So I am officially operation save a Disco 1 as I bought another 95 for somewhat cheap. It was running and driving but had a lot of stumbling on high gears, low RPM under load (Crusing highway, static speed and then having to go up a hill). I was working on the vacuum system and the distributor vacuum was bad, so I bought a new distributor and set timing as per specs (6BTC) and now all that's happening is that it is cranking and one sputter to start and then nothing. I have linked to a video. All spark plugs are new and gapped to .035, all were wet so fuel is being sent. I keyed on the car and was able to get spark from spark plug on cylinder 1 when rotating the distributor. I'm really stumped.

Video of Start

Thank you guys in advance for any input at to what I might have missed. I checked grounds and all are fine and tight. Only thing I can thing of is timing is too far advanced/retarded? But I set it to 6 before so I'm confused. Would you recommend I try setting it at 10 and then 0?

 

Almost certain timing is off. Very easy to jump one tooth when installing the dizzy. Also easy to be off 180 degrees, remember #1 is at TDC twice each dizzy rotation. Try to double check the crank and cam positions and align the distributor very carefully.

Problem is: to dial in the timing requires a timing light with the engine running.

By the way, the vacuum advance unit is available as a spare part, if you want to refurb the old dizzy.

My distributor ended up rotated one spark plug position for best fit of the vacuum advance unit.

 

Clean the timing mark on the harmonic balancer, and the engine and then paint the marks with white out. Then rotate the engine by hand until they line up. That will be TDC #1 position Then see if the rotor lines up with #1 cylinder. If not re-stab the dizzy. Is the new dizzy a Lucas replacement or the Pertronix which eliminates the OEM AMP?

 

Rotated engine by hand to 6* BTDC installed dizzy (Its a new Dizzy from Rovers North so its a Lucas Replacement). Hand Cranked engine twice and at 6*BTDC the rotor lined up with cylinder #1.

I am getting a little boroscope to check and make sure that the piston is actually at TDC when the timing mark says it should be.

I didn't know about the Pertronix . Will have to do some research.

 

Just a note to check you haven't accidentally installed the distributor 180 degrees off self with timing. Symptoms sound similar to one time I did it. There are two top dead centers and unless you look at the valves you won't know which stroke you're on. In my experiences small difference in timing setting won't cause a crank no run situation.

 

OK dizzy isn't 180 off. I put it 180 off and tried and got absolutely nothing. Crank but no start at all. Went back 180 and back to same issue of cranking and starting but misfiring. It has an aftermarket headunit in it and when I shut the key off it makes a series of beeping noises potentially alarm is messed up? I can't figure this out and its driving me crazy.

I really don't want to have it towed to a place to have them fix it.

FUEL

• Fuel Rail is primed. I dumped the rail and then ran fuel again and it filled back up so probably not the pump.
• All spark plugs were wet when checked so the injectors are at least spraying fuel

SPARK

• Tested spark on 1,2,3,4 cylinders and all made spark
• Dizzy is new so maybe defective?

AIR

• Air filter has been bypassed so air isn't a problem

Sigh... Thanks for everyone's help so far.

 

Okay sounds like you're correct on the distributor being aligned correctly...

One thing I'm not sure you mentioned is if you have any check engine light codes. Do you have a check engine light on and do you have any codes showing under the passenger seat? That will at least tell us if any of the main EFI or ignition system components are majorly off or missing.

It sounds like you are getting spark but in the past I've had some spark but not robust enough. Once it was because the amplifier on the side of the distributor was bad. The other time it was because I had the wiring on the coil to the amplifier backwards. Both cases had light spark but not enough to reliably combust.

Maybe a random one, but is there a chance your fuel has water in it? Have you tried using starter fluid in the intake?

 

Double check for crossed wires to the wrong cylinders. Triple check #1 position is actually wired to #1 cylinder. Make sure you are using the right pointer to mark TDC. And make sure you are using the correct firing order.

After all those check out, try swapping in the old distributor, just plug the vacuum tube. The vacuum advance is not needed at idle, so it should run fine.

 

Watched your video. Kinda sounds like one I was working on a couple of months ago, even though mine is a '98 and no distributor. What it ended up being was a stuck open fuel injector. I would get fuel in the rail but pressure would dissipate kinda quick. Pushing schrader valve with pump running would shoot it across fender (don't try that at home, children). Had a buddy with me and he swore he could hear something that sounded like fluid trickling after pump stopped running (key on no crank). Grabbed some cheap, chinese, Ford replacements. Don't have any idea what kind of injectors a '95 has.
Just a thought.

 

Bench testing and screw driver "listening" on the injectors will generally rule most of these out. I had a stuck open injector and swapped all of them accordingly, prior to the swap it made awful electric whooping noises and threw a miss on a cyl.