. I know the engine is getting gas. The starter just grinds and grinds. What am I missing? What do I need to check?
Answer If you're getting spark, and the gasoline is fresh, not to mention you've determined you are indeed getting fuel up to the Carburetor (this is where a see through Gas Filter comes in handy), then the engine should at least attempt to fire. You also need to be certain the Distributor is in correctly, and you can determine that by cranking the engine until you have the Rotor pointing at #1 on the Distributor Cap, and then checking to see if the rotating Timing Mark on the Vibration Damper (bottom Pulley), is lined up with zero on the stationary Timing Tab. You can also pull #1 Spark Plug, and see if you see number 1 Piston is at the top of the cylinder. If the Distributor is in correctly, and the Distributor Pick-Up is good (you may need to swap it out with a known good one to prove that), then I'd also try swapping out the Control Module. Also, if you've bypassed the Ballast Resistor, you may have damaged the Control Module. The correct way to get power to the Coil, is to find the input side of the Ballast Resistor, and put positive power in through that lead. After all that, there isn't much else I could think of, other than a number of valves sticking open, and that would be easily determined by cranking the Engine with the Valvecover off.
