Buick Apollo

1975 Buick Apollo Engine Won't Start Happens always Always

i had the engine running yesterday. ran really rough. sounded like the lifters were to tight. checked lifters, two were out of adjustment. engine will not start now, turns over at good rate of speed and sounds good but seems to not be getting spark. new coil, new wires, new plugs, new distributor cap, rotor,ignition control, wiring harness,starter,alternator, engine rebuild.

this engine has a 292 head on it. it has an alternator from a 235. all the electrical shows good conduction. What should the gap of the sprark plugs be? timing looks good. rotor points to 1st wire when 1st cylinder is tdc. cap shows that spark is being delivered when turning over engine. I am at a loss. thanks

Hello, What engine please? Did you do the rebuild?

Do you have spark or not? ("seems to not be getting spark")

Have you verified mechanical timing?

Please advise,

Roger

Let me see what specs I can find.

Roger

Wait a second...do you have a V6 or V8?
You talked about a head and an alternator but not the engine.

Since you stated the engine has a 292 head (singular) it must be a 4 cyl?

Spark plug gap should be 0.035

Roger

Going to dinner, back later.

Roger

This is a straight 6. My husband and I have rebuilt the engine. The engine started yesterday but was running rough. turned off the engine to adjust the lifters. timing is good. now the engine will not start. it turns over very nicely, just does not seem to have the extra umph to start. The lifters move freely when turning over. Here is exactly what has been done to the engine: the rings have been replaced and so have the bearings and bushings. the electical wiring for the distributor has been replaced. Everything in the distributor has been replaced. The head is from a 292 straight six engine. This was recommended due to manifold problems with the old head. The head has been completly redone by a mechanic. the carburator is from the 292 and has just been puchased from a mechanic. There is an electronic fuel pump and is working wonderful. any ideas?

OK, like the Chevy Nova!

Back off all the valves to ZERO lash plus 1/4 turn. If you have spark and the engine is in reasonable mechanical time it should start. When it does let it run until it smoothes out. (The lifters are pumped up and will need to bleed excess oil out.)

When it does you'll need to continue to adjust the valves 1/4 turn at a time three more times until the adjustment limit is zero lash plus one full turn.

After each 1/4 turn adjustment wait at least ten seconds before you turn the nut another 1/4 turn until you reach the one full turn the specs call for.

Roger

How are you doing here, please? I could use an update.

Any news?

Roger

Still working on this one? It's been a long time since I've heard anything...

Roger