Let me start by saying it's been a while since I worked on a gas vehicle. I picked up a straight little 1984 Dodge D100 shortbed with the slant 6 gas engine in a package deal with a D150 parts truck I needed for the Cummins projects. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it but it's a 4 speed floor mounted manual tranny shortbed with nicely faded paint and very little rust so I bought it.

I was told it will start and run but needs carb work, I haven't bothered with it since it was towed to the house a few weeks ago. I put in a good battery and cranked it over and got a small fireball out of the carb and some small lingering flames from the carb after it failed to launch/start.

Hmmmm. It appears to me I've got spark with valves open versus a carb issue, unless I'm way off base. I saw this on a Vette once years ago when I let a guy put the distributor in when I was setting the valves and he didn't notice the spiral gear on the distributor shaft. Much bigger fireball that time, set the garage ceiling on fire because the hood was off. This one was outside and not nearly as impressive.

Based on the big Electronic Ignition System decal on the air cleaner should this D100 have any base timing set via the distributor? The previous owner had the air cleaner assembly removed. The electrical connection to whatever unit is on the air cleaner housing is disconnected, all the vacuum lines on the entire engine are capped off, and there are a lot of them. I'm assuming that it needs the electrical cable, air cleaner, and vacuum lines reconnected before it can sort out the timing? It has most of a vacuum diagram on the fenderwell so I can probably recreate what should be there.

Anybody know much about that era of Dodge/Chrysler electronic ignition systems and how dependent they are on the vacuum inputs etc? Any other ideas on how to keep the fireballs safely in the cylinders?

TIA

Joe

 

I would dry to start it again with two good pumps of gas. then foot off as choke should be closed and see what it does.

 

Will do and see what happens. I'll have a wet towel or something ready just in case.

Thanks

 

Blow it out. LOL sounds like a lean start everyone is forgetting how to start carburetor engines they need a couple pumps and make sure choke closes. When it starts you may have to give it some throttle to keep it running there if it starts to stumble couple quick little shots of gas and hold it at higher rpm yet till it will let you slowly. Old choke systems wear out and don't work as new.
But even new procedure was a good shot or two of gas then start.

 

Check the firing order (1-5-3-6-2-4) and that No. 1 plug wire is in the right place then pop the distributor cap to make sure the rotor is under it. If not, the distributor is in wrong. Quick fix: make sure you have compression, and on the compression stroke, on Cylinder 1 and the crank is somewhere between 15 BTDC and TDC then move the wires to the right tower over the rotor (the engine only wants the spark on time, it doesn't matter if the wires are in the "wrong" (according to manuals) holes.

I used to set my idle timing at 10 BTDC for 85 octane and 12 BTDC for 87 with the vacuum advance line plugged if applicable.

I miss the leaning tower of power. It was one of the best engines ever made by anyone.

Budd

 

Thanks for the replies. The problem sort of took care of itself. A friend of my son's came over to look at a first gen Cummins I had for sale and his dad made me an offer on the D100 I couldn't refuse. It's better off with him than sitting out in the yard in the snow. it was a neat little truck but I had no room and no time for it.

 

Aw, dang ... I wish I coulda got it from ya.

Slant sixes are three of my favorite Mopar engines ... the rest are the LA series, the B/RB series, the V10's and V6's(which are based on the LA architecture) ... did I miss any?

I had a 65 Barracuda with the 225/ auto and I rebuilt it with a milled head (it'll handle a 0.090 cut no sweat) and got pulled over for 115 in a 65 zone ... and the 67 Chevy cop-mobile had to wait for me to slow down to catch me.

Budd