you know how to fix things you run into a roadblock on a seemingly simple task. Changing timing sets is a piece of cake as most of us would agree. On a Ford get the crank key way up and the cam dowel down with the the marks on each gear facing each other and you are set. Then set your distributor back in with the rotor at #1, hook everything up, and then fire the engine up. Did this on the Mustang, the Park Lane, the F100 and the Cougar twice. Actually just finished the Cougar after putting in a new camshaft and she fired up right away for break-in.

However, the Polara, which skipped a tooth due to a old chewed up nylon cam gear has been a massive headache. There is a lot in the way of getting to the timing cover with the A/C hanging directly on top. Nevertheless, I managed to get at it and then put it all back together in my usual meticulous manner.Everything cleaned, painted and sealed tight. Crank gear dot up, key way to 2 O/C as per a Mopar, cam gear dot down as cam gear can go on only one way unlike a Ford. Set the rotor at #1 and check again, and again, and again once more time.

Car ran with it's new carb and Pertronix ignition for 30 minutes before the chain jumped. So should be no issues firing up the car like the Cougar. Right? Well two months later the engine still hasn't started. Has spark, fuel and compression. Almost started 3 or 4 times out of maybe 80-100 tries. No backfire. No kickback. Once shot fuel out the idle circuit vents three times in a row but that was a week ago. Even turned the rotor 180 degrees to no effect of any kind. Went over it again today. Wires all in the right place. Have position of #1 marked on distributor housing. Know what axis the rotor is when pointing at #1 supposedly. Carnked over a dozen times and nothing at all. Only the first time did one get the slightest hint of it wanting to start but not on the second try. Never in my life have I not been able to get a car started except this one and I am out of ideas and patience.

 

Just for grins, I would change the plugs and drop a set of points in... Did something possibly get bent when the chain jumped? Is your compression solid accross all cylinders?
Brainstorming for me means a big dust cloud - Mike

 

Shot in the dark how about checking fire order making sure you follow distributor rotation direction? Thought I would throw it out there.

 

Both previous answers are what came to my mind first as well. Could the cam be damaged? Or the dizzy gear or gear pin messed up?

 

Only reason I would say no is, you did a compression check and that showed good. You have compression, you have fuel , You have spark, only thing I can think of is it all is not happening at the right time . Double check top dead center using the balloon method . double check distributor rotation, Do a static timing set up on it . Pull all plugs and check to see if dry , wet, bent, etc, Sorry unfamiliar with this car is it easy or hard to pull valve covers to see rocker movement? Sorry a list of stuff its probably non of it but stuff that came to mind.

 

Since compression is the same across the board there is no problems with the valves. Valve covers were off, for a change of gaskets, and rockers verified TDC was where I set everything at. There is no distributor gear on a Mopar which is actually nice. The bottom of the shaft has a flat plate with a raised groove that fits into a recessed groove in a flat plate on top of the oil shaft. That means you can only put the dizzy in two ways and never be off just a tooth.

The first thing that is going to happen is the Pertronix module is going to be pulled and another one put in it's place just in case the first is bad. I now also have a backup rebuilt Mopar points and electronic distributors as I am beginning to think the problem lies in this area.

 

Thanks Mike, I had forgot about the Dodge dizzy drive.

 

Sounds like a great thought changing out the pertronex. What engine do you have in it?SB Mopars rotate clock wise, 383/400/440 all rotate counter clockwise. Sorry for beating this horse just trying to help. Probably not it but it got me.

 

It is a 360 and I just got my performance book on "How to build Big-Inch Mopar Small Blocks" as this engine is going to be a stroked 360 to 408 later on or sooner...