Starting a 340 after a 25 year hibernation.

[moper]

use a test light, and have a friend turn the key to "start". You should have battery voltage at the connector to the fender relay. If it's not battery voltage, you have other wiring problems at the bulkhead connector. If all the other electrical stuff (lights, gages, buzzers, etc) work, but the relay wont at least click, you have either neutral safety switch bad, ignition switch bad, or bad wiring between them. Another thing, the starting system in these cars was not designed to turn the engine over for more than a few seconds cranking. If you need to have the engine turn for longer, use a remote "bumping" type switch or a wrench accross the fender relay and leave the key on. It goes a long way to keeping the original wiring from melting all of it's insulation off while your preoiling the engine.

[74 340 4speed]

Thanks for the tips moper.  I'll definately try what you suggested when I work on it next time. 

[74 340 4speed]

Well, I worked on the car again today. I took the advice of the members that posted up and went to the parts store first thing and bought a starter relay, and new battery cables.  I put those on, cleaned up all of the connections, and checked out my voltage and resistance with the voltmeter, then I changed the oil and filter.  Now the moment of truth....I get in the car and turn the key.  Nothing happened.  Then I realized that I forgot to put one of the wires back on the starter relay.  Put that back on, and crossed my fingers.  I hit the switch and I heard the starter engage but it wouldn't turn the motor over.  So I had to unbolt the header, drop it out of the way, take the starter off, and go to the parts store to get a new one.  I get back, put the new starter back on, bolt the header back up and try again......it does the same thing.....click click click.  I go back to the shop to get a 1/2 drive pull handle, and a socket to turn the motor with by hand.  I turn it a few times....double check all of my wiring, and get back in the car.  The motor finally turned over!!!!  It didn't hit a lick though.  So, after a few minutes of trying to crank it, I got out, and rotated the distributor clockwise(facing the front of the car) about a 1/4 turn.  I put some more fuel in the carb, got back in the car, and turned the key.  It finally hit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I ran a fuel line into a small gas jug hoping that the fuel pump would pick up some fuel so that it would run.  It didn't   So, I put some fuel in the carb a few more times to hear it run...music to my ears...and I called it a day.  Next time I'm gonna put a new fuel pump on it, and clean out the fuel system.  Then maybe I can move on to the brakes and put a decent set of tires on it..

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Congrats!!   

 It sounds like your fuel pump/fuel system needs to be replaced though. That's the easy part. The hard part was getting it started in the first place.   


  Mike

[daves70]

Way to go!! Nice to have a little satisfaction after all that work.

[71challengher]

  That is great . Nothing better then hearing that motor fire up after sitting for a long time.

[74 340 4speed]

Thanks fellas.  I'm glad I got it running again.  I plan on redoing the fuel system the next time I work on it.  Where can I get a gas line for it that runs from the tank to the engine compartment?  I found one online that was like 65 dollars from a specialty brake/fuel line company.  Is that a good price?  Fuel tanks I've found pretty resonable I think, around $140.  I'll get a short video clip next time when its running for more than a few seconds. I ran out of daylight by the time I got my camera out.  Here is a pic of the progress so far.

Before:

After:  not clean yet, but you get the idea


By the way, how do you guys like that drivers side motor mount?  Chained and locked down,   I asked why that was done and my uncle said that they kept breaking that motor mount.  That solved the problem.  I said where is the key to the lock though.....He's like, I don't know.  Hopefully I won't have to pull it out for a while.

[mmccarty]

By the way, how do you guys like that drivers side motor mount?  Chained and locked down,   I asked why that was done and my uncle said that they kept breaking that motor mount.  That solved the problem.  I said where is the key to the lock though.....He's like, I don't know.  Hopefully I won't have to pull it out for a while.

When I bought my car 15 years ago the driver's side was held down with a 3/8 turnbuckle.  I was out cruising and when I tried to roll the tires, I got a big bang, a grinding noise, and then a big clank as something fell out onto the pavement.  I ended up straightening out the hook on the end of the turnbuckle, the engine came up and hit the hood, the fan broke through the fan shroud, and the turnbuckle fell out onto the pavement.

[Chryco Psycho]

Been there done that !!!