I had the same problem, the spark plug wires were wrong. The little
notch on the distributor was 90 deg rotated.  Put the engine at TDC a
different way at check to see which location the rotor is really
pointing.

Stephen DeMocko
(85' westy Lucy)

-----Original Message-----
From: Aristotle Sagan [mailto:killer.jupiter@GMAIL.COM] 
Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2005 2:52 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: No start..... rebuilt engine.... over my head...

I'm betting on the 180 distributor/wires.

Anybody want in on this action?

tim in san jose

On 7/27/05, Tom Young <tomyoung1@comcast.net> wrote:
> From: "Benny boy" <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2005 12:37 PM
> Subject: No start..... rebuilt engine.... over my head...
> 
> > I need suggestions... i have a 84 here that i just resealed...
(heads)
> > it's been 8 hours that i am trying to start that van without
success..
> >
> > Every components where checked...(Fuel-air-fire), injection wiring
and all
> > FI components, AFM, that stupid 84 hall-sender and idle system
control...
> > EVERYTHING... mechanical timing and so on... am over my head with
this
> > van... of course, it came here ont's own so i created the problem...
the
> > only thing that was not change is the slow moving starter....???
still,
> it's
> > turning enought...
> >
> > You should also know that the van started yesterday for about 15
sec.  it
> > died after and never started again.... i have fuel, air and fire
(basic
> rule)...
> >
> > Every single wire to the ECU was checked, every possible FI
components
> were
> > checked per the book....
> >
> > Any suggestions????????? maybe am not seing something obvious....
> 
> It's *not* "Fuel-air-fire", it's "sufficient compression, acceptable
> fuel/air ratio, and strong enough spark at the proper time."  If
you're
> really sure that you have "fuel-air-fire" then assuming compression's
OK
> your fuel/air ratio is strongly out of whack or the spark's being
delivered
> at the wrong time.
> 
> Are you sure you didn't flood the engine with that 15 second start?
If so,
> all your subsequent attempts at start will only worsen the problem.
(I did
> this once and the air distribution box ended up with a cup or so of
gas
> sitting in it.)  Pull the plugs and see if they're wet; if they are,
let
> things sit (plugs out) for a day or so and try again later.
> 
> Did you pull the distributor and maybe put it in 180 degrees off, or
attach
> the plug wires in the wrong places?
> 
> You need to determine what part of "sufficient compression, acceptable
> fuel/air ratio, and strong enough spark at the proper time" isn't
working
> for you.
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------
> Tom Young
> Lafayette, CA 94549
> ---------------------------------------------------
> 

-- 
Where ever you are, there you be. Unless you're driving my van, in
which case, you ain't got there yet.