Okays so I have recently rebuilt a stock 1500 engine, with lots a hiccups along the way.
Anyway I can't start the engine, I've set the timing, verified spark at each of the plugs, compression is good, so fuel is the problem. New stock fuel pump installed.

The carb, well it's leaking fuel out of every possible gasket, shaft and etc. it's a vw 30 pict 2. I can get cylinder 3 and 4 to stutter/fire briefly, but only with the starter running. Cylinder 1 and 2 never fire and the plugs a dry. Manifold is clear.

The car is on a slight slope to the left but not nothing major.

Would it be likely the carb is the cause for the engine not starting?

Thanks

strange that 1 and 2 are dry with a single carb

ur valves on that bank are doing their thing? The manifold boot on that side properly fastened with no tears?

If you got a vac leak, if you turn the motor and constantly pump the throttle (to inject fuel rather than expect vacuum to draw it) and it runs and builts up revs without needing starter by constantly pumping the throttle, but stalls as soon as you take your foot off the pedal, then you know its a vacuum leak. Maybe theres a pipe going off the manifold that is not sealed?


Dodgy carbs, well in my case 2 consecutive worn 34 pict 3's gave me heaps of grief. Neva a clean idle, it would just stall depite rebuilding with carb kits. I assumed there were vacuum losses from the throttle shafts. I got a rebuilt (and confirmed working) Stromberg, dunno if its an actual upgrade to say, but it now runs and idles the best i have EVER had it.

Seems that they are simply ultra sensative to pressure loss, and thus any worn places for vacuum leaks to occur will give you grief (like the throttle butterfly shafts)

Valves are good, brand new heads. It's a single port manifold (one fixed piece). Pumping the pedal does seem to help a little, but it's hard to say for certain.

Bit of an update, I've managed to start the engine but still runs on 3 and 4 only quite roughly. I had to tie the choke to stop it turning because it has a tendency to rotate almost 360 degrees so the stepping bit is backwards. Even if it's disconnected from power, it still rotates. I thought it only rotates based on the temperature of the coil in the choke.

That means that the choke isn't working properly..
the flap should be connected to a spring inside the choke heater part where the wire goes...
undo the three screws holding the choke heater body until it can be turned by hand,,, turn the body until the choke flap is always open... if You cannot do this then it sounds like the electric body needs replacing... as the heater or spring is broken.

and that is why the adjuster is 180 degrees out...

make sure that the choke idle adjuster bits on the shaft are actually located on the shaft with the flat sides so it turns as the shaft does...

I hope this helps... that would stop Your engine...
choking it... NO Air... No Go..

cheers

LEE

how rough? wont run unless u pump the pedal?

is your distributor drive gear in backwards?

I have to press the pedal half way, the engine was able to maintain a steady speed then it would stutter and revs die down to near stalling then pick up speed again. It happens every 15 seconds or so. Also the exhaust smells rich on petrol. But 1 and 2 don't fire so maybe that's the major reason. Oh the the distributor drive gear is definitely the right way round.

if there isn't any spark on 1 & 2 it must be the distributor cap

these should be replaced along with rotor and spark plugs etc..

or the leads on 1 & 2...

silicon leads [even when new] can be broken inside when pulling the leads off the spark plugs or dizzy cap...

wire spark plug leads work all the time... as the wire cannot break..

cap-rotor- and all leads need to be checked with a multimeter
plus the spark plug resistor bits that fit on the spark plug..

Lee

The valves appeared to be working when I set the valve spacing so I assume their ok. Any way to verify apart from removing the head?

The distributor is new (cheapo svda), new german leads, new fuel pump, new mexican heads.
I tested spark on each plug and lead and they all worked ok.

I have a theory that maybe the carb is not atomizing the fuel properly and so it the fuel may be dripping into 3 and 4 since the car is leaning slightly to the left. Could this be possible?

not flooding? Fuels not pouring out of your fuel bowl as you turn due to float and needle in carb not properly adjusted?

Therefore as you turn engine, the over-full fuel bowl keeps getting fuel pump pressure drowning the donk?

Not sure, the carb was taken from taken off a running engine a looong time ago. To check that, would I just continue to turn the engine over by hand watching down the carb barrel?

or just run it for a bit or turn it for a bit and take the carb top off and see where the level of the fuel sits in the float bowl.

Or just watch down the guts of it as someone turns it.

But you said spark plugs 1 and 2 looked dry??

is it spraying fuel in when your pumping from nozzle inside carb ? idle jet blocked best is to pull carb apart give it a clean blow out with compressor then new gasket kit or atleast carb to manifold , junk that pos dizzy and replace points in your old one and try that. Firing order right , pop rocker cover off and see if everything moves and valves are set right

The old dissy is seized up, not used for at least 20 years! Plus was outside in the weather for a while too. I'll rebuild it another time after getting this engine running (I hope!).

1 & 2 were dry but I'll check again cause last I checked was before I got it to a sputtering start. I'll try adjusting the choke as lee suggested while I'm at it.

As for the carb spraying fuel, I couldn't see it but can hear it.

did you set all of the tappets ?????

Yep 3 times! Suppose a forth time wouldn't hurt in case I done something stupid

Yep that's what I done. One thing is that when I installed the distributor drive I didn't get it perfect, it's pointing more to 4 o'clock rather that 3 o'clock, but I rotated the distributor to compensate, but the rotor is pointing to 2 o'clock rather than 5 o'clock at tdc like in the video.. I adjusted the leads positions to match, but I expected the rotor to point to 6 o'clock.

I'm starting the think I messed up installing the dissy, maybe I didn't set it on no 1 tdc, but on no 3 tdc . . .

Adjust the dissy timing statically to 7.5 degrees BTDC (7.5 degrees to teh right of the TDC mark on a degree pulley for cylinder 1) using this neat trick.

With the crankshaft pulley turned to 7.5 degrees (not at tdc, but at the required time mark), loosen the dissy, and turn the dissy with the ignition on. When the dissy turns forward or back enough to POP (its a faint noise, will have to listen carefully), thats when you know its at 7.5 degrees. And should hence be sparking cylinder 1.

Jace on here taught me that tick a few moons ago

Also for the record when your engine is running the carbie shouldn't leak fuel. Any leaks while the engine is running become vacuum leaks not fuel leaks as the engine is essentially sucking fuel in. It is internally pressurized. I think it sounds like dissy or valves not carbie. Yes time your dissy statically then do the valves one more time.

as long as they are firing in the right order when the valves are closed . like in the link ,

Well it's solved! I made a silly mistake, I mistaken no3 tdc as no1 tdc when doing valve adjustments and distributor lead order! So I after I rotated the engine to no1 tdc, the valve clearance was WAY out! No wonder 1 and 2 plugs were dry!

Carb still leaks fuel almost everywhere, but the engine runs ok.

Thanks everyone for the help.