Need help NOW!!! (not any more, I raced)

Sorry if this is in the wrong section. My maverick that I'm supposed to race the 24th for the HS drags crapped on us. My dad was driving it just after he started it and sat for 5 minutes, he was just down the road not even 1/2 a mile. He shifted into 2nd giving it a little gas but he wasn't gettin on it. Then *pop* and it stalled and wouldn't start. Lately we have been having a problem with it not wanting to start. when we tried to start it back up it was cranking and then there was a squeal sort of noise as if there was a loose fan belt. Now it wont start at all. Could it be a power valve that got taken out with it popping? Its getting fuel and the oil level is fine. Please help asap or I wont be able to race for my first time for the HS drags. Could the dizzy have taken a crap? Its a 302 but please help.

bb429power wrote:Sorry if this is in the wrong section. My maverick that I'm supposed to race the 24th for the HS drags crapped on us. My dad was driving it just after he started it and sat for 5 minutes, he was just down the road not even 1/2 a mile. He shifted into 2nd giving it a little gas but he wasn't gettin on it. Then *pop* and it stalled and wouldn't start. Lately we have been having a problem with it not wanting to start. when we tried to start it back up it was cranking and then there was a squeal sort of noise as if there was a loose fan belt. Now it wont start at all. Could it be a power valve that got taken out with it popping? Its getting fuel and the oil level is fine. Please help asap or I wont be able to race for my first time for the HS drags. Could the dizzy have taken a crap? Its a 302 but please help.

Does the engine rotate by hand?

take distribuitor cap off and turn motor over if the top does not move poped the gear off the bottom high volume oil pump sometimes takes a toll on the pin that hold the gear on then pop no more go go

Thanks, I'll check soon. After dinner. It might be the dizzy because the guy we got it from kept talking about how high volume oil pumps are good. It sounds like it might be a spark issue. It turns over by the starter, but I'll check by hand soon.

bb429power wrote:Thanks, I'll check soon. After dinner. It might be the dizzy because the guy we got it from kept talking about how high volume oil pumps are good. It sounds like it might be a spark issue. It turns over by the starter, but I'll check by hand soon.

If it turned by the starter it should turn by hand. Just wanted a hand check that way you can listen for any grinding or feel the engine hang up at all.

If the engines not locked up then you have a spark issue. Check the dizzy gear, coil, and do a spark test.

I had tons of problems with my Cleveland like this only my pop was the stock coil exploding

studly wrote:take distribuitor cap off and turn motor over if the top does not move poped the gear off the bottom high volume oil pump sometimes takes a toll on the pin that hold the gear on then pop no more go go

X2, check that the distributor is turning.

Found the culprit! 5 Teeth got shaved off the dizzy gear. It was a perfect time for it to go because we just got back from buying a trailer in Toledo. It happened just down the road and we just got the trailer so it was perfect. Thanks guys.

bb429power wrote:Found the culprit! 5 Teeth got shaved off the dizzy gear. It was a perfect time for it to go because we just got back from buying a trailer in Toledo. It happened just down the road and we just got the trailer so it was perfect. Thanks guys.

Yikes thats going to be a mess to clean out of the oiling system

bb429power wrote:Found the culprit! 5 Teeth got shaved off the dizzy gear. It was a perfect time for it to go because we just got back from buying a trailer in Toledo. It happened just down the road and we just got the trailer so it was perfect. Thanks guys.

More importantly, what caused it? Something happened to shave off five teeth. Something tells me you are going to go deeper into this than you want.....

It has a Comp cams cam in it. But the dizzy is OEM so the gear is weaker than an electronic unit. It just finally quit, its probably why we were having problems starting it, started with one tooth and became five. I'm going to use a magnet and change the oil and filter. My AMC 360 shaved 6 teeth b/c my dad didn't put the main shaft in all the way. We did the same thing with the oil.

What type of camshaft are you running, flat tappet or roller? If it's a roller, you need to be running the bronze gear. You can also run the composite gear with a roller, although I've never done it. Good luck with the magnet deal.......

Flat tappet. Isn't the bronze gear so that the dizzy gear would fail before the cams? I can't remember what its for.

Roller cams are ground on billet stock. Bronze gear is required, because the billet cam will chew up an iron gear in a hurry.

Before your stick the distributor back in, spin the oil pump with a drill. Sometimes a failed pump will cause the drive issues. Make sure the oil pump is OK.

I found out that the gear on the cam got messed up to, so I'm buying a new one that's the same exact cam and upgrading to a Pertronix distributor.

What is the main reason why a cam has a lopey idle? I've heard that its all in the LSA, but what the main factor to look for? I know lift and duration effect it. And my cams rpm range is 1500-6500, but whenever it shows an rpm range, you never even get it to the max rpm in that range. Cam guru's?

bb429power wrote:What is the main reason why a cam has a lopey idle? I've heard that its all in the LSA, but what the main factor to look for? I know lift and duration effect it. And my cams rpm range is 1500-6500, but whenever it shows an rpm range, you never even get it to the max rpm in that range. Cam guru's?

Im no cam guru but i think its the valve overlap that contributes the most to the lopey idle..... or a bad tune up

Well guys, I replaced the cam and got it ready. I went to prime the oil pump and it was locked up, today we dropped the pan and got the shaft out. What could have caused this other than something getting stuck in the pump?

something in the pump..........

Okay, now without the oil pump drive in it, neither the OEM distributor or the new one will go in. The only way top get the OEM in is if I move the part without the teeth on it to where it meshes with the cam gear. The cam is the same one as the one that was in it before. The distributor stops 1/4"-1/2" before its all the way in. I am at a total loss right now, I need it done SOOOOOOOON!!!

bb429power wrote:Okay, now without the oil pump drive in it, neither the OEM distributor or the new one will go in. The only way top get the OEM in is if I move the part without the teeth on it to where it meshes with the cam gear. The cam is the same one as the one that was in it before. The distributor stops 1/4"-1/2" before its all the way in. I am at a total loss right now, I need it done SOOOOOOOON!!!

Did you have thee pump apart?

The pump is out and we're putting a new one in. Its still together.

bb429power wrote:The pump is out and we're putting a new one in. Its still together.

No one ever had the old one apart, looks like the cogs aren't meshing.

Did the end of the dist get damaged when it twisted the shaft? Spread or something at the end? Is the new shaft in correctly and is it to long for the new pump?

bb429power wrote:Well guys, I replaced the cam and got it ready. I went to prime the oil pump and it was locked up, today we dropped the pan and got the shaft out. What could have caused this other than something getting stuck in the pump?

yikes! never seen an oil driveshaft twist like that

Check the cam gears and the dizzy gears for little burrs that could keep them from meshing up. Had that problem on my buddys 302 when he used an off the shelf grind cam.