Hard Starting/Bucking 1963 Fuelie!

[Rick A.]

Yesterday, I decided to work on the 1963 SWC and start swapping parts that came in on Friday. All the old bolts, screws, etc. for the bumpers, grill, bezels, etc. are in. I replaced the belts, distributor cap, coil, head lamps, spark plug wires, and a couple of the lens that were cracked.

Tried to start the old girl and she backfired on me! This is a 360 hp fuelie, and has never done this before! Finally did start and seemed to run fine. But about an hour later when I tried to start her again, she backfired on me again and then wouldn't start?

Suggestions? Spark plug wires? Coil? Distributor cap?

FYI - doing all of these changes after the recent NCRS in Glen Burnie, MD

[Patrick H.]

Re: Hard Starting/Bucking 1963 Fuelie!

I'd triple and quadruple check that you got the wires on in the correct order, and they're all on tight. Been there and done that. I now mark them with tape until I'm done, replacing one at a time, to be sure I install them correctly.

Just a thought. And also make sure your distributor cap is on tight.

Patrick

[Mike McKown]

Re: Hard Starting/Bucking 1963 Fuelie!

Rick:

I'd start looking at the parts you replaced, particularly the coil and cap. Especially if they are used ones. I'm making an assumption you were trying to replace parts with ORIGINAL parts. Coils do wierd things including no starts and backfires. So do distributor caps.

If you say it started and ran fine once, since the parts change, I would look at the plug wires and the fuel unit last. Might be an ignition condenser. Pull your coil wire and crank the engine. If you have a hot blue spark, your condenser is okay. If you have no spark, put a 12 volt test lamp on the minus secondary coil terminal and crank the engine. If your test light flashes, your points are breaking and likely okay. If your test light does not flash but stays lit, your points are not breaking either due to corrosion/erosion of the contacts or mis-adjusted.

Someone else can give you a quick test for the coil. They mystify me.

Mike

[Ed Jennings]

Re: Hard Starting/Bucking 1963 Fuelie!

Agree with the above. Also, check your cranking signal valve if you are still using one. They don't like backfires. Tough on the diaphrams.

[roy braatz]

Re: Hard Starting/Bucking 1963 Fuelie!

Could be your coil wire is shorting out on the dist. shielding. Remove your shielding and see if it starts and runs OK.

[Dennis C.]

Re: Hard Starting/Bucking 1963 Fuelie!

Rick - As long as you are checking things after a backfire on an 63/65 FI car, just for giggles, check the air cleaner. Once, on backfire, I had the foam element project itself forward off the cone and block the incoming air. I managed to achieve the "super choke"... As you might imagine, the motor was much happier once I reinstalled it correctly.