1983 Chevy Silverado will not start

Tiny
BOB BALDWIN
  • MEMBER
  • 1983 CHEVROLET SILVERADO
Engine Mechanical problem
1983 Chevy Silverado V8 Two Wheel Drive Automatic

Two weeks ago I would have said that there is nothing on a chevy I could not fix, but this one has me stumped. My wife has an 83 chevy pick-up. Six months ago I put a 350 in it that came from a donor. AT the time I changed the distributor over to the HEI that came with the 83. It ran great for those six months but two weeks ago while my wife was at the lake it would not start. It didn't die, she just turned it off and it never started again. I pulled the plugs and checked to see if I had spark, and I did, but I changed the cap and rotor and coil anyway just to make sure. No good. I checked and made sure I was getting fuel, and I was. I thought maybe it had jumped time, so I put my timing light on it and the timing was still dead on. I am now out of ideas. The only time it acts like it might start is when you first go out to work on it, after it sits over night. Is it possible it could be in the carb, somehow not letting gas go through except what seeps through at night. I have tried starting fluid and that dos not work either. Any suggestions you have would be much appreciated.
Friday, June 27th, 2008 AT 8:29 PM

4 Replies

Tiny
MASTERTECHTIM
  • MECHANIC
  • 4,749 POSTS
I think the engine is flooded. Remove every spark plug and check for signs of flooding. If they are, replace them, dont try to clean them. I think your getting ahead of yourself. Start here and let me know what you find
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 10:09 AM
Tiny
BOB BALDWIN
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Thanks for your help Tim. I actually thought of that. All the plugs looked great, but I changed them anyway. No difference.
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 10:09 AM
Tiny
MASTERTECHTIM
  • MECHANIC
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Ok if the plugs are ok and you have spark and you sprayed starter fluid into carb and it still wont start then you must have no compression. Spark, fuel and compression, she must run. Possible plugged cat converter?
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 10:09 AM
Tiny
BOB BALDWIN
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
When I put in the engine, I had a new exhaust system put on, including two new converters, so I don't think that that could be the problem. I have not actually checked the compression since I put the engine in, but the engine is not straining when you crank the starter, and when I was checking to make sure my distributor was pointing the right way I had the number one plug out, and found TDC by the compression coming out the plug hole. Like I said, this problem is baffling.
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 10:09 AM

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