Escort MK2 1.6 need help

Try replacing your earth cables and make sure they have a good connection to the body and also try replacing your 12V cable from the battery to the starter motor.

Like admin says, could be earth cable.  You may need a flexible "earth strap" connected between the motor (preferably one of the starter motor bolts) and a clean area (bare metal) of the chassis.
Cheers

Sounds like a crook Earth,crook Battery,crook Starter, and/or All wire connections.!!  ... Clean all earth connections to bare metal with wet & dry paper, ADD a decent size earth wire to 1 bolt on your Starter motor then to the Body, after cleaning the whole bolt, clean pos & neg battery terminals, also starter pos connection.!! ... Add Zinc Cream to EVERYTHING you have cleaned, it's the white stuff Cricket players use, available from your Chemist.!! ... With jumper leads attached to your battery from a running car, and Fire up your Esky, if prob still exists Starter may be the culprit, make sure the zinc is only on the brass Starter screw & connector, If you are in Vic. & 1300 & 1600 starters are the same, i can lend you a 1300 Starter, Pickup only.!!  ... Hope this helps, the Zinc is a Great Conductor, Cheers 

Check engine timing. Could be a little bit too far advanced.

Hi,
Thanks for all the good advice this weekend I'll go over all my leads and connections again, starter motor and starter solenoid are both brand new made no difference money well wasted, Battery on multi is fine I'll have to put the multi on the starter and a few other spots I've only just got the multi so not too experienced. I'll also try and get someone to check the timing for me. Let you know how I go thanks for the offer of a another starter motor to try but I'm in NSW.
Thanks,
Greg.
 

gah i just lot a whole post lol.
 
Easiest way to set base timing without light is like so: (make sure your points gap is set BEFORE doing this - elec ign u can skip)
 
Remove plugs (makes turning easier!)
Cover hole plug #1 with finger and block it well
(when rotating crank have the dizzy cap off - see what direction its turning - prob counter clockwise)
Rotate crank clockwise - as u get to about 20 degrees BTDC check for air hissing past your finger. if nothing you are on the exhaust TDC, rotate crank 360 degrees, do it again. When you get air hissing past finger - turn slowly till you are at 10 degrees BEFORE the 0 mark.
 
NOW - leave crank as is - u were watching the distributor rotor right? Assuming it was turning anti clockwise - 
** you have 2 ways to do this - shove a philips screw driver up plug lead for #1 and hold about 1mm from clean block metal - now turn the distributor housing CLOCKWISE till u hear it "TICK" / Arch - you have to move the distributor back and forth - like ur combing it till u get a good feel for the spot where it makes a tick / or sparks across from screwdriver. You want to stop turning the housing right on this mark - the ignition is basically firing right there. Since u left the crank at 10 BTDC this will fire right about there.. (if points, this is where the points RELEASE, NOT touch each other) - ** option 2 is to just connect a test light to the 2 points, when the light goes OUT there is your spark.
 
Thats will get ur motor running each and every time. 
 
After u have bolted down distributor - u can basically turn motor back 15 degrees and slowly come forward (as if motor is running) - still holding the screwdriver in #1 plug lead 1-2mm from block, at about the 10 mark it should spark - ur good to go.
 
** You need POWER on the points for this to work (spark method) - be careful not to leave key on - coil will boil!
you can do this with test light with an internal battery and no power on ignition.
 
:)