85 vic won't start

[bowman83merc]

hi i have my dads 85 vic police and it wont start. It will turn over great run for a sec then die. When it does start it won't even get the RPM's over 400 before it dies. After it dies it will still crank over so its not losing all power. No matter how long i crank after it dies it will not start agine. I can hear a relay click when i first start cranking then when it dies. Its the relay on the passenger side finder. I don't have the same relay on my merc or my bronco i have here so i can't just swap it out. Any ideas what else it could be.

[gadget73]

302 or 351 car? Totally different setup, so its hard to troubleshoot without that.

Still, its gonna come back to fuel or spark. Which do you not have? A snort of starting fluid through the carb or throttle body will tell you if its a fuel problem. If it runs on the ether, then you don't have fuel. If it doesn't run on ether, check for spark because you likely don't have any or enough. The actual cause will depend on what motor is there, VV and Duraspark vs CFI and TFI ignition.

[mrltd]

sounds like a fuel issue

[351m]

In his sig...

85 ltd police, 351w, performer 351w intake, 670 street avenger carb, headers and H-pipe with mufflers in trunk ready to be put on

I was thinking fuel but I had a '79 F-150 that did that and it turned out to be the duraspark box.

[bowman83merc]

it is getting fuel, i even dumped gas straight down the carb. i also changed the coil. So i'm going to change the box tonight.

[1987cp]

Remind me, what are you running for an ignition system?

[351m]

Check the pickup in the dist as well, that will cause similar.

[bowman83merc]

i went and paid for the ign control mod (that things $41) i will be picking it up today after i get off work. it has the factory system it had when it came out, what that is im not to sure but i do know the box is diff from my merc and my bronco. Plugs don't match.