Car won't start. 1960 356B

[Kevin Parks]

I have a 1960 356B that up until recently it was running fine. A few days ago it started up fine. Once I got up to 2nd or 3rd gear it began hesitating, "chugging" and "popping". Over the next couple of days I started it again and took a very short test drive and it exhibited the same symptoms. I scheduled to take it into a nearby shop. Today when I tried to start it to take it over it would not start. It would crank fine but not fire at all. It has Weber carbs.

Any suggestions on what I might check or try to get it started? I am an "oldie" in age but a "newbie" mechanic.

Thanks very much,

[Mike Wilson]

Kevin: If you use the search function located at the top right of the page and use "trouble starting" as the topic, there are a series of threads on the issue. If you can't find an answer to your problem, let us know!

[David Jones]

Kevin,
How adept are you. It rather sounds like an ignition problem so I am going to suggest you check the distributor to see if it is working. Do you have a voltmeter? If not you definitely need one. If you have one we can go on from there.
Anyway check for fuel. Take off the air cleaners and look down the throats of the carbs and operate the throttle. If you see a stream of fuel that will tend to confirm it is an ignition issue.

[Kevin Parks]

Kevin,
How adept are you. It rather sounds like an ignition problem so I am going to suggest you check the distributor to see if it is working. Do you have a voltmeter? If not you definitely need one. If you have one we can go on from there.
Anyway check for fuel. Take off the air cleaners and look down the throats of the carbs and operate the throttle. If you see a stream of fuel that will tend to confirm it is an ignition issue.

Thanks for the advice. I will be buying a voltmeter soon. In the mean time I am getting the car taken in for service. I'll update the thread and let you all know what the problem was. Thank again!

Kevin

[Wil Mittelbach]

I have a 1960 356B that up until recently it was running fine. A few days ago it started up fine. Once I got up to 2nd or 3rd gear it began hesitating, "chugging" and "popping". Over the next couple of days I started it again and took a very short test drive and it exhibited the same symptoms. I scheduled to take it into a nearby shop. Today when I tried to start it to take it over it would not start. It would crank fine but not fire at all. It has Weber carbs.
Any suggestions on what I might check or try to get it started? I am an "oldie" in age but a "newbie" mechanic.
Thanks very much,

The symptoms may indicate a faulty distributor condenser - inexpensive and easily replaced for a possible fix before having to look for other alternative problems.
(Failing condensers usually result in a weak spark with engine missing and "popping" under load, plus engine start difficulties.)

[Ron LaDow]

With all due respect to Wil and David, do not to ANYTHING until you do a tune up and do it in the proper progression.
If you start with ignition, you might actually get it to run and then find that it's not running well, and then start fiddling with the carbs and then............
Do a tune up, and do it in the proper progression. That progression did not come about because someone wanted people to do weird things; it came about because it it the way to avoid chasing your tail.
1) Set valve clearance.
2) Do an ignition tune.
3) Then get to the carbs, and particulary since you have Webers.

[Heiner Fees]

I had the same problem with my Zenith carburettor. The problem was that the valve in one carburettor does not open.
I open the connection of fuel line to the carb and knock a little bit after that the valve opened the car runs. There was a very very tiny rubber part in the valve guidance and it does not open completely. At home I replaced the valve. Since I have no problems.
Please check also the level in your float bowl and the pressure of your fuel pump.
Heiner

[David Jones]

Ron, I don't disagree with your suggestion but even if he should start with the valves, if the car will not start surely he should go first to the most likely problem then after it starts proceed with the tune up though it sounds as though he will have to take it to a mechanic as it is not in his area of expertise to do a tune up.
I recently had an issue with starting and running with my "C" and it had just been fully tuned up. In my case it was a bad soldered connection from the starter solenoid wire in the ignition switch. The ssr relay did not help there either.

[Brian R Adams]

Ron, I don't disagree with your suggestion but even if he should start with the valves, if the car will not start surely he should go first to the most likely problem then after it starts proceed with the tune up

Devil's advocate: What if the valves are not even opening? Would you expect it to start anyway?

brian

[Tom Martinez]

It sounds like a fuel problem to me, maybe the pump, or a clog, maybe the tap handle was bumped. I'd start by vigorously working the throttle whilst peering down the throat of a carb to see if she's squirting. It's easy, cheap and quick, then that's scratched off your list.

[Wes Bender]

I'm in Ron's camp on this one, with one minor difference. Don't wait for a problem to crop up before doing the valve/ignition/carburetion exercise. Do a tuneup often enough to become proficient at it and often enough that when something does go amiss, you have a pretty good handle on what is probably NOT at fault. And, yes, there can be the odd problem that occurs out of the blue, but they don't happen often. The only guys on this forum who shouldn't or couldn't keep up their own tuneups would be the ones who don't have the time, inclination or tools to do it and they need to have a local 356 guru to call upon when they have a problem.

Carburetors should almost always be the last thing to start adjusting. You can screw them up big time if you aren't aware that it's actually an ignition problem acting like a fuel problem. (Jacques, isn't "Carburetor" a French word for "Don't mess with it."???)

Just my $.02. YMMV.

Cheers,
Wes

[Tom Martinez]

Carburetors should almost always be the last thing to start adjusting.

Who said anything about adjusting carbs? (or are you just reminding folks it the last thing that should be possibly adjusted?) I'm advocating to first see if gas is simply getting to the carbs, not fiddling with them.

Haven't you or a passenger ever bumped the tap to the slightly off position? or had your gas gauge fail or had a clogged fuel filter? or a fuel pump go bad? any one of those things can create the symptoms described.

To me, checking for fuel is an elementary "broke down on the side of the road" task.

Hey does the Registry still publish that little troubleshooting handbook with the cartoon car on the cover? It should be law that every 356 come that little book.

[Wes Bender]

Nobody said anything about adjusting carbs until I did, and I added it as a follow-on comment to the rest of my post....... and, yes, I feel they should be the last thing to adjust. I didn't say anything about NOT checking for fuel flow or level in the troubleshooting process. I've only been doing this since about 1962 or so.

Cheers,
Wes

[Tom Martinez]

Nobody said anything about adjusting carbs until I did, and I added it as a follow-on comment to the rest of my post....... and, yes, I feel they should be the last thing to adjust. I didn't say anything about NOT checking for fuel flow or level in the troubleshooting process. I've only been doing this since about 1962 or so.

Cheers,
Wes

Hi Wes, I can see now that my post came off snippy toward you, I'm sorry for that because that was my not my intention! I sort of thought that some of the guidance we were giving the guy was not emphasizing a fundamental.

My apologies again, let's get back to the garage!

Tom, in SoCal.

[Kevin Parks]

First of all thanks to all for suggestions. Here is what was done. Removed the distributor.They then performed a shim kit replacement. Set up the carbs and adjusted the points. Running good now.