So My Names is James I live in Marysville Wa. I just bought a '72 runabout for 100$ and it ran great for about a week till I got an oil change. Then a beautiful crisp night I was on my way to have dinner with a nice girl. As I turned my key my starter engaged my engine fired... then nothing... I have since changed My ignition lock cylinder, that I had to order from Iowa. As well as New Plugs,Wires, Cap, Rotor, Points, Starter Solenoid, and fuel filter. Some one please help me :-\
Have you checked the timing belt? or tensioner? those could lead to some of the same problems
I haven't changed either of those yet. would the cover on the front belt missing be a problem?I'm not really a mechanic myself. I had a personal mechanic but got divorced and he sided with her...
and this seems to be electrical in nature because there is no sputter or anything from the engine as soon as I release the keys to the run position...
Go to your ign coil and you have 2 wires going to it. One is ground and the other is a switched 12 volts. You are going to need some help with part of this, not unless your arms are very long.
Verify with the key off there is no voltage. Now while you are still hooked up to read the 12 volts turn the key to "ON" Read the voltage. Move the key to start and read the voltage and finally when you release the key what does it read? With those answers it will help. With electrical problems you need to find a starting point.
so you are saying when you turn the key to the start position the car actually starts? but when you release the key from the start position it dies? i dont recall for sure on the pintos but it sounds like the rod on the column needs to be adjusted.
Well it sounds like, from some posts I made in another forum, and what you've all said here, it has to be the actuator rod on the starter switch about halfway down the steering column. Does that sound right?
The rods itself does not adjust.. Loosen the screws of the ignition switch and you can adjust it up an down the steering column which adjusts the travel of the rod to the switch from the Key.
:welcome: sqyrel! Congratulations on your Pinto purchase! I'm afraid I don't have any words of wisdom but your predicament reminds me of an incident involving my $500 '75 Maverick in '95. The oil probably hadn't been changed since the Carter Administration, as the filter's lettering was long gone and the oil was a thick, black, gooey mess. My Dad and Uncle Bill flushed and filled the radiator and changed the oil on her. One morning (the following Monday) I tried to start her and... she ran REALLY rough... then never turned over as long as I had her. In hindsight it was probably a timing belt but I jokingly say that the shock of new fluids (the old radiator fluid was rust-water!) was too much for the old engine.
I hope you get to the bottom of the starting problem and you'll soon be on your way to rediscovering (or discovering!) the fun that is driving a Pinto! ;D
Quote from: Scott Hamilton on January 07, 2010, 03:16:18 PM
The rods itself does not adjust.. Loosen the screws of the ignition switch and you can adjust it up an down the steering column which adjusts the travel of the rod to the switch from the Key.
I tried this after getting into the steering column and seeing how it could be adjusted. but it appears that the run position is simply faulty..
Quote from: blupinto on January 07, 2010, 03:36:44 PM
:welcome: sqyrel! Congratulations on your Pinto purchase! I'm afraid I don't have any words of wisdom but your predicament reminds me of an incident involving my $500 '75 Maverick in '95. The oil probably hadn't been changed since the Carter Administration, as the filter's lettering was long gone and the oil was a thick, black, gooey mess. My Dad and Uncle Bill flushed and filled the radiator and changed the oil on her. One morning (the following Monday) I tried to start her and... she ran REALLY rough... then never turned over as long as I had her. In hindsight it was probably a timing belt but I jokingly say that the shock of new fluids (the old radiator fluid was rust-water!) was too much for the old engine.
I hope you get to the bottom of the starting problem and you'll soon be on your way to rediscovering (or discovering!) the fun that is driving a Pinto! ;D
and thank you :) I love pintos this is actually my third! I had a '76 wagon when I was 16 and an '80 runabout when I was 19. the wagon had a 289 and a 5-speed!
Similar to the problem I had with my 73 Wagon I just got. Check your starter solenoid, as well as the connections to it. That was my problem. It started with the two front terminals being backwards, after that the switch would work intermittently.