I hope you're all doing well. My name is Joe, I hope you don't mind but I was having some issues with starting my car, and have been searching all over for some help but unfortunately am stumped despite implementing most information i've found. This if my first car, let alone my first classic car, so please bare with my lack of knowledge.
Here is some background on the car. It is a 1967 Mustang, 200, 3 speed manual. 55,000 on the odometer but unsure if its 55,000 or 155,000. The car was running beautifully just about 1.5 months ago, when it was a little bit warmer. Suddenly when it started to get a tad cold, 60*F about things started to go down hill. The car required a fast idle speed or it wouldnt stay on, and when on it was really really rough. At this point I had a new battery, alternator, starter solenoid, spark plugs and wire, distributor condenser cap and ignition coil, as well as fuel filter. I realized my carb was really old and i could use a new one as the idle mixture screw wasn't doing anything, also the distributor wasn't advancing mechanically or with the vacuum due to age. So i bought a new distributor and new carburetor. And during the midst of installing the new distributor and carburetor i did an oil change, oil filter, and transmission fluid.
The car is turning over but now it won't start. So the car is turning over fine but won't start, although it sounds very close to starting. There is spark at the number 1 spark plug, it is blueish in color. I checked the coil on the side coming from the starter solenoid and it does have power via a test light, i checked the side from distributor and there is power only when the points are open. So there is spark, and i assume that the coil is working fine via these results. I also checked the carburetor and it is squirting fuel when i pull the accelerator spring thing, but i also tried putting a bit of fuel directly in the carburetor to see if it'll fire to eliminate the fuel pump being the issue. Also the rotor is on, it feels pretty tight but i feel it could be a bit tighter, as there is a tiny bit of play side to side.
So i'm not entirely sure what the problem could be or what to search for now. I was thinking i put in the distributor in wrong, but here is how i put it in: I put my finger in the hole of the number 1 spark plug, started turning over the engine by hand, felt for the pressure to blow my finger off, and to hear the air hissing, i then kept turning over the engine until i got the white line timing light on TDC. I put the distributor in making sure i left room to advance the timing without having the vacuum advance in the way, as well as made sure that the rotor would be pointing at the #1 spark plug on the distributor cap.
The car sounds very close to starting, but it just feels it needs a little push. With the battery fully charged i tried starting it with the rotor at i believe would be 0* advancing which was with the rotor pointing at the number 1 spark plug. No luck starting but it did sound close, so i attempting turning the housing a tad by advancing it and no luck there either. The carburetor did blow out some steam/vapor while i was doing this. I'm afraid to try anything else, but any advice would be much much appreciated!!
Best regards,
Joe.
Here is some background on the car. It is a 1967 Mustang, 200, 3 speed manual. 55,000 on the odometer but unsure if its 55,000 or 155,000. The car was running beautifully just about 1.5 months ago, when it was a little bit warmer. Suddenly when it started to get a tad cold, 60*F about things started to go down hill. The car required a fast idle speed or it wouldnt stay on, and when on it was really really rough. At this point I had a new battery, alternator, starter solenoid, spark plugs and wire, distributor condenser cap and ignition coil, as well as fuel filter. I realized my carb was really old and i could use a new one as the idle mixture screw wasn't doing anything, also the distributor wasn't advancing mechanically or with the vacuum due to age. So i bought a new distributor and new carburetor. And during the midst of installing the new distributor and carburetor i did an oil change, oil filter, and transmission fluid.
The car is turning over but now it won't start. So the car is turning over fine but won't start, although it sounds very close to starting. There is spark at the number 1 spark plug, it is blueish in color. I checked the coil on the side coming from the starter solenoid and it does have power via a test light, i checked the side from distributor and there is power only when the points are open. So there is spark, and i assume that the coil is working fine via these results. I also checked the carburetor and it is squirting fuel when i pull the accelerator spring thing, but i also tried putting a bit of fuel directly in the carburetor to see if it'll fire to eliminate the fuel pump being the issue. Also the rotor is on, it feels pretty tight but i feel it could be a bit tighter, as there is a tiny bit of play side to side.
So i'm not entirely sure what the problem could be or what to search for now. I was thinking i put in the distributor in wrong, but here is how i put it in: I put my finger in the hole of the number 1 spark plug, started turning over the engine by hand, felt for the pressure to blow my finger off, and to hear the air hissing, i then kept turning over the engine until i got the white line timing light on TDC. I put the distributor in making sure i left room to advance the timing without having the vacuum advance in the way, as well as made sure that the rotor would be pointing at the #1 spark plug on the distributor cap.
The car sounds very close to starting, but it just feels it needs a little push. With the battery fully charged i tried starting it with the rotor at i believe would be 0* advancing which was with the rotor pointing at the number 1 spark plug. No luck starting but it did sound close, so i attempting turning the housing a tad by advancing it and no luck there either. The carburetor did blow out some steam/vapor while i was doing this. I'm afraid to try anything else, but any advice would be much much appreciated!!
Best regards,
Joe.