Help please! 4.3 volvo won't start

[96 Wellcraft]

Last week I took the boat to the lake for the first run of the year, NO START. I checked for spark found none, pulled it to the driveway and started my diagnoses. I found the cap corroded badly. It now has new plugs and distributor cap, shop was backordered on rotors. I have fuel in the carb, fire to the d/cap, fire from the cap to all plugs. The boat is a 96 Wellcraft, 4.3 VP, with the SX drive.

I've worked gas engines for 30 years and I'm stumped. I checked all connections, made sure I had oil to rule out that. The only thing I haven't checked is the timing and compression, I'll be off to Advance early tomorrow for those tools.

Is there a safety switch I'm missing? Or something else simple. This is making me angry very, very angry. ??? Thanks!

 

[Bondo]

Re: Help please! 4.3 volvo won't start

Ayuh,........

Is Not turning Over,..??

Is it turning over,+ Not Starting,..??

Is it getting any Fuel,..??

 

[96 Wellcraft]

Re: Help please! 4.3 volvo won't start

Sorry for the garbled post.

Engine cranks fine.
There is spark everywhere there should be spark. At the cap and thru the plugs.
There is fuel to the throttle body.

This engine started fine last year, it hasn't even attempted to fire this year.
To me it truly does seem as if a safety switch is preventing it from starting. I'm going to charge the battery even though it cranks fine to remove that from consideration. I just don't understand, I have everything needed to run, Fuel Air and Spark.

 

[Don S]

Re: Help please! 4.3 volvo won't start

Pour some gas directly into the carb and try it.

 

[MikDee]

Re: Help please! 4.3 volvo won't start

I doubt you can accidently put that Dist cap on backwards, right? Also, Are you sure you have the firing order right? It's clockwise from the top 165432 (I believe?), as long as you have wire #1 on the same Dist terminal it was on to begin with,,, and nothing else was messed with.

 

[96 Wellcraft]

Re: Help please! 4.3 volvo won't start

Ok, here's where I am now.

First dumb question. I'm sure that #1 is the first plug on the right as I face the front of the engine. Correct? 1,3,5 on the right and 2,4,6 on the left.

So, based off that thought I found TDC by removing #1 plug and manually spinning the engine. I pulled the cap to mark the rotor button at #1, the rotor was aligned with #1. I loosened the the cap and moved the cap around to just find a spark. It backfires like the cap is 180 out. It's not possible, to get the cap that far out, 1. you can't spin it that far and I didn't have it loose. 2. The cap has a molded cutout for the ignition module.
Don S. I tried pouring a little gas in the carb, all that did was cause a backfire.
My next thoughts are to pull the distributor and make sure the gear didn't spin and hope that the camshaft drive gear didn't strip.

 

[MikDee]

Re: Help please! 4.3 volvo won't start

Ok, here's where I am now.

First dumb question. I'm sure that #1 is the first plug on the right as I face the front of the engine. Correct? 1,3,5 on the right and 2,4,6 on the left.

So, based off that thought I found TDC by removing #1 plug and manually spinning the engine. I pulled the cap to mark the rotor button at #1, the rotor was aligned with #1. I loosened the the cap and moved the cap around to just find a spark. It backfires like the cap is 180 out. It's not possible, to get the cap that far out, 1. you can't spin it that far and I didn't have it loose. 2. The cap has a molded cutout for the ignition module.
Don S. I tried pouring a little gas in the carb, all that did was cause a backfire.
My next thoughts are to pull the distributor and make sure the gear didn't spin and hope that the camshaft drive gear didn't strip.

Ok, Yes I agree how the cylinders are numbered,,, But talking about the Dist cap, Why did you mess with it (regarding timing?), instead of just finding #1 wire, & Dist terminal location on the old cap, and moving the wires over from the old Dist cap, to the new Dist cap in their correct respective order? You very well might be 180* out right now?

 

[RCSConstruction]

Re: Help please! 4.3 volvo won't start

So, based off that thought I found TDC by removing #1 plug and manually spinning the engine.

TDC on compression stroke? Or were you going by the timing mark on the balancer? Or both?

 

[Coors]

Re: Help please! 4.3 volvo won't start

Pull all the plugs, buy a 1/2" drive 24" long sears ratchet, along with $50 worth of sockets, including up to 1 and 1/4". Now you have some minimal tools(your prop nut is what size?
Sorry, back to the subject.
Put the 1/2 sears ratchet on the harmonic balancer bolt, and turn it, put your finger over plug #1; when it blows your finger off the hole, look at balancer.
It should be close to a timing mark.
The rotor should be pointing at #1, if it points opposite, pull it up and spin it 180.
buy a factory manual, and read it.
Out on the water is no time to be scratching a head about-how do I fix this?

 

[Coors]

Re: Help please! 4.3 volvo won't start

sorry, that was too harsh. I just hate seeing people drifting around, and the fix is easy. Learn the boat.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Help please! 4.3 volvo won't start

I agree with you Coors -- I hate to see people thrashing around aimlessly so it is very easy to get harsh at times. That said, why would one yank the distributor to check the cam gear when all one needs to do is pull the distributor cap and spin the engine over. If the rotor moves life is good -- if not, it ain't! Have you actually pulled the plugs to see if they are wet (as in getting fuel but no spark? Or dry, as in getting spark but no fuel. And you said it's getting spark to the plugs so what makes you thing there is a safety something preventing engine start. If you have fuel and spark there is no safety something to worry about. Lastly, how did you verify spark and its quality. Some spark is one thing. Normal spark is quite another.

 

[Ed R]

Re: Help please! 4.3 volvo won't start

Hey, start over, [deep breath] V6 gm, firing order in posted right on top of intake manifold ! pull #1 plug out , [coil wire off ] put finger over hole turn motor over till you fell air, [compession] while lineing up mark on balincer to timing cover, 0" [TDC] . set disb, to #1. that should get ya started. good luck! E.R.P.

 

[Don S]

Re: Help please! 4.3 volvo won't start

Did you put the plug wires on the distributor cap going the right direction?