1969 318 automatic Charger won't start

[MaximRecoil]

This car has been sitting for 16 years outside. 16 years ago it would start and run if you kept pouring gas in the carburetor (for some reason it wasn't getting fuel from the tank).

I hooked a battery up to it to see if it would still crank (after confirming that the motor would still turn over using a wrench on the crankshaft bolt). When I turn the key, it does nothing except make a "blip" kind of noise; or a cross between a "blip" and a "click" might be a better way to describe it.

[mikepmcs]

check your battery cables.  sounds like a bad ground or bad connection.
check both ends of each cable for corrosion or being loose where they hook to the battery itself and where they terminate(engine block, starter)
also it could be a stuck solenoid causing this blip as well.  you could tap on the starter while the key is in the on position to see if that kicks it over.

on another note.  I wouldn't just start that car after 16 years of sitting. you've made sure it turns over manually but now I'd take a step back and change the oil, water, etc... if you're gonna fire it up after that I would use an external fuel source to feed it like a gas can.  You need some good gas going through there.
you stand a good chance of being very excited and then immediately very depressed as soon as the motor seizes because of some compromised fluids in the motor.
good luck and don't be over anxious, it will cost you big time. 16 years, what's another couple days.

keep us posted

[nascarxx29]

After that long of a sit change oil .Remove plugs WD 40 spray lube cylinders.Crank over while plugs are out and build up the oil pressure.Check the points .Get fresh gas from gas can to fuel pump..Open up gas cap and smell if its real bad .Drop tank check for rust and scale check fuel sender condition .As for not cranking the connections or starter could be at fault

[MaximRecoil]

check your battery cables.  sounds like a bad ground or bad connection.
check both ends of each cable for corrosion or being loose where they hook to the battery itself and where they terminate(engine block, starter)
also it could be a stuck solenoid causing this blip as well.  you could tap on the starter while the key is in the on position to see if that kicks it over.

I put new battery terminal clamps on the both the positive and negative cables before I hooked a battery up in the first place, but I didn't check the connections at the starter and engine block.

Someone mentioned to me earlier today that I might have to hit the starter with a hammer, so I'll have to give that a try (but I'll need someone to help before I can).

on another note.  I wouldn't just start that car after 16 years of sitting. you've made sure it turns over manually but now I'd take a step back and change the oil, water, etc... if you're gonna fire it up after that I would use an external fuel source to feed it like a gas can.  You need some good gas going through there.
you stand a good chance of being very excited and then immediately very depressed as soon as the motor seizes because of some compromised fluids in the motor.
good luck and don't be over anxious, it will cost you big time. 16 years, what's another couple days.

keep us posted

Yeah. For right now, I was only wanting to crank the starter to get oil flowing in the engine before I actually try to start it at a later time (by having someone pour gas in the carburetor while I turn the key). I suppose I should change the oil even before doing that though, even though it is still full (no leaks while sitting apparently) and looks okay.

There was no chance of it actually starting the engine at this point, because there is no gas in the tank, and the fuel delivery system isn't working anyway, which I found out 16 years ago; and I didn't have anyone pouring gas in the carburetor.

[nascarxx29]

On the 318 2 barrel you can get some gas down the carb bowl vent it primes the accelerator pump.And will run about a minute or 2.Bowl vent pictured small angled pipe.You need a small squeeze bottle to get down the tube .Sometimes a rap on the starter will get you cranking over again
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.carbkitsource.com/carbs/images/carbsnapshots/carterBBD-68Dodge-large.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.carbkitsource.com/carbs/pages/gallery/index.html&h=674&w=800&sz=195&tbnid=Reae-W6V-OxMZM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=143&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcarter%2Bbbd%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=carter+bbd&hl=en&usg=__sIQ1rkuoIv1vZktDuC9UEjjgoPk=&sa=X&ei=A9rNTefAGpC3tgfUo7XsDQ&ved=0CCgQ9QEwAA

[MaximRecoil]

I haven't had a chance to do anything with it, but it came to me what the sound it made was when I turned the key to the start position ... it sounded exactly like a blinker (but it just makes the sound once each time you turn the key to the start position; it doesn't repeat like a blinker). It doesn't sound exactly like the blinker in this car, but it sounds like some of the louder blinkers I've heard in other cars. If I recorded it and then made the sound repeat every second or so, you'd swear you were hearing a blinker. Has anyone ever heard that sound when turning the key?

[MaximRecoil]

So what is between the battery and the starter on this car? Is the solenoid separate from the starter and mounted in the engine compartment or is it integral with the starter?

[FLG]

Thats usually the sound of the relay clicking over, smack the starter a bit while cycling the key and i bet youll get her to turn over.

[MaximRecoil]

Thats usually the sound of the relay clicking over, smack the starter a bit while cycling the key and i bet youll get her to turn over.

Thanks, I'll definitely give that a try as soon as I can get it jacked up high enough to [safely] crawl under there. I need a bigger/better jack before I can get something under there. I don't trust jack stands in this situation because it is sitting on grass, so that's not a solid platform for them. I'm thinking if I can jack it up high enough I can set its front wheels on some steel wheels laying flat on the ground.

Do you know if it has a separate solenoid mounted in the engine compartment or does it have a solenoid integrated into the starter?

[MaximRecoil]

Well, I got it to crank / turn over.

I found the solenoid on the firewall and I cleaned all the connections. I also cleaned all the connections in those three big black interlocking plastic connectors mounted to the firewall above the solenoid with lots of wires coming out. Then I turned the key, and no change from before.

I then removed the starter (which is a major pain to do from the wheel opening, since I can't get under the car) and took it up to my friend's shop to test it. It tested fine. I then cleaned up all the electrical connections, as well as the mounting face and flanges, and reinstalled it, again through the wheel opening (even more of a pain than removing it, since I don't have 3 hands). Then when I connected a battery and turned the key, it cranked. I only cranked it a few times, for a couple of seconds each time; but now that that is working, I can move on to other things, with the goal of getting the engine running again.

[MaximRecoil]

I got it started today, but only briefly. I poured some gas in the carburetor so it ran for a second or two. It won't get fuel from the tank which is something I knew about 16 years ago. I'm guessing that the sending unit is the problem, because I put a new fuel pump on it 16 years ago and it didn't help.

The points and rotor button were severely corroded, so I replaced those with new ones today. I also replaced the distributor cap, ignition coil, and condenser with new ones. After that it started.

[MaximRecoil]

It is officially running now. I replaced the fuel pump (the new fuel pump I put in it 16 years ago must have been defective or the wrong type) and ran a hose from it directly into a can of fresh gas (because I don't trust the contents / condition of its gas tank), and also replaced the ballast resistor (which had black paint on it from when the car was last painted, about 30 years ago) and the spark plugs, and it fired up and ran good; sounded pretty good too.