Can't start after valley job

[Bitsyncmaster]

Check your pipe of agony. Remove the air cleaner, shine a light on the drivers side where the pipe enters the mixture unit, press the air flap down and see if any light is showing around the end of the pipe.

[Parzival]

Check your pipe of agony. Remove the air cleaner, shine a light on the drivers side where the pipe enters the mixture unit, press the air flap down and see if any light is showing around the end of the pipe.

Yeah, I'm pretty comfortable with the air pipe. I've removed and reinstalled my idle speed motor dozens of times during my ownership, and I've never found the pipe hard to install into the mixture unit. I always place a very thin bit of gasket silicon on it when ever I place it. I can see its all the way in looking through the plate.

[Parzival]

What do guys think the chances are that its just crazy flooded? Like that cold start valve has just been firing away and now the plugs are wet, and the cylinders are full of gas?
I mean I've been trying like hell to get it started.
It ran for 2 minutes or so the other day, which leads me to believe that it would have cleared the flooding during that, but could be flooded again I suppose?
Thoughts?

[Citizen]

What do guys think the chances are that its just crazy flooded? Like that cold start valve has just been firing away and now the plugs are wet, and the cylinders are full of gas?
I mean I've been trying like hell to get it started.
It ran for 2 minutes or so the other day, which leads me to believe that it would have cleared the flooding during that, but could be flooded again I suppose?
Thoughts?

Suggestion: Pick one or two cylinders easiest to remove the plug and look inside with a flash light (be sure to use your air compressor to blow away any dirt/debris BEFORE removing the plug, lest debris make its way down into the cylinder). You might be able to tell if the cylinder is dry. If so, you're probably not flooded. If dry, you can then spray a shot of starter fluid directly into the cylinder(s) and replace the plug/wire quickly, then try to start the car. Maybe one or two cylinders will fire.

Thomas

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[David T]

If it doesn't start (and you just worked on it) the problem is most likely something you just did. A bad part, a part not installed correctly, a wire or hose forgotten or accidentally knocked loose, that kind of thing. The first step is a visual inspection. Hard to do since it is your mistake and you already missed it so the chances of seeing it are low. Best to get someone else who may see it. Next is to start from the beginning and check for spark and/or fuel. See if there is pressure on the air sensor plate when you try pushing it down to confirm fuel pressure. Try a shot of Ether while cranking to see if it will fire or pull an HT lead and check for spark (Do NOT try both at the same time!!!!). Once you can confirm the lack of fuel or spark you have at least narrowed it down to which system to trouble-shoot.

[Erik]

I would double check the firing order and replace the spark plugs, may be fouled out by now with all of the extra fuel from trying to start.

[Parzival]

Today, I took the plugs out and cleaned them, I put a borescope down the holes ( i don't really know why, I just kinda did) everything looked fine I guess, just saw the top of the cylinders. I put the scope down into the valley just to make sure my connections there survived the installation of the manifold, again all looked well.
Re assembled and.... .....Drum Roll..... .....Nothing happened. Still dead as a door nail, and I'm outa stuff to try. Probably gonna tow it to DMCFL and have them fix whatever I screwed up. Remember it was running fine before I decided to replace the water pump.

[Parzival]

I would double check the firing order and replace the spark plugs, may be fouled out by now with all of the extra fuel from trying to start.

It did actually run for 2 minutes before, so order is good.

[kings1527]

Check your pipe of agony. Remove the air cleaner, shine a light on the drivers side where the pipe enters the mixture unit, press the air flap down and see if any light is showing around the end of the pipe.

+1 on that. I had a similar situation happen not long ago and even though I fitted the pipe of agony in place correctly, it ultimately popped out of place as I was putting the idle speed motor back in place. If you were working fine before the teardown, this is going to be something simple. Chances of a part going bad at the exact same time as all this is remote. The thermotime switch has a built in cutoff to prevent flooding of the engine due to repeated cranking (that's the TIME in thermotime) so I don't think you'd have an issue there. On the other hand, a pipe of agony out of place gives a very distinct and pretty loud hiss as you're cranking. Trust me.

You're sure the fuel lines were all replaced in proper locations? Maybe a plug swap check....warm up regulator plug to the cold start plug....and then try starting it. If you run for a brief time but then conks out as soon as you unplug it, at least you rule out electrical and can further investigate the fuel path but aside from inertia switch and fuel pump problems which you seem confident are absent, I'm still leaning towards a vacuum leak somewhere or misplaced fuel lines. Going with a simple fix here somewhere in the valley teardown process.

And one other thing...was the mixture unit out long enough for the distributor plunger to get stuck? Worth a check since fuel is the likely culprit here.

[Ron]

Sure sounds more and more like air/fuel... No mention of smelling raw gas after all of that cranking. Pulled plugs and everything looked fine -- The plugs and chamber etc, should of been soaked proper by now, spark or not ;-)