just joined and bought a cougar 7 days ago car cranks but no start i have no power to coil with key in run and start position. any ideas? don’t want to start tossing parts at it.
Did it run when you bought it? Have you removed the dash cluster by any chance and disconnected the tach? That needs to be either bypassed or hooked up for the engine to continue running after the key is released from the CRANK position.
Is it an XR 7? What year?
Jump power to coil…get it running…see if tach is working…if so I would suspect ignition switch or plug…the 12v bypass from the solenoid should provide power to the coil to allow it to start but once starter is released it won’t continue to run…fuel, air, spark…don’t overthink it
Ok will do that i want to hear it run before i start dropping some cash into it
It doesn’t need much but a tune up wouldn’t hurt once its running
If it has been sitting for a long time there are things you need to do before you start it. Why not tell us the back story and we can walk you through this. Failure to follow the steps can easily lead you to having to rebuild the engine, and the funny thing is you have to do the same things in the end.
So i saw this car in a driveway pulled in asked a price got it for 4500 it was in a barn the convertible roof was replaced in 99 no rot dents little rust no fuel in it but i plan on replacing the pump new pil in it and coolant i put a little mystery oil in the cylindersand let it sit for a couple of days then cranked it over and now is where I’m at
Listen to this man. Ask me how I know. It only took me five years to get back to where I thought I was.
So i went to bypass the coil and decided to check the coil out and found it cracked so im getting a new one today
Most likely the gas in the tank evaporated. That will leave a layer of shellac in the tank. Modern gas has a powerful detergent package that will dissolve the shellac. The shellac will pass through any filter. In the carb it will be atomized and it will paint the stems of the intake valves. The valve stems will accumulate the dried shellac until they start to stick in the valve guides. This will result in bent push rods and then possible bent valves. The 351 C used two piece valves that are kind of fragile to begin with so instead of bending you will drop a valve into the combustion chamber and take out a piston and possibly a rod.
You can test this by pulling the sender out of the tank and seeing if it has a shellac layer. Post a picture if you are unsure what you are seeing.
The best course of action is to replace the tank and the fuel lines and get that problem solved. You can test the sender at the same time. With it out of the tank hook up a ground wire from the sender to the tank, put the key in the accessory position, and move the float arm all the way up. Give the gauge about 30 seconds to respond. While you are waiting the low fuel light shoul light up. If the gauge doesn’t go all the way up it needs to be rebuilt. Since it is an XR7 it costs $125 to get the sender rebuilt and that will also replace the thermistor that triggers the low fuel light. If it does work , replace the filter and float on the sender while you have it out. Use a new seal ring when you reinstall it.
The fuel pump may work for a little while but it is going to fail really soon. The internal rubber diaphragm has hardened and it will crack very soon. It may already be dead. While you have the fuel line disconnected from the carb put an extension hose on the end of the line and direct it into a container. Have some one turn the key to the cranking position. I usually use a canning jar so I can see what is happening. If the pump is still good after cranking for about 10 seconds you should start getting pulses of gas.
I learned these lessons the hard way. Don’t let your buddy tell yo it’s okay to just fire her up and new gas will dilute the old gas. This might have worked back when our gas was just gas… Now it is a chemical soup.
No ill bottle feed it for awhile . I jist want to hear it try to startthere is no fuel in the tank to pull and i work for O’REILLYS and pland on new lines and pump
Thinking about the nicop for brake and fuel lines
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So the no start was the condenser in the distributor put old one back in started with a bottle feed
First, Congratulations! Another gets closer to back on the street.
I am assuming that you changed the oil and filter before trying to start it. If not this a great time to do it. Then it’s a good idea to see if you can flush the coolant and replace it. Many times the old coolant turns into jelly. You are trying to see if the radiator and engine is going to hold coolant.
If you are committed to getting it running I would personally recommend doing brakes. If your brakes won’t stop the car, something else will.