WTF? Car won't fire up?!?

[Whistler]

I had to replace my lower and upper intake gaskets this weekend...I get everything back together and let the silicone on the lower intake dry 24 hrs. Get in the car tonight to fire it up and it just cranks and cranks. The damn thing ran a week ago and the only thing I did was replace the gaskets. I have checked and double checked the wiring and everything looks good. The distributor is right on the mark I made when I removed it, the spark plugs smell like gas when I remove them, I can hear the fuel pump prime when I turn the key, and the rotor lines up with the #1 cylinder. I have an extra coil laying around so I tried that, nothing. I tried a diferent set of wires, nothing. There doesn't seem to be any fuel leaks anywhere and I'm using a new set of plugs (autolite 23's gapped at .035).

Anyone have any suggestions for me? The car was running before replacing the gaskets and all I did was take everything apart and put it back together!?! I really don't want to take everything apart AGAIN (for the 4th time) :(

[root]

1 - Did you do anything to your rockers?
2 - How did you mark the dizzy? On the block and #1?
3 - Do you have a MSD box?

I would set the dizzy again.

Ian

[5150 LX]

Ditto on what Ian said, my bet it's the distributor. If not then I'd look at the MSD if you are running one, mine has just up and died on me before w/o warning or previous symptoms.

[mechfan81]

check your dist cap.

[Whistler]

I didn't touch the rockers. Actually, I didn't even take the valve covers off and I'm still running the stock ignition.

After taking a couple hours to settle down, I'll agree with you guys and bet it's the distributor. It's the only thing that I could have flocked up. :) I'll set it again tomorrow morning and report back.

[Whistler]

OK, I got the POS running after setting the distributor but now there's another problem. It seems as if I forgot a bolt in the back of the driver's side cylinder head. Coolant was pumping out of it when the car was idling. :)

Now, there is a bolt that's used as a ground right beside the missing bolt. Is the missing bolt a ground as well? Does anyone know the size and thread count of the bolt I'm missing?? It's the driver's side cylinder head, at the right rear corner (if you're looking at the engine from the front of the car)

Thanks for the help yuns guys!

[5150 LX]

Dan, one hole leads to the EGR passage (no coolant in there) and the other holes are not blind holes, meaning that they will not lead into a coolant passage. You are loosing coolant from elsewhere. I would start double checking all the hoses and looking for pinhole leaks, if that turns up nothing then the lower intake may be the culprit.

[Whistler]

Sean, I put my finger over the hole when the car was idling. I could see AND feel water shooting out of the hole. The back of the lower intake is perfectly dry and so is the front. Everything on the motor is dry except the right rear of the driver's side cylinder head. If I can get a hold of a digi cam, I could try and take a pic.

If the hole isn't blind, how is water shooting out of it?

[5150 LX]

Man I have never run across that before. My e-bock's did not have blind holes, nor do my TFS's. I believe you if you say that's where the coolant is coming from, I just have never seen that before. Strange indeed.

[WOHORSY]

are you sure its not the freeze out plug in back of the cylinder head ?

[Whistler]

are you sure its not the freeze out plug in back of the cylinder head ?

Could be. The passenger side head has the same thing but there is too much gunk in it for me to feel around. Is there anything besides another plug that would work in that hole? The hole is pretty small. I can't even get my pinky finger in it.

[WOHORSY]

the freeze out plug is a little bigger than a half dollar coin. if you can squeeze a small mirror behind the head and take a pic that would be a big help. as for coolant passages, the only one that should be back there is the freeze plug.

[Whistler]

the freeze out plug is a little bigger than a half dollar coin.

Ok, now I know where you're talking about. It's not the freeze out plug then. The freeze out plug is just below where the air and water are coming out. I'll try and get a picture taken by the end of the week. I need to get this POS on the road before summer passes by!

[5150 LX]

Sounds like you are getting coolant into the EGR passage somehow.....beats the crap outta me

[Whistler]

I'm going to try some J.B. Weld to seal the hole up....if it doesn't work, then I'll have a good reason to buy some AFR 165's or Eddy 6039's

Now that I think about it, would removing my heater lines affect anything? I removed the hard lines, used a plug for the water pump, and plugged the line going into the EGR plate. The other line the goes to the EGR plate (line from the plate to the rear of the lower intake) is still connected.