Don't have her crank it she needs to tap or bump the starter.
Finger over hole bump, if you don't feel you finger being pushed off bump again.
Keep doing that till you feel the push then turn the motor by hand to line the TDC marks up.

If she cranks it by the time you tell her stop and she does stop you could beright back 180 off.
If you get a starter button it is real easy to hook up on our trucks.
2 lead on the battery + the other on the small stud marked with an S .
You can even use a screw driver to short the 2 to get it to crank.
Dave - - - -

 

I keep reading "orange" spark. The ignition coil has been replaced... could it be defective?

 

Your drawing explained a lot to me. The piston comes up all the way twice but only one is the compression stroke. Using a straw or dowel is not the right thing to do. I did 2 things to get TDC this time. First I used a wet paper towel and tried partially sticking it in the plug hole because the plug is behind the AC compressor. That worked and blew it out but not good enough. I then used my hose from the compression tester and had my wife check for air coming out of the hose while I cranked over the shaft from underneath. That found TDC properly.

I lifted the cap of the distributor and sure enough I was 180* out. I was happy that I had been wrong. I then set #1 plug wire on the cap right over the rotor location, snugged it up and tried to start it. No start. I then moved the distributor both directions from TDC to see if would fire. No start. I added starter fluid and still no start.

All of you have been great in hanging in there with me and showing me how to do things properly. I wish to say thank you again. I will now get busy on the other suggestion re: checking, cleaning and adding ground cables. I will get those done the next few days. It will be very cold here the next 3 days and the garage has no heat.

This has to be something really dumb on my part or the PO could have messed with the timing gears???. If I can't get it started the next 2 weeks I will have to tow it to a mechanic. I don't want you folks to spend good time with me when others can use your help and get it done. Hank

 

I checked the coil ( new from Oreilly ). The resistance between the 2 terminals is 1.3 Ohm. The resistance from the terminals to the High voltage plug is 8,500 Ohm. I took it to Oreilly to see if they had any other checks they could do to test the spark but they do not have one.
I did replace the Motorcraft module that I purchased since that tested bad. I had another unit tested that was good and purchased it.

I also tested the resistance readings they tell you to check for the distributor and that was good. I even tried direct 12v from the battery to the coil to see if I would get a better spark. No luck. I will be doing grounds, cleaning and adding. Hank

 

All you need is spark and fuel now, and it should try to run or at least cough. You can bypass many problems youmay have by spraying some ether in the top of the carb, or pouring a little fuel in it like you did before. You also need to check for spark again. No need to check grounds or anything like that if you have spark. If you do not have spark, you can check grounds and your wiring.

 

Don't feel to bad I have a car (my drag car) that had not run for a year or 2. I needed to move it around and on / off the trailer because we were moving.
Well new battery and jumper pack, new plugs and fresh gas and could not get it to start and run. It was real close but just would not catch.
I was running out of time so I gave up and hand pushed it off and hand winch back on when needed.

3 years later to today, someone want to buy the car, went to turn the motor over by hand and it is rusted up.
I think because of the gas & starting fluid down the carb washing the oil off the cyl. walls.
I got it soaking to free but the buyer has not been back by in over a month and it is low on the "to do list"

Some times you just have to walk away for a bit or "farm it out" to someone that has a fresh set of eyes to look it over and get it running.
Good luck
Dave ----

 

I will do those items in the morning. First check spark, second add fuel and crank. I have used the starter spray but will try that again as well. If the spark is still orange / yellow from the coil to the distributor and plugs I will try straight 12 volts from the battery again to the coil to see if I get a blue spark. That should eliminate the grounds as being the culprits. Hank

 

Having to move was unavoidable when it came to your truck and in my case getting older is also unavoidable. It will get done either by me with FTE help or as you stated with a set of fresh eyes.
Now that I can find TDC perhaps I am not setting up the distributor and rotor properly. I read way too much and analyze it to death.

When the rotor is at TDC and points in the "wrong" direction with the vacuum port is it OK to rotate the distributor to the rotor and line up the cap / #1 cylinder and close it up or should you pull the distributor out and reset it?? I am a little lost on that. Hank Just another thought .

 

So you or someone else pulls all the plug wires off then goes looking at the book for firing order and where #1 should be and that is what you go by but it will not start or run.
If you want to move the plug wires to match where #1 is is fine and you don't need to or may not be able to turn the dist. to match the vacuum port to #1.

The right way is to pull the dist. and turn the rotor so it points to where the book shows it & the vacuum port is in the right area to adjust timing.
Dave ----

 

So long as the vacuum can does not hit anything, you can put the distributor anywhere you want. It does work best in the factory position though, the wires seem to fit better. If you have plenty of room to move it around right now, and the rotor is pointing to #1 when on the compression stroke, I would not worry about it.

Do not worry about the small things. You can get side tracked, and then go pull the dist and reset it again, and you may get it messed again, and you never have gotten it to run yet. I would try and get it to run, and then do everything else in baby steps.

 

After finding TDC, don't forget to go to 10 deg. BTDC for proper timing. At TDC you are still 10 degrees late but it should at least try to start.

 

Yes, as long as it's in the ballpark it should try to start. He can twist it around a little bit so it runs better, and then dial it in with the timing light after it's running.

 

OK--I started from scratch: I pulled all the plug wires, removed plug #1, used the compression tester hose in the plug hole and turned the main shaft till I had air coming out of the hose, then I completed turning to TDC on the mark. Oriented the distributor so the vacuum port faces perpendicular to the block, aligned the rotor and cap and inserted the distributor so they both lined up, made sure the dist sat flush over the opening, bolted it back down. I then installed the wires so number one matched with the rotor and case location and continued clockwise #5, #3, #6, #2 and #4.

I then tested for spark at the coil---good but still yellow / orange, then to the plugs--good but also yellow / orange. I looked up the plug numbers and verified they are the correct plugs. I also compared the plug to the old ones.
I added gas into the carb , at least 3 Oz, while someone cranked over the engine. They set the choke and it was closed. It cranks but does not try to turn over.
I checked the coil voltage---11.75 Volts.
Although I checked all of the cylinders for compression a few weeks ago I will re check the compression again on all cylinders and let you know all the readings.
Compression---Fuel---Spark----Ignition timing---Valve timing???????

 

I reset the distributor by the book, with FTE help, and posted a reply below. I agree with you that I need to take baby steps and start over. First another compression test to make sure all valves are still good, I don't want to take anything for granted, I will then make myself a list and go through everything and post it. The DS2 system is very basic and it should be easy to find problems.

 

If you need the DS trouble shooting step by step just shout out I have it handy to post.