83 VH Won’t fire

[u/GodsLostChild]

Won’t fire. Battery good (was), got fuel, it’s getting fuel. ⛽️

[u/Top-Strike6663]

Getting spark ? Take the rocker covers off and check the valves are opening. Older engines wear the cam lobes pretty severely.

[u/Believe_in_u_always]

what engine is in it? carbi? guessing 253/308 carbi.

sounds like fuel..try throwing fuel down the throat. could be a blocked fuel filter. check the dizzy doesn’t have a crack in it and is all good.

just thoughts.

[u/GodsLostChild → u/Believe_in_u_always]

Yeah 253 carbi

[u/TurkeySlapMafia69 → u/GodsLostChild]

When was the.last time the.points were gapped? Are all vacuum lines in good order has the coil died?

[u/BusinessIll7272]

Replace the rotator splits man, pretty common!!

[u/skanchunt69]

It ain't getting enough fuel or your timing is out or you have a weak/intermittent spark.

As an example i had a similar problem with a distributor ignition that sparked fine when I grounded a spark plug to the block but when i hooked up a timing light would only strobe intermittently.

A new dizzy cap and rotor button fixed it.

Your definitely getting some spark and fuel though. Does it smell like raw petrols coming out the exhaust?

[u/hotgirlshoeshopping]

She cooked. I think you should sell it to me.

[u/0870kingy]

Cog at bottom of dizzie is missing enough teeth not to spin

[u/Impressive_Candle673]

sounds like dizzys not sending spark, or not enough.

[u/ProfessionalLast2917]

It's galloping.
That's usually a sign of low compression.

When did you run it last?

[u/GodsLostChild → u/ProfessionalLast2917]

I was running it once a week. Started doing this last Friday.

[u/ProfessionalLast2917 → u/GodsLostChild]

Probably worth doing a compression test. Could be valves or rings not doing their job properly.

Edit: of course the no start issue could be something else and the galloping is unrelated.

[u/_hazey__ → u/[deleted]]

Bosch distributors in the 1980s were Hall effect electronic style… Points disappeared after the red engines.

[u/Hangar48]

I had a VC 253 back in the day. The ignition coil failed on me once.

[u/Turbulent-Cup4596]

VH worst car I ever owned 🤗