help needed, 440 wont start.

[challngd73]

Ok, so I bought a 73 challenger with a recently(5k) rebuilt motor according to the previous owner.  well, the car idles fine, but at part throttle it bucks and sputters, step on it all the way and it runs smoother all be it not as strong as i would think.  so, i was looking at the wires, and it *appeared* to me that they were off by 1, so i moved them and tried to start the car...the car didnt start and the positive battery cable sparked.  i immediately stopped, and swapped the wires back, and now, the car will not start or turn at all.  help needed with origonal issue, and the new one i have created.  also, i checked the plugs to see how they were burning, and they are bronze-ish in color.

[73Chally]

Original problem most likely has to do with the tune (timing/carb).  The new problem is you probably fried something when you switched the wires around.  Do you get anything at all, such as lights, radio, gauges, etc?  Could be the fusible link, also

[challngd73]

lights gauges all work.  where is the fusible link?

[MEK-Dangerfield]

lights gauges all work.  where is the fusible link?

The fuseable link is actually part of your wiring harness for your front lights. It comes right off your starter relay and runs to your bulkhead connection. Your's must be good if your gauges still work, along with your lights.

I see no reason why moving your spark plug wires would cause you battery cable to spark. Possibly the positive cable is at fault here, or maybe a bad starter relay or starter if you can't even get the motor to turn. First thing I would do though, is put a volt meter across the battery and see if you still have life in it. Make sure battery connections are tight and clean.


  Mike

[challngd73]

ok figure this, i unplugged the fuseable link, and plugged it back in....car starts.  now trying to check the timing, but it seems that the tab doesnt have any numbers on it to check...

[MEK-Dangerfield]

The tab is only 10 degrees long. Try 12-14 degrees BTDC for starters.

[71chally416]

If ya stop and think about it a distributor cap has 8 plug terminals evenly spaced, so if you divide 8 into 360 degrees moving all the wires just one terminal changes the timing 45 degrees either advanced or retarded. A BAD idea if you don't also move the distributor to compensate. You're lucky it didn't either backfire or damage the motor from running it with itoo much advance.  It was so far off that way it probably wouldn't have started anyway.