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#1
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Old 84 RC won't start
OK this is about my old 84 ramcharger I sold to my friend. It is in his yard now and has been sitting for a long time....about 7 months maybe. I had it running one day and then it stalled out this summer and I tried to crank it over and nothing. We figured it was out of gas and it wasn't on the road so we pushed it back out of site. Last night when we were plowing up there we tried to start it. Good battery and everything...plus I sprayed starting fluid in the carb 2 times but the engine would not fire either time. Turns over but nothing happens. Anyone know where to start looking. I should have kept that truck. Has a 318 2bbl
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#2
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any spark?
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#3
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RC
I'd start at the cap and rotor, they can crud up over time. Just pull the cap off and look inside, if you see any green junk scrape it with a screwdriver and try again. Next culprit would be the ballast resistor.
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#4
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RC2
One more note, I had a start problem with a 360 this past summer, was driving it and it just quit. When I checked for spark, I could see it plain as day. The last tune up guy had not locked down the distributer cap properly and the rotor had made contact with the inside of the cap ever so slightly. The spark was there, but reduced enough to ruin it. It was kind of hard to tell how strong it was in the summer sunlight. Good Luck Jim!
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#5
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one other thing to check dam forget what its called but it a white block about 3 inches long by maybe 3/4 has two wires comeing out sets on the fire wall if you have you cant miss it. dodge had them for years if they go bad your engine will not start.
i ve had to change them before the last one was on a 85 i think might be wrong about the year. just something to check and they dont coast much. hope this helps. |
#6
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The white block is called a ballast resistor. If it cracks then it won't let the truck start. check the ignition control box as well. Sometimes when the resistor goes it takes the box with it. Both are very cheap parts. Less than 20 bucks total for both.
If you have spark, then I would check the timing. the truck could of slipped time if you have a sloppy chain. Had that happen in my brothers 318 duster. It was running fine then it just quit. Turned out the chain slipped just enough to where it wouldn't run any more. If it slipped any futher, then a piston would of crushed a valve. Brian |
#7
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Fuel pump?
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#8
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Thanks guys. I'll see what happens. Hopefully it is something simple.
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#9
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One side note on the ballast resistor. When you have a ballast resistor go bad the truck should start, but when you move the key from the 'start' position to the 'run' position, the truck will die if the ballast resistor is bad. This is because when you go to start the truck the ignition is drawing power directly from the batter (for that little bit of extra voltage), then when the truck is running it is drawing power from the ballast resistor. If your ballast resistor is bad your truck should still start. In this case it soulds like you have another problem because the truck wont even start to begin with.
*to test the ballast resistor do a continuity test on the resistor, if you dont get continuity ballast resistor is bad. clay Quote:
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#10
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Does it have the electronic control box on the firewall???
My 82 ate those quite regularly. I always kept a spare in the glove box. Rich |
#11
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Chances are on an 84 he has a "lean burn" system which is when the control unit is in the air cleaner. Its probably the worst engine control systems chrysler EVER made! Its a very common thing for guys to change out the lean burn and put a MP electronic ignition kit in, and its fairly easy to. You might want to check out the lean burn system. I know the engine should start with the lean burn connected because I bought an 85 Ram with the lean burn missing. The timing would never advance, but it would run.
Clay |
#12
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Dont know about the lean burn system. No stickers or manual but I'm betting it has one. The engine is a 318 with the original holley 2 barrel. I'll have to check those things too. I'm in no rush but I want to make a list of what to look at so we can get that beast started up. Thanks again.
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#13
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If it is a "lean burn" system, you can tell very quickly, it has a huge ugly box on the side of the air cleaner with a bunch of wires coming up from underneath, a couple of flat connectors if I remember correctly, it also has a sticker on it that says "Lean Burn" or something similar, unless it's been peeled off. If it is a lean burn, you will also have to change the carb to an earlier non-lean burn carb. I did the conversion on an 81 chrysler once. Went pretty easy, except I didn't know about the carb, talk about pouring black smoke! Ran better after swapping to regular electronic ignition, than it ever ran as a lean burn.
Find out if you have spark, at the coil and the plug, and get back to us. I assume there is at least enough compression left in the engine to fire? |
#14
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Since it's been sitting for awhile, have any critters crawled up in the air cleaner or carb and made themselves a new home?
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#15
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Ok there is no lean burn on it because that is not there. I pulled off the air cleaner and held open the carb when I sprayed starting fluid in it so I dont think that is the problem either. I suspect that is isn't getting spark and that is where I will start.
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