R2 Avanti wont start...

[larry r bunton]

Hello all.....good news!! Got the car to fire yesterday. Removed all plugs and just let her air out for several hours....cleaned the carb again..primed the engine a little and it fired off. Pretty sure that a piece of carbon came up and bent the spark plug, never seen that before.....cant believe how easily the Avanti floods and how hard she clears. Anyway, thanks to all for your input/ideas.

63 Avanti R2
Gone like a cool breeze

[chocolate turkey]

Maybe a major vacuum leak? Changed some gaskets and caused this? Keep it simple......fuel and spark.

Brian K. Curtis,
1925 Duplex-Phaeton ER
1949 1/2 ton pickup
1963 GT Hawk custom
1966 Daytona 2dr

[53k]

quote:Originally posted by 1961HAWK

Thanks Jack, i have rebuilt a few studebakers i am aware they have gears....
... I have never, but im know a few people have sheared their distibutor pins. ...

I had a pin shear in a "professionally rebuilt" Prestolite distributor in my '64 R-2 Avanti. It caused wild back-firing and other unpleasant things (but of course, no start).
I had a lot of trouble with starting my R-2. Turned out, one metering rod was bent and was letting the car run way too rich. On a cold start it was VERY easy to flood and foul the plugs and with modern Champions, once they are flooded, they are throw-aways. I had much better luck with AC 437s which are pretty readily available. Of course, fixing the bad jet made a huge difference too- went from crank, crank, crank, hope, hope, hope to two turns and roar .

[img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/Forum%20signature%20pix/R-4.JPG[/img=right][img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/Forum%20signature%20pix/64L.JPG[/img=right][img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/Forum%20signature%20pix/64P.jpg[/img=right][img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/Forum%20signature%20pix/53K.jpg[/img=right]Paul Johnson, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia
'53 Commander Starliner (since 1966)
'64 Daytona Wagonaire (original owner)
'64 Daytona Convertible (2006)
Museum R-4 engine
1962 Gravely Model L (Studebaker-Packard serial plate)
1972 Gravely Model 430 (Studebaker name plate, Studebaker Onan engine)

[fmarshall]

I had a similar problem with my R2 last year. It turned out that the carb was letting too much fuel get into the engine and the plugs fouled. New plugs and a carb overhaul fixed the problem. I had severely bent metering rods.

I have my choke locked open, so cold whether starts after a couple days require a few encouraging primes ... until the engine is warm enough to vaporize the fuel well.

========================
63 Avanti R2, 4-Speed, 3.73 TT
Martinez, CA

[JDP]

Did you try fresh spark plugs yet ? I only repeat my comment because I had more then one car with fuel fouled plugs refuse to start. The more you crank it, and pump the gas, the worse it gets, even washing the oil off the cylinder walls.

JDP/Maryland
63 R2 SuperHawk (Caesar)
spent to date $54664,75
64 R2 GT (Sid)
spent to date $62,839.60
63 Lark 2 door
51 Commander
39 Coupe express
39 Coupe express (rod)

[1961HAWK]

Also need to make sure you check coil voltage with key on and during cranking. cranking voltage comes from the starter solenoid.
could even run a jumper straight from the battery to get a full 12 volts to eliminate that possiblity.

Erin Hays
"From Stuck and Rusty to Slick steel and sex appeal"
RZRECTD
1961 Hawk
1962 Lark
1963 Wagonaire

[gordr]

Well, if the problem were a lack of fuel, you wouldn't expect to see wet, fouled plugs.

My vote is for the engine having lost compression or timing, due either to the pin in the distributor like Ray said, or else to having shed some teeth off the cam gear.

A compression test is a good stsarting point.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[1961HAWK]

passing gas though the fuel line is only part of the battle its getting to the carb is it getting in the carb ( stuck float). do the squirters squirt?

Erin Hays
"From Stuck and Rusty to Slick steel and sex appeal"
RZRECTD
1961 Hawk
1962 Lark
1963 Wagonaire

[Guido]

[quote]Originally posted by larry r bunton

Yeah, I disconnected the line to the carb and its passing plenty of gas. Thanks
I would put the line back on and see if you actually get gas in the carb. If the car has been sitting it is possible that the innards are gummed up. You can try some compressed air and see if you get anything through the jets.

[Dick Steinkamp]

quote:Originally posted by larry r bunton
...and its passing plenty of gas.

[)]

[larry r bunton]

Yeah, I disconnected the line to the carb and its passing plenty of gas. Thanks


63 Avanti R2

[1961HAWK]

quote:Originally posted by Lark Parker

How about it ran for thirty seconds and that was all the gas that was in the carb bowl?

See if you can start it again with a external gas squirt to prime.

L.P. has a good point if the car hasnt run much in a long time it could have clogged a fuel filter quickly. make sure it is passing fuel.






Erin Hays
"From Stuck and Rusty to Slick steel and sex appeal"
RZRECTD
1961 Hawk
1962 Lark
1963 Wagonaire

[Studeman]

quote:Originally posted by Dick Steinkamp

quote:Originally posted by Studeman

I would place my bets on a sheared drive pin in the distributor.

If it started and ran for 30 seconds...probably not a sheared drive pin.

Actually, one of the engines that sheared the distributor pin WAS just idleing and then it quit- it sounded like I just turned the key off. Took about 15 minutes to figure out that the timing was way off. Friction would still move the rotor, and it would spit and backfire occasionally. Another 15 to figure out it was the shear-pin in the distributor. It is not a common occurance...so you always check everything else first.

Larry indicates there's plenty of spark - and fuel... I don't see all 8 plugs fouling at the same time. Flooding yes... but not fouling to the point that he's not even getting backfires etc..

All that leaves is compression and timing... Timing is just the one I'd check first... as long as he's messing with the Dist cap off... It's an easy check.

Ray


Specializing in Studebaker Restoration

[Lark Parker]

How about it ran for thirty seconds and that was all the gas that was in the carb bowl?

See if you can start it again with a external gas squirt to prime.





Lark Parker
If at first you don't succeed -- you will get a lot of advice.

[larry r bunton]

Thanks for all your input......will keep you updated. Going to check compression on the cylinders....pull plugs and let it air out as i'm sure it is flooded. Really strange, we had the car running like a top after a complete tune up, started after fixing exuast leak and then all of this. The car has been sitting for a long time....only 6k miles put on since the mid-late 70's. Flange gaskets are the gaskets between the manifold and exaust system. There are three of them, two on passenger side and one on drivers side. The car had a pretty good exaust leak at the flanges.