Hello again . . I'm having issues getting the '68 to fire up. Have only started it twice, once to get in the drive and then again into the garage.

In looking at both the '68 Supplement and my color coded wiring diagrams - I find a 20 gauge yellow wire from the positive post of the coil to the starter solenoid "R" terminal and a black wire from the negative coil post to the distributor.

On the vehicle (new to me in December) I find a yellow wire and a brown with winding stripe coming from the harness plus a red wire from the distributor attached to the positive post. There is also a black wire from the distributor to the negative post.

CONFUSED much . . YUP, I am!

HELP!!!

Thanks for your input,
Dennis in Austin

It sounds like you have a Pertronix electronic ignition. Those would be the black and red wires from the dist. The woven looking wire next to the yellow one is the resistance wire for the points. It starts over at the connector between the body and the engine harnesses. Some of the Pertronix want full 12 volts but if you are using a stock coil it needs to go thru the resister wire to keep it from getting to hot. We would need to know what parts you have to fully answer what you need. I would start by checking to see if you have any spark. That will tell you which way to head to figure out why it won't start.

RJ tools
Salem,Oregon

Thanks Rex . . .

As I stopped for lunch I recalled a number of posts dealing with the Pertronix and looked them up on the www. Found the red & black wires and then assumed that was why those wire colors came from the distributor. Not everything I have read was saying good things about the Pertronix pieces?!

After taking the wife for a Dr. appointment this afternoon, I will look more closely at the cap + and then check for spark.

I did an ohm check on the coil (with all wires detached) and found that it may not be in spec? Looks like a china substitute so will be looking more closely at that also.

Thanks for your post . . I'm sure to be following up with this tonight or tomorrow.

So . . get back to the garage. Try for a spark on #6. Ask "she who must be obeyed" to crank it for 3 seconds while I have a plug in semi-darkness. Car fires up?! She can't take the noise because the mufflers are off. Thanks dear . . you can go back in the house.

It will fire, run for 15 maybe 20 seconds and cuts off. Sounds like it has a real loping cam and there is white vapor (smoke?) coming up from the throat of the right side carb?

Cannot keep it running . . . timing? I set the timing to 14 degrees previously .. before I put on the new o-rings and cold set the valves. I've seen the rpm's vary when when hot setting the valves on my '66. But, I would think that a cold setting valves would not affect the idle so much?

So .. apparently it's getting spark, when I pull the crossover linkage I see the gas squirt as I look into the carb throats and the coil seems to be putting out even though my ohm meter said it was out of spec?

I don't want to just start doing things willy-nilly .. so ideas on what should be my course of action here?

Pull all the spark plugs and do a compression check. I suspect valves set to tight

"Run She May, Shine She Must"
Been Aircooled Since 1973
Northwest Ohio 45840

Along with the compression check, sounds like you may have a vacuum leak at one or both of the carbs. Check for a bad vacuum choke pull off or a bad vacuum plug.

1964 Monza Coupe
1965 Corsa 140
1967 Monza Coupe

Maryville, TN
U.S. 129 The"Tail Of The Dragon"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2023 01:15PM by 1966-Corsa-GT-180.

Yep, compression test is next step. Bring us the numbers.

Frank DuVal

Fredericksburg, VA

I'm diggin' your writing style, Dennis!
You are surely having some fun with this hobby!

Compression check involves - all spark plugs out AND throttles FULL OPEN!

BTW, SWMBO can be replaced with a remote starter switch!

Ex of Texas - born in San Antonio!

---

Dan Davis ~ Pierce County, WA ~ CCF admin ~
CORSA +Corvairs NW + North Cascades Corvairs + Corvanatics
1966 Corsa Turbo coupe ~ ~ 1966 Corsa 140 Coupe ~ ~ 1965 Monza 140/4 Convertible Sierra Tan/Fawn ~ 1964 Monza Spyder Convertible ~ 1960 Monza Ermine White/Red PG ++ ~ 1965 Monza 140/4 CoupeEvening Orchid w/ ivory/black interior ~ 1962 Monza Wagon 102/4 ~ 1963 Rampside/Scamper ~ 1963 Red/Greenbrier ~ 1969 Ultra Van #468

Thanks all . . .

Will definitely start with a compression check this morning .. thanks .. should have the numbers to you later today .. depending on SWMBO plans!!

Ratt643 .. carbs were rebuilt with new pull offs recently. Vacuum plug also new. But, the vacuum body to right carb hose is original .. time to get some new hose & replace that. Also, your address brings back good memories - attended UT Knoxville 1968-'73 and loved riding my motorcycle through the Smokies, Cherokee Nat'l Forest, Cades Cove and western NC. My best buddy lived in Maryville. Still miss the mountains.

Dan Davis - thanks, I am truly enjoying the Corvairs .. when I'm not cussing the engineers because I can't get my big mitts into all the tight spaces!!

Well .. it's been an interesting day! Found my nearby NAPA store (I worked there as a part time parts delivery guy until Covid 19 hit) had a remote starting switch and the vacuum hose I needed .. plus a couple things I didn't know I needed!!

So, after redoing the major vacuum line to right carb - and finding the pull off line detached (??!!), I set up the switch, fully opened the throttles, removed the wire from the distributor to the negative post off the coil, and removed the distributor to coil high energy wire from the distributor and ground it with a lead to a nearby bolt.

Was not having fun removing the right rear tire to get under the car to attach the switch wires to the solenoid .. so I went to Google and found a great little video that I imagine everyone else knows about? But, if not, here it is: [youtu.be] The only thing I did differently was attach my remote switch leads to the screw and positive battery post. So much easier than going to the starter solenoid!!

I ran the compression test twice (with my new Bosch Fix 7828 tester) and here are the results:

#6 167 & 172
#5 167 & 165
#4 167 & 172
#3 155 & 157
#2 190 & 185
#1 170 & 170

I have read that there should be no more than a 10% difference from highest to lowest .. but then (when I did a on my '66) I was also told to not worry too much about the differences and "just run it". Not my usual style .. but O.K., guys with much more experience than me said not to be concerned with as much as 20% differences??!!

One other interesting thing occurred while doing this exercise - the right carb would puff a like a locomotive after about the second cylinder compression stroke?! Have no idea about that condition?!

Ideas/thoughts/concerns and help given will be appreciated - THANKS.

stumpy Wrote:
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One other interesting thing occurred while doing this exercise - the right carb would puff a like a locomotive after about the second cylinder compression stroke?! Have no idea about that condition?!

Was this test done with both carbs. held wide open? The only thing I can think of that would puff out the carb. would be a intake valve not completely sealing.

"Run She May, Shine She Must"
Been Aircooled Since 1973
Northwest Ohio 45840

Thanks for the thought Wagon Master . . . I find it interesting that it was #3 - the lowest compression of all. If your thought is correct, perhaps that is why the lower numbers? Your first reply stated you thought the valves might be set too tight. I set them cold, with a .015" feeler gauge and then tightened 1/2 revolution - as mentioned in both Dave Motoheads video and an online source. Should I go thru that process again and back off 1/4 turn? Is there an "easy" check to see if #3 intake is sticking?


Earlier everyone said to do the compression check first "and show us the numbers". With that accomplished and the numbers above, are there any ideas - now seeing the compression numbers - for why this baby won't start & keep running? Or, now, what would be the next step(s) for me to try? Buckle everything back in place and give her a crank?