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AQ140 wonbt run about to push off cliff

V

v20

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"I bought this boat and had it

"I bought this boat and had it running briefly before I took it apart ('79 AQ140/ 280). I had to pull the motor and replace the bearing in the bellhousing, a cam seal, timing belt, circulating pump, and the wiring harness. I also put kits in the carbs. I have tried to start it and it occassionally fires for a second and dies, but mostly does nothing. I have power to the points and I filed and gapped them. As soon as I get this running I will put electronic ignition in, but I want to isolate my problems for now. Does anyone have any ideas?
Also I have a purple wire connected to the distributor and another purple one that was cut off that came out of the harness near the distributor. I don't see it on my wiring diagram."
 
"Ted, you may want to verify t

"Ted, you may want to verify that the timing belt was installed correctly. Also, make sure that the ignition timing is reasonably close to what it sould be (6º-10º BTDC) and that the spark plug wires are installed correctly (the firing order is 1-3-4-2 and the distributor turns clockwise).

Also, if you have overhauled the carbs, you need to set the correct idle mixture and idle speed, then synchronize them properly (consider using a Uni-Syn tool for that).

The purple wire you mention is likely the one that goes to the alternator to excite the field coils. If so, it should have a resistor attached. However, it is also possible that your engine has had in the past the 3 wire alternator replaced by a single wire alternator, and in that case the purple wire would no longer be needed."
 
"I checked the timing belt aga

"I checked the timing belt again and all the marks lined up. Is it possible to have it 180 degrees out of time? I left the distributor alone when I had the motor out so the timing should be resonably close, but since it won't run I can't time it. I just checked the coil resistance and found it was about 2 ohms. Also, it does have a GM type single wire alternator so that explains the purple wire. Any ideas?"
 
"Put #1 piston on TDC at the e

"Put #1 piston on TDC at the end of the compression stroke, then remove the distributor cap and see where the rotor is pointing. If it is pointing towards #1 spark plug lead, then it is installed correctly, and you may just have to loosen the screw securing the distributor flange to the block and move the dizzy clockwise or counterclockwise until you find apoint where the engine starts (you can set afterwards the ignition timing properly). But if the rotor points towards #4, then it is 180º off.

The coil resistance for your engine should be 3 ohms."
 
"With all of your timing marks

"With all of your timing marks aligned, pull of the distributor cap and see were the rotor is pointed. This will tell you if you are 180 out on the timing. It should point to the #1 plug wire."
 
OK. So it's TDC on the c

OK. So it's TDC on the compression stroke (or maybe the exhaust stroke) and the distributor rotor is pointing exactly opposite of the #1 or front cyclinder plug wire. I know the marks on all the pulleys are lined up. I thought the marks on the timing belt pulley by the distributor would not line up in this case. Am I wrong?
 
"Ted, to determine that #1 cyl

"Ted, to determine that #1 cylinder is at the end of the compression stroke, you can either remove the spark plug and put your finger in the hole, then start turning the crankshaft until you don't feel compression; or you can remove the head cover and look that both the intake and the exhaust cams' base circles are pointing towards the valves."
 
Darn. I can't get my fing

Darn. I can't get my finger in there with the exhaust manifold on. I guess I'll have to pull the valve cover. If I find I'm indeed 180 degrees out on the distributor can I just pull the distributor and reinstall it or do I have to drain the cooling system again and take everything back apart to take the timing belt off and do it that way? I'm also noticing that my delco alternator fan is striking the alternator mount. I gues it's time to file down the mount.
 
"Ok, I pulled the valve cover

"Ok, I pulled the valve cover and found I'm at TDC. The distributor is 180 out. Can I just pull it out and put it back correctly, leaving the timing belt alone?"
 
I lined it up and it popped ba

I lined it up and it popped back and caught fire. I put it out and think everything is OK. I checked all the timing marks again and they were all out of wack. I lined them up and rolled the motor over and they were out of whack again. I tried three more times with the same results. I rolled it over slowly to make sure the belt wasn't slipping and everything seemed fine. I am now completely lost.
 
"I think you need to start fro

"I think you need to start from scratch. Get hold of the Seloc or Clymer manuals and follow the procedure for installing the timing belt. You should know, however, that the marks in the belt won't line up with the marks in the gears after you have started the engine, but the relative positions of the gears with respect to each other will remain unless the timing belt is slipping. Then bring #1 piston to TDC at the end of the compression stroke. Then install the distributor in such a manner that the rotor is pointing towards the connection in the cap for #1 spark plug wire. Then install the spark plug wires in the distributor cap (clockwise 1-3-4-2), then attempt to start the engine.

One note of caution: if you are not sure of what you are doing, you may want to bring the boat to a marine shop and let them do it for you."
 
OK. That makes much more sens

OK. That makes much more sense. I go try that.
The wires are in the cap correctly. I'll line it all up and see if it runs.
 
Thank you very much. It is pu

Thank you very much. It is puring like a kitten! I guess I just got a mental block working on that or got frustrated. ...now for the elctronic ignition installion. I decided to try the "hot spark" brand instead of Pertronics like I've used on many old cars. It's 101 degrees outside and probably ten or twenty degrees hotter in the barn but I'm doing it right now anyway. I post how it goes later.
 
ted i just installed the hot s

ted i just installed the hot spark in my aq131a and it works awsome make sure your coil is at least 1.5 to 3 ohms and you should be fine
 
It looks like it is about 2 oh

It looks like it is about 2 ohms. I had to head to West Marine for more parts so I'll finish in the morning.
 
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