Ignition Questions

[JayTheGent]

I recently put in a new distributor. Got everything lined up and she fired right up. Drove for a while, turned the car off and went to the store. When I got back, she would crank but not start.

Pulled the fuel plugs, they weren't wet so I was pretty sure I was getting spark. Pulled the fuel return line (a huge rush of fuel came out), put it back on and she fired up again.

Replaced the fuel filter thinking it might be clogged. Again, she'd crank, but not start. Adjusted the distributor a little and got her to fire up again. Finally pulled out my timing light, looks like I'm at about 5 to 10 degrees BTDC, I think I should be at 15 but can't get there without moving the distributor another tooth. What do yall recommend?

I checked fuel pressure a few days ago when trouble shooting the distributor problem. Got up to 40 PSI then slowly dropped when turning the key to the on position. Any help is appreciated.

[atraudes]

The first thing I'd do is get the timing dialed in. It's something you should do anyway, so it feels like a good starting point. Then verify spark. Pull a plug, hold the side of it up to the head and have someone crank it for a second. If you see it spark then that's fine. How old are the spark plug wires?

Your fuel pressure and dropoff rate sounds good.

What happens if you floor the gas while cranking when it refuses to start?

If all else fails, cast an eye on your coolant temperature sensor. On my car there's a separate sensor for the temperature gauge in your dash, so the gauge working isn't an indication of whether the one the ECU uses is functional. I believe yours is the same case. The FSM will have procedures on how to test it (you may need to test it when it's hot).