Citroen AX GT engine swap wont start

[jsp]

Hi, I have recently swapped my 10E to GT but, it wont start, I have spark and fuel but, it wont start. I did swap over the old distributor from my 1.0 engine. Anyone experienced this before?

[wheeler]

Is it a carb or injection engine?
Have you checked the valve timing ?
Was the engine a good known runner before you fitted it?

[RichardW]

Carb or injection? Did you see it running before you put it in? Are you sure that you've got the plug leads in the right order? How have you set the timing?

[jsp]

Is it a carb or injection engine?
Have you checked the valve timing ?
Was the engine a good known runner before you fitted it?

Injection engine back to carb converted.

Compression is a tad low (100psi) maybe a valve adjustment?

It was a working engine before it has been pulled out.

How to know which leads go to where?

[xantia_v6]

It could be that you have the ignition timing 180° out with ignition firing on the cylinders with the valves open, rather than on the cylinders with compression.

Either take off the cam cover and check the which cylinder is on its compression stroke compared to the position of the distributor rotor, or, if that is difficult on this engine, take out the sprk plugs, turn the engine to TDC (crankshaft timing mark), and with a piece of hose (e.g a short length of garden hose) blow into cylinder 1 and cylinder 4, one of them will have the valves open, the distributor rotor should be pointing at the plug lead for the other one.

[jsp]

How could the ignition timing be 180 degrees off then?

[xantia_v6]

Because the distributor has been changed.

[jsp]

I changed back the original distributor but, still the same, valves has been adjusted. Changed rotor and cap aswell.

Compression test 85-100-105-100 psi

[lexi]

They are supposed to be 10% within each other. A wet test will point you to piston ring or a valve recessed or burnt. If you think timing is all good, try a tow start. With old engines it can do the trick. I have started old Land Rovers like this and then they ran normal.

[jsp]

I was also thinking of that

[wheeler]

have you tried a blast of easy start up the intake?

[myglaren]

have you tried a blast of easy start up the intake?

[doctle]

Compression isn't great. Try a little petrol down into the carburettor, see if she fires. As has been mentioned a tow might get her to fire if you're sure the spark timing is right and that she's getting fuel.

[wheeler]

have you tried a blast of easy start up the intake?

Easy start is a brilliant as a diagnostic tool, if I am looking at an engine that turns over normally but wont start more often than not I would reach for a can of easy start before even plugging in a diagnostic computer.

[Stickyfinger]

have you tried a blast of easy start up the intake?

Easy start is a brilliant as a diagnostic tool, if I am looking at an engine that turns over normally but wont start more often than not I would reach for a can of easy start before even plugging in a diagnostic computer.

Saves messing about with a cold chain saw as well