1962 Nailhead. I need help!

Hello everyone! I'm brand new to this forum! I have a question for all of you nailhead experts out there. I have a 1962 Buick Electra 225 with a 401 nailhead. Everything on the car is original. I can't get it to start. Here's what I have done so far; new plugs, wires, distributor cap, rotor, ignition coil with condenser, had the carburator rebuilt by the carburator shop, fresh oil, new gas line and filters with clean gas reaching the carburator, full pump pumping gas like it should. I'm getting spark to all plugs. I set the timing to top dead center using the compression stroke of cylinder 1 as top dead center. Can't get the thing to fire. I have great compression in 6 cylinders. And only 35 psi in 2 of the cylinders. What's missing here to keep it from firing? Thank you so much for your time!

 

Is the sparkplugs getting wet from gas?

As I understand it, you set the timing at 0*? I'm still a newbie, but I would go a little higher, like 10-12*

The car should be able to start, regardless of the 2 bad cylinders..

Are you sure the sparkplug wires is on the right direction, and order?

-Houmark

 

Yeah the wires are correct and in the right firing order. Plugs are getting gas. And I set the timing close to 10 - 12 degrees. Will set the timing correctly with a light once I get it to fire and idle. Just not sure why It won't fire. New battery as well so it's cranking over like it should.

 

So it's not catching or coughing AT ALL? You can see gas going down the carb when you pump the gas?

How did you go about checking the spark to the plugs?
If I want to check for a good spark I pull one plug, connect it up, attach an earth lead to the end of the plug and give it a crank. The spark across the gap is usually fat enough I can see AND hear it. I notice you didn't mention replacing the points.

And it's definitely firing at TDC on the compression stroke not the exhaust stroke?
Bloody thing should run .....

I did the same as you detailed to one that had been sitting in a field for nine years and it started and idled first go. Even with two bad big ends ..... a tad noisy

 

As mentioned, firing the companion cylinder maybe or has dampener mark been verified?
(I guess I can't remember offhand if it's possible for that dampener to spin the mark or not )
Could advance the timing until it pushed back on you as a quick check, then make adjustments.

 

A common mistake is to set up plug wires and timing using the front cylinder on the drivers side as #1.
.....The Nailhead has #1 cylinder on the passenger side.

Did you replace the steel plate under the carb? If not, and the carb base is corroded, you could have a huge vacuum leak to that exhaust heat passage in the manifold.

The 35 lbs in 2 cylinders..... I once had a 401 with cracked piston domes, some even had holes in the dome! We were trying to get the new purchase started and fuel got into the crankcase.... it eventually fired those vapors and blew the valley pan off! Be careful.

 

Perhaps it was a good idea to get/borrow a snake eye camera, and check the pistons condition through the sparkplugs holes, before doing anything else?

If they are cracked like wkillgs was, there's no point in getting it started.. Rebuild time..

 

To catch up with all your comments; I did set the wires off of the passenger side front cylinder being number 1. There is gas going down the carburator. I checked for a good spark from each plug so they are sparking like they should. I did replace the gasket between the carburator and the intake manifold when I had the carburator rebuilt. I have yet to put a scope camera in the cylinders. And I haven't replaced the points. But as of now it's not coughing or catching at all. It just asks like it's not timed at all. Don't know why.

 

Change the points.....

 

There is a gasket, and a metal plate that is needed. The gasket alone will not block off that heat passage in the intake manifold. It's the metal plate that blocks that passage off.
But it should still start without that plate. It won't idle worth a damn tho.

Or at least put a dwell meter on it and crank it to see if dwell is in the ballpark. That'll at least tell you the points are working.
You might try putting some of the old parts back on, just in cas one of the new pieces is defective.

One of the guys here reported his new rotor was missing the square index pin and he put it on 180* out, check that too.

 

I'm not that deep into technical english but maybe you get the wrong top dead center?! In my head top dead center means the piston cylinder 1 is up. Maybe you have to rotate your distributor 180 or pull one valve cover and look if both valves (inlet and outlet) are closed when your in TDC. Just an idea. Maybe that is clear already and i don't get that from this post so far.

 

Some platinum plugs if ever fuel or oil fouled will not fire under compression. A set of Autolite 85 's will serve you well.

 

Back to basics. First, put #1 cylinder on top dead center on the compression stroke. Verify compression stroke and not exhaust. Timing mark should indicate 0 degrees. If it does, timing mark on damper is OK. Check to see that the rotor in the distributor is aligned with #1 spark plug wire terminal. If it does, timing is probably close enough to run. You have said that you have spark at the plugs in all cylinders. If the spark is decent, either the engine will run or their is a fuel or compression issue. One last thing that you can check is to be sure that both valves on #1 cylinder are closed at TDC on the compression stroke. Even if the wires were installed totally incorrectly on the plugs and the firing order was completely messed up, somewhere at least one cylinder would fire or it would backfire through the carburetor if you have spark at the plugs and fuel in the cylinders.

 

Did the engine run prior to adding all the new parts?

 

Update: So I changed the points and condenser and still no fire. Cranks and cranks but no firing. The car did not run before adding the new parts. Car had been sitting for the last 20 years or so.

 

I set the gap on the points to 16 thousands.

 

Have you verified spark?
Verified voltage to the coil?
Resistance wire is often no good after 40 years.
Temporarily a 12v wire to the coil can be used, just as it would during cranking.

 

Yeah good spark all the way around! 12 volts to the coil. I'm pretty baffled honestly. Have good spark, good gas to the plugs, many new parts as I've listed above.

 

How old is the gas in the tank? If there is old gas, it may not fire. Disconnect and plug the inlet fuel line from the pump. Run a line from there to a can of new gas. Just a thought.

 

I wonder if the cam timing is out, timing chain get to worn and it jumps a tooth?

Mick