odd starting

shifty · Post by **shifty** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 12:22 am

Recently changed the oil in my '69 2000 from 10w30 to 20/50, updated to Boone dizzy, MSD blaster 2 coil, new wires and hotter spark plug. (Just trying to cover all the recent changes.)

Now, every once and a while, the engine has a stange sound on starting. Very hard to describe - almost like the starter has a hard time turning the engine over. Just a little resistance to get started. Never did this before.

Might be unrelated, planning on checking the wiring and grounds. Any ideas?

Daryl Smith · Post by **Daryl Smith** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 3:36 am

"hotter spark plug"

With those changes,if anything, you *should* be going to a "cooler" plug.

The extra spark energy will burn everything off and your plug will stay hotter, so you want to go one step cooler in the plug range. However, if you can find a BPR7ES or BP7ES I'd like to know where, cause I been lookin'!!! (if it's a 2L I think the BP6ES is one step cooler than stock)

You opened up the spark gap to 0.043" or better?

The extra energy can also get the *fire* burning a little quicker (flame front a little further along providing more resistance to turning over), so you could maybe try retarding your timing a couple of degrees and see if that makes a difference.

Other than that, your starter may be on its way out.

shifty · Post by **shifty** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 11:12 am

I did go from 5 to 6 on the spark plug (for some reason I thought it was hotter!). I gapped them at .040 - I'll try .043.

Right now it is timed at 16Ã‚Â° BTDC and there is no pinging. Should I try closer to 20? Engine is a U20 with SU's.

I think the mixture is still too rich, the old plugs were black. I'll try to lean it out a bit.

Thanks for the input!

Post by **dbrick** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 11:55 am

The more retarded the timing, the easier it will start. For some reason, I think NGK plugs get colder as the number goes up, NAPA lists a NGK2023 as the crossover for BPR7ES and NGK7131 as BPR6ES, I would double check before putting them in.

From NGK site, pardon my formatting
1969 NISSAN 2000 2.0 L4 U20 CARB

Spark Plug Part No. Stock No. Plug Gap
Standard BPR5ES 7734 .036
V-Power BPR5EY 1233 .036
G-Power Platinum BPR5EGP 7082 .036
Iridium IX BPR5EIX 6597 .036

Heat range info is here

http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/techinfo/s ... country=US

spyder · Post by **spyder** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 12:07 pm

The more you advance the engine the more difficult it will be to start. Perhaps the battery is going or a loose/dirty battery cable.