Hard Start - SOLVED

[roundhouse]

Don’t drive it Much if it’s pinging

The pinging sound is your pistons self destructing

The position of the dizzy isn’t really important
As long as you have room to adjust it without the advance arm hitting something

I don’t pay any attention to the degrees

On an old car the pointer could be in the wrong place if the water pump was changed , GM used a half dozen different pumps and pointers and they all will bolt on

The outer ring of the harmonic balancer could have shifted etc



I always just use set it by ear and or vacuum and drive it if it runs good

The wires might be all new but Un bolt them and get some sandpaper and make sure the area where they touch down to the frame and body is shiny and clean
And check the ends of the wires too
Shine em up good

 

[78C10BigTen]

I had a diehard weather handler in my 97 Cherokee that lasted like 11yrs?
Craziest **** ever.
It came with the jeep when I bought it at auction in 2005. The thing even sat for a year while I had it. I started it once around the 6 month mark and it fired right up. Then again 6 months later.
I don't know wtf that battery was made of, but I want another one.
I sold it with the same battery 100k+ miles later.
Completely insane.

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But my battery has also jump started many many vehicles plus my mower like a million times and it actually came outta my burban and into my square wich sat intermittently due to motor and trans changes.i wont complain! If need be id buy another... PLUS its like an 800ca batt with like 1100 cca.

 

[Doppleganger]

Ok, got it figured and all is right in the world - or at least with this issue on my truck.

I found TDC - wasn't perfect (is now) but very close. I checked the timing and believe when the shop timed it, they either went the wrong way or the harmonic dampener was off. Just by ear I got it sounding far better, but was still a hard start. I had bought a new cap and rotor in the event mine was cracked (another theory), but it wasn't so was going to take it back - and at the same time, have my battery checked just in case. An 8 month old Interstate.....had 2 bad cells. I returned it and got a new one as well. So finally, my truck has the starter in and shimmed, the timing set correctly, and now a battery that was at 100%.

Here's the result:

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Has never started or run this well since I had it. Cruised around tonight and it never stumbled till I was about home - I think either dirt in the tank or some tweaking of the carb is in order. But is usable now until the LS is ready.

So just wanna thank all you fellas for the input - it helped tremendously and was a reason I checked and tweaked and checked all that I did including what I thought was a new good battery.

 

[Snoots]

Once you get it right, take it out on a lonesome road and stomp the go pedal 'till you smell burnt carbon.

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[Doppleganger]

You sound like a good ol boy Snoots...oughta hook up with ya sometime. One of my best friends is in Columbus and I got family just north of Rotlanta (whole family is originally from Hattiesburg MS....so got a lot of good ol boy in me too).

I like to point out to people that when I moved west I went to SOUTH Dakota. lol

 

[DirtyDYT]

This thread was a wake up call for me. My truck has been hard starting since I swapped the leaking carb for a rebuilt one. Went out this morning and gave the distributor a small clockwise twist. All of a sudden the hard starts were gone!

As a bonus I found one plug wire was loose and eliminated my intermittent 600 RPM miss. Love this forum for stuff exacty like that.