440 IC won't run need advice

[jeff Kemp]

My 440 gas won't run and I need some serious advice. This is what happened. I was out moving some dirt and the motor at a high rpm started to pot and snort really loud out of the exhaust. It wasn't a running out of fuel pop either it was a very loud bang. The machine would then run at an idle but every time I tried to throttle up it would pop and snort out of the exhaust and run on one cylinder. Finally the machine just stopped running and would not start back up. This is what I have done so far:

- I changed the condenser and the points. I gapped the points at .012

- I put in some new spark plugs

- I took off the valve cover and inspected the valve train. The valve train appears to be working properly. Valves move up and down and spacing is at .030. I put my hand over the carb intake and I can feel good suction and same on exhaust.

- I took apart the carb and cleaned it out. There is for sure gas getting from the tank to the carb.

- I have spark but the plugs don't look as wet as they should be.

This is where I get baffeled. I know for sure that I have fire on both plugs. I put a little starting fluid in both cylinders to see if I could at least get it to hit. When I turn it over it doesn't hit a lick? If I choke the carb it will eventually leak gas out by the choke butterfly. Even if the carb if gummed up if I put starting fluid in the cylinders it should at least fire right?

I took the carb back off and gave it to a friend of mine and he is going to take a look at it tomorrow. If that doesn't do the trick I don't know where else to look. The timming maybe? I can't imagine the timming getting out of adjustment but maybe I am wrong. Prior to the popping noise the machine was running fine. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thx

Jeff

[jeff Kemp]

I finally figured it out!!!!! Here it is in case any incounters this one.

The previous owner replaced the ignition coil but wired it backwards. I am suprised it ran for as long as it did with the current flowing wrong. That would account for the back fires that i was having when the coil was in the process of blowing up.

What was suprising to me is that the coil actually still worked and had spark. The spark was very weak and I determined the coil was bad by conducting an ohm check. Thank God for these forums. After searching through other peoples problems I looked through that coil or I might still be wrenching on this darn thing.

[Lavoy]

They will work, but the spark is weaker, and a different color. There is a test using a lead pencil to check them if you can't see the coil, but I don't remember the whole process.
Lavoy

[pop pop]

hey jeff, i would have been wrenching also,,, its amazing what previous owners get away with,,, i guess ya just have to think of all possibilities.