CJ won't start

[greenjeep]

OK, so my CJ-7 that has been being rebuilt for the last 3 1/2 years FINALLY got finished a few weeks ago and it seemed to run pretty well considering the age of the gas in the tank. The carb was pretty gummed up, so we cleaned it up as well as we could short of a full rebuild. So I added about 10 gallons of new gas, some HEET, and a bottle of 44K (dang that stuff is pricey). After the engine warms up for a while it runs great, BUT, it has a very hard time starting when it is cold. It often times dies as soon as I put it in gear and get on the gas.

The other day I was trying to take my niece and nephew for a ride and it kept dieing as I was driving, so I kept giving it a couple pumps of the gas pedal and would then crank it over. It would run a few feet then die again, then all of a sudden I turn the key and nothing. So I pop the hood and realize that I had been cranking it so much that I melted the starter side post, of my silinoid (sp?) ooops. So I get a new and throw it in and still nothing. I replaced my electronic ignition controller a few days earlier, and by bypassing the silinoid the starter will crank, so the starter should be ok.

So why won't it start?

Also any suggestion to make it start/run better would also be appreciated.

 

[MR.CJ-7]

I always blame my choke when my CJ acts up. I've owned it for about 16 years and it never has liked wet and cold together. I've changed carbs, modules, coils, and even had the motor rebuilt (not resulting from this), but it still stumbles and dies when the motor is cold and it is wet outside. I have found starting it and putting up with the sputtering, etc... for a few minutes then shut it off for 5-10 minutes, start it up and it runs great. I can't explain it, but it works for me.

Good luck

 

[Rusted]

you can get a manual choke kit from checkers for around $8. That will help give you control of when and how much choke you get, it may help you out.

I would still look at the carb more. A full rebuild is not hard and the parts for that are less than $20. It will help you get the crud out of the critical parts that you just can't get to without opening it up.

 

[Spork]

Just to clarify...
Right now when you turn the key nothing happens?
(like when the post melted except now you've replaced it?)

 

[Jinx]

Check the ground on the starter silinoid(sp?). ie if it isn't bolted tight to the fender it won't ground right.

Try that...

 

[greenjeep]

Just to clarify...
Right now when you turn the key nothing happens?
(like when the post melted except now you've replaced it?)

Yep, exactly.

 

[greenjeep]

Check the ground on the starter silinoid(sp?). ie if it isn't bolted tight to the fender it won't ground right.

Try that...

I actually don't have an inner fender anymore, the silinoid is bolted to a sheet of metal which bolts directly to my frame, so grounding shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Spork]

Did you fry the wire between the key and solenoid?
ie when you turn the key does it get power?

 

[Jinx]

have you put meter to silinoid? Make sure the same reading on the out as on the in. (speaking basically) you could have a bad "new" silinoid?

 

[greenjeep]

Did you fry the wire between the key and solenoid?
ie when you turn the key does it get power?

Fuel pump kicks on, and flashers work. Seems to indicate that I'm getting power.

have you put meter to silinoid? Make sure the same reading on the out as on the in. (speaking basically) you could have a bad "new" silinoid?

How common is that? That would sure be an easy solution.

 

[Jinx]

How common is that? That would sure be an easy solution.

Not super common, but when you check it you will be able to check everything else out. I would bet it has something to do with your silinoid or the wiring to/from it.

What is your drive train set up? 258, 304, chev 350?

 

[greenjeep]

What is your drive train set up? 258, 304, chev 350?

AMC 360, T400, D300

 

[Jinx]

AMC 360, T400, D300

If the silinoid was the problem on the starting issue and it is still running rough after you played with the carb, it could easy be your coil or if you have a vacumn advance line that is not hooked up to the distributor.

Just a couple of things to check out. Hope it all works out for you.

 

[greenjeep]

Well the rest of the story is:

I got the wrong silinoid from the parts store, they gave me an accessories silinoid (used in a duel battery setup) instead of a STARTER silinoid. After replacing it, it fired right up.

We also found that my timing was off, after adjusting that it seems to run much smoother.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[jeeper1998]

I have a 85 cj-7 that does the same thing, it sat in the yard for like 5 years, old gas, everything was junk. But i replaced everthing that need to be fixed and it still did the same thing. So you should look at the computer components (ECM) and see if the connections are good or if your ECM going out but more then likely the ECM wont go out so check all the connections and wiring harness.

 

[greenjeep]

Thanks, I'll check those out.

 

[Jinx]

Well the rest of the story is:

I got the wrong silinoid from the parts store, they gave me an accessories silinoid (used in a duel battery setup) instead of a STARTER silinoid. After replacing it, it fired right up.

We also found that my timing was off, after adjusting that it seems to run much smoother.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I am glad everything worked out for you,

I am not sure there are too many old CJ guys around anymore.

 

[willies45]

If you are running a 258 two things that you can do to make them run much smoother is go to a Ford motocraft two barrel carb. instead of the jeep carb. It takes an adapter plate for the manifold, Bumper-to -Bumper carries them or you can buy the whole set up on e-bay right now. The other thing is get a GM HEI distributor and put an AMC gear on the end and it will make a tremendous difference. In what we have found if you have to keep the polution stuff then just doing the distributor will make a big difference.

 

[greenjeep]

Thanks, but I'm running a 360.