i would be thankful for some help :)

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i would be thankful for some help :)

November 17, 2006, 07:45:19 AM

well i recently got a 87 cougar from my friend it's a 3.8 and at first all he said is i needed some bolts for the timing chain cover which i got and even got a new timing chain cause i was stupid enough to listen to my friends stoner dad and now i'm scared the reason y it's not starting is cause of that cause i get in and i try to crank it but it gives me one of those little try's to start like it's the battery but we put my friends in there and it just started and then it would die but now it won't even start and my friend said it might be the starter which i'm going to take out and have tested but if anyone else has any idea's on y my car won't stay running and y it won't even start i would love to hear any idea's you guys have since you are the pro's at this

i would be thankful for some help :)

Reply #1 – November 17, 2006, 10:46:27 AM

I take it that your friends dad mentioned getting a new timing chain because they thought that was the reason it wouldn't run. So am I right in guessing they didn't replace the chain or gears? Did they take the old chain off and put it back on? They may have thought it sliped a gear tooth and wouldn't start. Failing a correction by moving a gear forward or back they may have given up on it. It's all pure conjecture by me though. A couple of things you could do would be to tease out the post codes and or check the play[slop/looseness] in the timing chain. If your friend is any friend he/she should answer the question, why the bolts to the cover were missing in the first place. If your serious about fixing it yourself sooner or later your going to need the tools to do the job or a real friend to help you. Good luck let us know how it turns out.:2c:

i would be thankful for some help :)

Reply #2 – November 17, 2006, 11:44:54 AM

Where are you located? If you arent to far away I wouldnt have a problem helping you out.

i would be thankful for some help :)

Reply #3 – November 17, 2006, 12:46:28 PM

If it sounds like the battery is dead when it cranks, the timing may be too advanced.
It can sound like this:
"rrr...rrr...rrr...FUM...rrr...rrr..rrr...FUM..."

If you feel this could be the problem, I would suggest you perform the timing procedure from start to stop (so to speak).
Keep us posted.

i would be thankful for some help :)

Reply #4 – November 17, 2006, 12:52:47 PM

did you make sure your engine was at top dead center when you installed the geats and chain? Cuz on the sprockets there are dots one on the top sprocket and one on the bottom. The engine needs to be set at top dead center. Number 1 cyl at te top of the compression stroke. Then once that is established you can instally your gears. Remember the dots i told ya bout. now you need to alighn them. the one on the bottom should be facing the top and the one on the top gear should face the bottom. thats how ya do it right but an easy way for ya to tell if you have it right is put the engine to top dead center by bumping the key or turning the engine over by hand. how that is done is by taking your half inch drive ratchet or even a boxed wrentch the size of the bolt turn it so the it is at top dead center how to feel for that is put your finger in the spark plug hole and feel for compression. then take your cover off and look at the gears and see if the dots are ligned up if not get them linged up. That should fix the no start.

i would be thankful for some help :)

Reply #5 – November 17, 2006, 01:09:27 PM

If his timing is off, could he bend the valves by cranking the engine?

i would be thankful for some help :)

Reply #6 – November 17, 2006, 01:46:37 PM

well if the timing is off he could get the symptoms hes getting. cuz it tryes to go but nothing. and if it were a bent valve then there would be other symtoms. like a knocking in the valve train apon starting. and yes a bent valve could not let an engine run if it was the right one. like on the number one cyl.

i would be thankful for some help :)

Reply #7 – November 17, 2006, 06:11:55 PM

Sorry I am in utah, so a trip from new york would not work. I got it from haystack. Another member from the board. We replaced the timing chain, timing chain cover, water pump and distributor.

If you all remember right, its an 87 v-6, two tone blue. Haystack decided not to fix it during the winter, let it sit for almost a year, and then had to get rid of it because he was moving and had no place to put it. So I got it for free :).

I think that it might have something to do with the starter, I got a new starter and havent been able to get the old one off yet. It will run the battery completly dead in maybe 30 seconds or less of cranking. I do belive that the timing chain was installed correctly, and the crank and cam dots are in line when at TDC.

It could be the timing is too advanced, we basically just stuck the distributor in the hole and tried to crank it.

So should I try to retard the timing? Is there anyway to tell if we got the distributor in correctly?

Thanks alot for the help.

i would be thankful for some help :)

Reply #8 – November 17, 2006, 08:48:20 PM

Try adjusting the timing. That should help out some.

i would be thankful for some help :)

Reply #9 – November 17, 2006, 11:54:03 PM

well then it sounds like your 180 out.

i would be thankful for some help :)

Reply #10 – November 18, 2006, 08:48:28 AM

Quote

we basically just stuck the distributor in the hole and tried to crank it.

:wtf:

Quote

well then it sounds like your 180 out.

Or some other amount, depending on which drive gear tooth you managed to engage. Get the engine to TDC using the marks on the harmonic blancer, pull off the distributor cap, and see which wire the rotor is pointing at. You did put the plug wires back on in the proper order, right?

i would be thankful for some help :)

Reply #11 – November 18, 2006, 04:07:29 PM

Quote from: MasterBlaster;114264

:wtf: Get the engine to TDC using the marks on the harmonic blancer, pull off the distributor cap, and see which wire the rotor is pointing at.

It should be pointing at #1 or #5.

i would be thankful for some help :)

Reply #12 – November 21, 2006, 02:03:25 PM

okay i haven't quite gotten that starter on but does anyone know an easy way to get that top bolt off cause i can get to it but it's right in a spot there no matter where i put my ratchet i don't have enough room to get it to click and then also we have come to the conclusion that the timing is all messed up and i have no idea how to get to the number one spark plug well i can get to it just not do anything with it cause either the ratchet won't fit or i can't get it to turn so i'm just wondering if there is an easy way to get that too so i would love the help with this too thanks for the advice on it before

i would be thankful for some help :)

Reply #13 – November 21, 2006, 02:25:41 PM

Use a series of extensions for the top bolt. Make them long enough that you actually go past the strut tower and all that.

To find TDC on my engine I just pulled out the plug on the #1 cylinder. I then turned the crankshaft with a breaker bar and watched through the hole with a flashlight.

i would be thankful for some help :)

Reply #14 – November 21, 2006, 06:30:13 PM

sorry to hijack but I have a starter question myself. on 84filas car the starter ether seems not to throw out the bendix or its just not lighning upright with the flywheel. Its like it will engage the flywheel just barley then slip off. But the bolts are tight and the starter sits flush with where it mounts too. My thinking was to grind down a bit of the bracket if not or the bendix is the prob. But this is the 2nd or 3rd starter. Im lost on this one. Figured id pop on and help him out on this one.