I have a 1961 Oldsmobile 215 v8 that has been rebuilt and installed in a 1977 MGB. The motor has spark and fuel, but will not start. I have the number 1 cylinder on TDC and have traced the plug wire to the distributor and made sure the rotor is pointed toward the #1 wire. I have replaced the points with a pertronix HEI ignition and also removed the balast resistor. The engine has compression of around 180 psi per cylinder and I can't turn it over by hand but it turns with a ratchet and socket. It is tight.


Sometimes the motor turns over fast, sometime it turns over slow. Everything is new. Has anyone experienced this issue with their 215 V8?


Any help or direction is greatly appreciated.


Roger

 

Roger,


Sounds like a WICKED project! I knew a guy when I was stationed in England that shoehorned a Lancia Betaengine in a MG Miget....it was ugly fast.


Back to task at hand. The distributer turns CCW so your firing order should be CCW, too. Are you sure you are on TDC compression and not TDC exhaust?


Let me knowhow those look.


C.J.Edited by: texasred

 

Thank you for the information, I was looking at the rotation of the rotor and it is turning in a CW rotation not CCW. I'm wondering if I could have put the gear that runs the distributor in backwards? I have the firing order correct for the CW rotation, but if it's supposed to be CCW, then that might just be the issue. I will check and let you know.


Here is a picture. It will be really cool when done but it's been a struggle since I rebuilt it.


[img]uploads/mgbv8/3646Z_DCP01984.JPG[/img]

 

I went through the motors manual and the 215 v8 does rotate in a clockwise direction. After installing the Pertronix ignition, I have a great spark but it iswhite in color. I took off the valve cover and removed the #1 spark plug and turned the motor over so I was sure it was on the compression stroke. I made sure the rotor was pointing toward the tower on the cap for #1 and the timing mark was on TDC. With the key on, I put the plug in #1 wire and then moved the distributor until the plug sparked. I tightened the distributor down, reinstalled the plug and the valve cover. It still did not start.





What am I doing wrong? HELP....

 

Nice shoehorn job! Very neat.


Apologies about the CW/CCW thing.


Sounds silly, but have you tried jump starting it?


Fuel...Can you see a "spray" in the carb? After cranking it with the throttle open, do the plugs smell like fuel?


C.J.

 

Thank you, I pulled the engine and went through the clearance things again and the timing gear alignment. Everything was where the motors manual specs said it should be. The weird thing is that I still need to turn the crank with a ratchet and socket cause it is tight. I called where I bought the bearings and ringsand they told me that is common and once it starts, to run the engine for 30 minutes at 2000 rpm and after that the engine will break in. The other thing is the engine has new rod bearings, crank bearings, rings, lifters, cam, push rods, timing gears and chains, etc...... It has a hydraulic throw out bearing and hi torque starter (will spin over a 455) new flywheel clutch and all of that hooked up to a T5 V8 transmission and 3:70 rear end.


I have sprayed fuel in the carb and it doesn't pop, but the plugs are wet. I have jumped it with a 50 amp battery charger but it really didn't make a difference. I have an EZ Wire harness and I'm thinking of bypassing it by running a wire directly to the + side of the coil and jumping the starter. I'll try jumping with my car and see if that helps.


Thanks for the ideas, I appreciate the help as I'm starting to lose my perspective





Roger


Here's a recent picture.


[img]uploads/mgbv8/1291F_DCP02080.JPG[/img]





When the engine was out, I painted the engine compartment with spatter paint and also relocated the remote oil filter.