66 coupe not starting

Remove #1 spark plug, have someone crank the motor over (read tap starter) while you have a finger in the spark plug hole, and feel for compression being built up and pushing your finger out. Then finish by manually turning the motor till the timing mark on the harmonic balancer lines up with the timing pointer. Then remove the distributor cap, noting the location of #1 spark plug wire, and ensure the rotor is pointing in that direction. If it is off by quite a bit, it is possible the timing has jumped, which could either be timing chain, or the roll pin sheered off that goes through the distributor gear and distributor shaft. Hope this helps.

Let me ask a real basic question, with the distributor cap off, and the ignition turned to start, does the rotor turn???? if not, then you sheered a distributor gear pin, if so, then perhaps you jumped time. When was the last time the timing chain was replaced??????

Bill S.

Bill wrote:

Sounds like you may have jumped time then, pull the distributor, reindex to #1 top dead center on a compression stroke and drop the distributor back in.............We'll go from there............

Bill S.

Bill wrote:

Yep, I saw the same situation many years ago on my sister's 73 Montego

-- Mike

I was going to mention the coil, but gave you benefit of the doubt, since you mentioned there was spark. The question is whether there's enough spark. That's when a scope is handy to have. I also ran into this situation with a short lived reproduction yellow top coil going south on my 69. Some of the secondard winding may have shorted or whatever. Replaced with old original coil resolving the problem. Never had much faith in repops involving electrical applications. Maybe just bad luck...

-- Mike