Ok, well I know this is definitely not the board for this and as a moderator, I should know better than to post this question here, but I don't have time to find a good board for the question...

I'm at my girlfriend's house working on her '66 Mustang (289 4-barrel). The car is basically in good shape, but it sat for 2 years without being driven and naturally doesn't start anymore. Over the weekend, I flushed out the old gas and filled it up with fresh gas, changed the oil, flushed the cooling system, changed the distributor cap and rotor, coil, spark plug wires, spark plugs, starter solenoid, air filter, oil filter, battery, cleaned out the carb and I can't remember what else. After all that I finally tried starting it and the best I could get was backfiring with flames shooting out of the carb. I checked the plug wires and I had a couple of them crossed, so I made sure all were in the right places. Now they are, but it just turns over without firing. I'm definitely getting a spark because I can disconnet a plug wire, hold it a couple inches from the plug and get it to arc a good inch or two. I thought maybe a wasn't getting fuel, so I turned the engine over with the fuel line just chillin' and it spurted fuel. So I have fuel, air, and spark... WHY THE HELL WONT IT START?!?!! And just to make matters worse, on sunday night it suddenly stopped wanting to turn over at all. I just turn the key and nothing happens. Not a click. But the interior lights are still on. So I came back today with another new starter solenoid. Before I put it in, I tried to turn it over and it did. Then it stopped again. So I put the new solenoid in and it still wont turn over.

So I have two major problems:
1. It sometimes just decides it doesn't want to turn over anymore and I don't know why.
2. When it does turn over, it just wont start.

If anyone can help, please do so ASAP or at least post a good address to go ask for help. I'm at her house right now and I don't want to leave until I get the damn thing running.

 

Don't know if this is any help, but here goes. There are several things that may affect the starter, but the most likely are either a poor ground, or poor lead to the starter. Check them both. It is also possible that the starter windings are not good. This can create a "dead" spot(s) where it won't turn over.

When you fired the engine with the plugs crossed, you would have definitly have had some pretty bad ignition fires outside the normal timing. I don't know what, if any damage may have occurred to valves, timing gears, chain, etc. Let's hope none, but you saw the backfire. Too many potentials to know why it won't start, but high on the list would be the carburator. If they sit for long periods, laquer will form on the needle valves. You usually get a very rich mixture. If it smells flooded, it is.

 

I'm no mechanic, but on a seperate note...

What motor is in the car? Is it a regular 289 or is it a "K" Code 289?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tex_S2K
[B]Don't know if this is any help, but here goes. There are several things that may affect the starter, but the most likely are either a poor ground, or poor lead to the starter. Check them both. It is also possible that the starter windings are not good. This can create a "dead" spot(s) where it won't turn over.

 

If you can get it to turn over, you might want to do a quick check of the compression to ensure that the valve train and cylinders are working. If you don't have a compression guage, just pull the plug out and press your finger over the hole. Turn it over a couple of times. Any cylinder that does not have compression will be evident.

Also, a lot of those old starters will overheat and stop working, or strain to turn over. If you have really been on it, that is also a potential. You checked the obvious with the selenoid, but if you changed them, then that is not the problem. Good Luck!

 

Make sure your distributor cap is oriented correctly. Some older caps can be placed in any(wrong) orientation and some can be placed 180 degrees off. if that is done, check timing.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SCS2k
[B]Make sure your distributor cap is oriented correctly.

 

Yes, sounds like my old Comet. The timing chain sprockets have a metal core, with nylon gears molded on to them. The nylon gets old (like me) and brittle (like me) and falls apart. This really screws up the valve timing. It is not very fun taking the timing cover off to check because most of the bolts just strip or break off.

Compression check should reveal some issues I would imagine as others expressed.

Enjoy.

 

BTW, the cap is indexed to only go on one way. Hopefully the ohters suggestion as to being cross wired is what happened (easy to fix).

 

10:1 it's the carb dude!

Questions:
Did the car run the last time someone drove it (2 yrs ago)?
Why did humans stop using this vehicle?
Is whatever was busted still busted?
Float bowl got fuel in it (accel pump squirting?)?
Rolling car in neutral? And thinking the starter gives a shit?