I can get my 225 to start when its cold, but after running for a few minutes and i shut it down , i cant get her to start again. Compression sounds low but i dont know what could cause it to do this after warm up. Any ideas? Thanks

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Drive it like its stolen, and be glad im not YOUR son...

Standard diagnosis, starting from the start. The engine's got to have fuel, air, compression and correctly-timed spark in order to run. One or more of those things is missing if you can't get the engine to start. When you say it "sounds like it has low compression", what exactly are you hearing? Extra-fast cranking speed can indicate loss of compression, but can also indicate nothing more complicated than a flooded engine.

Need more specs on your setup. Is this a stock '74 engine (which carb?) or is it a later engine? If it's a '78 or '81-up engine with hydraulic lifters, behavior like this can be caused in rare cases by lifter pump-up (valves don't close). Have you made any changes to the engine or its equipment?

You say the engine will not restart if you shut it down. What happens if you leave it running? Will it stall, or happily keep on running?

I'm placing my preliminary bet on a relatively simple fuel issue.

Give us some more detail and we'll see what we can come up with.

Dan, or anyone else who would like to help.

This problem has been explained in much greater depth in some posts from a few days ago. Read down till you see topics started by this same person and you will find lots of info about the problem.

74w100/6 I suggest, that instead of starting new topics, that you keep adding information and the results of diagnostic testing to the old posts. This will let others know that you are still having problems and what you have done up till now.

I'll go back and read and see if I can put together some advice.

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1980 Aspen 225 super six

O.K. I did a little light reading. This is why nobody is replying to your posts.
It would be helpful if you explained what you've done to resolve these three problems which you've diagnosed for yourself.

What did you do to get it to start last time? Now it won't restart, it sounds like a choke or fuel problem, but very hard to say with all these lingering issues.

We would really like to help.

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1980 Aspen 225 super six

Okay, after i decided to check the plugs again, i broke one, so i bought new plugs. After i put them in she fired right up. I set the idle, so now once i get her started she runs quite well. The problem im having is that shes got an internal flooding issue. If i hold the pedal to the floor, i can get her to fire up. So im thinking that was the reason for the fast cranking. I did just have the head off, so i had to adjust the valves so of course the first thing that came to mind when i heard fast cranking was the the valves werent adjusted right and were sticking open. I checked the valves, theyre all set to the right specs. So now the only issue im having is the internal flooding. How do i fix this? Rebuild carb? Buy new carb? Or is it something else? Also about the coolant leaking out of the head, i ran it quite a bit yesterday and didnt see any coolant leaking, im wondering if it was running down the head and dripping down the block, all starting at my bypass hose. If the head gasket was blown to a point that i would leak coolant that doesnt necessarily mean i would lose compression if its only blown by a water jacket...correct?

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Drive it like its stolen, and be glad im not YOUR son...

Not neccessarily.

Your carburator has a little check valve, right where the fuel line hooks up to it. If this is damaged or worn, then your carb will flood after you shut the motor off.

Actually, it'll probably flood while the motor is running and the motor will barely run, if at all.

It will also crank fast as it tries to start.

When did your problem start?

Was your car sitting for a long time?

Does your carb smell like gasoline (more than it's supposed to)?

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1963 Dodge Dart, motor by Doug Dutra, Offenhauser two carb intake, Pertronix, Clifford 6x2, Flowmaster 40's, Erson RV15/295 RDP, head work. Addco anti-sway bar, urethane suspension bushings, KYB's, racing leafs, SSBC discs. Need ZDDP? Get STP.

super fast cranking can indicate also retarded initial timing. If your timing is pathologically low, the motor would kinda overheat, causing the gas to boil in your carb and flood your engine when hot and you shut it off.

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Juan Ignacio Caino

Please use e-mail button istead of PM'ing. I do log in sometimes but I'll be answering quicker thru e-mail.

Well i havent touched the timing, and i never had this issue before i put the motor back together.The carb was sitting for about 4 months before i put it back on, so that may have something to do with it. Ill replace the check valve and see if that solves the problem. The carb does smell like gas, and the engine does have a hard time idling. I had to turn up the idle quite a bit to get to stay running.

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Drive it like its stolen, and be glad im not YOUR son...

I was told to check the floats to make sure theyre not stuck, as this could be the cause for my flooding. But im pretty sure theres only one right? Also i drove down the street at my motor went from ice cold to baking hot temperatures in no time. I checked the fluid level and its fine, i pulled the thermostat and it was still open, so im sure thats not the issue. Could it just be that theres an air bubble in the system? Im also somewhat confused about my valve deal. If i set the valves to what the book says do i have to do more adjusting when the motor is running? Or is this just if i hear a pinging sound or something?

The best time to do a valve adjustment is when the motor is completely warmed up and at a slow idle.

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1980 Aspen 225 super six

at the risk of sounding reiterative and stupid, I'd suggest again that you advance your timing. If you have a timing light, try 10 BTDC, if you havn't just advance the thing rotating the dist towards the block and then go for a drive. When you get pinging, go back a li'l bit and you're set.

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Juan Ignacio Caino

Please use e-mail button istead of PM'ing. I do log in sometimes but I'll be answering quicker thru e-mail.

another thing I'd look for is vacuum leaks when hot.I had a manifold that had a crack in the bottom of the plenum where it mates the exhaust heat up valvle, and it would work fine when cold zero but as soon as ex started to heat up the cracked area, it would cause the leak, leaning the motor down, heating it up in about no time and causing all kinda issues.

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Juan Ignacio Caino

Please use e-mail button istead of PM'ing. I do log in sometimes but I'll be answering quicker thru e-mail.

If the motor is getting hot, the gas may be boiling out of the carb after you shut it off. I had this problem until I installed a spacer.

Where might one install this spacer? Between the carb and check valve?

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Drive it like its stolen, and be glad im not YOUR son...