I believe i have a 460 in my truck and rn it isnt running it cranks but isnt getting spark i got a new starter new distributor cap and the solenoid i also figured out the distributor was swapped from a 350 chevy and if anyone can help me figure out if this is a real 460 or what engine it actually is thanks

 

Would be helpful to know a lot of things.

1. What is your truck?
2. Can you do some research to find out if you do in fact have a 460, or post a picture? Somebody on here can surely help you figure that out.
3. Do you mean an HEI distributor? I'd say this is an important detail but frankly they're all important details.
4. Did the truck ever run? Did you just get it? Pull it out of a field? Did you do some work on it recently?

 

Post pictures.

Are you getting spark at the coil? Are you sure you installed the new wires on the cap the correct way? What is the condition of the rotor? Are you sure you are getting fuel?

 

My truck is a 77 f250 my truck i traded for my old jeep it was rinning and driving i got it running good then i was trying to get the old mechanical but i found out it was discontinued i have looked up stuff on this but unless i can get it running and get it so i can clean it i was woundering if there was any ways with out cleaning that i would be able to tell i got a spark plug tester and i tested 4 out of the 8 and none of them were getting any and yes it is a hei

 

There is so much that could be going on here.... from your spark plug tester not working to your distributor to some whole other issue. Pictures might really help.

They definitely still make stock 460 distributors.

Just pull a plug, ground it out (somewhere away from flammable stuff), and have some turn it over. See if there is spark.

Are the spark plugs fouled up?

I have no idea how HEI's are wired up, but are you sure yours is wired up correctly?

 

We replaced the plugs and ik it has to be wired right be cause it was working fine bf i replaced the cap when i replaced rhe spark plug wires one by one so i did it the same as when it was running i ordered a new rotor ill let u know when that comes in if it changes anything but do u think its work it to just go bach to the original and rip out the wiring is it something a novice could do

 

Heres some photos

 

I don't just mean the spark plug wires. Is all the ignition stuff wired up correctly for that distributor? You can probably find the wiring instructions for it online. I really don't know about that kind, but if you knocked a wire loose changing things out that could be the problem.

Is putting in a stock distributor something a novice could do? Absolutely. But, I don't think you should do anything you don't need to.

Step one: Examine a spark plug and describe it's condition (a picture would be a million times better)
Step two: Test a spark plug to see if there is spark without the tester.
Step three: Post photos of all this and your engine bay in general. Before getting any parts, you really need to find out what you have. This forum can do that easily with a picture. Someone that has an HEI might see something immediately that can be fixed.

Don't just throw money at parts. Let's figure out what is happening first, then get the right parts to fix it.

Edit: Thanks for the photos

 

Did you turn the distributor itself when you were doing this work?

 

I don't have a 460, so I'm not sure how correct this picture is, but it doesn't look like what you have going on there as far as order.

 

Ok and thank for the help i appreciate it i will take more pics tm but the sparks r literally brand new and i tried with one like u do on a lawn mower but it was with old sparks idk if it works ths same

 

The distributor had wires and a block on it and a notch in so i cant really mess with the orientation of it and idk if it is bad but to me the distributor looks a little tilted but the rotor spins so idk if that might have anything to do with it

 

I'm not asking if you moved the cap; there is only one way for it to go on. I'm asking if you rotated the distributor itself, clockwise or counter-clockwise, while you were installing everything else.

Test for spark, That's your next thing. It works just like a mower. Take pictures of your plugs for us while you are doing all that.

 

Ok ill do that first thing in the morning and it probably did get moved while it was off and thank u guys for all the help

 

The HEI style distributors are a good design, and the new replacements are getting better and better, but the modern Chinese knockoffs are still notorious for failing early on.
Now, if you have spark at the plugs then the distributor has not failed. The internal modules do need to be mounted carefully using heat-sink paste just like a computer chip. If it hasn't been done, or if it was not done correctly by the manufacturer, or the module itself was just too cheap and isn't working properly, any of those can cause the ignition to stop working.
The ignition coil is mounted to the top of the distributor cap, as you probably found out when changing the cap. It's possible that some of the wires connecting the coil are busted/rusted or otherwise not working.

Should only be one or two wires used for this type of distributor. One main power wire, that needs a full 12v (rather than the approx. 9v of the stock Ford system) and a tach wire if you do have a tachometer working.
And speaking of tachometers, if you have one disconnect it temporarily from the distributor. If a tach fails internally it can wonk out the ignition too.

And did you replace the starter and starter relay/solenoid for another reason, or because it would not start?
If the latter, then it was wasted money because you said it was cranking and just not starting. If the starter is cranking, then the starter, the starter relay, and the cables are all functioning as designed.
The starter itself cannot cause a no-spark situation. It can weaken the spark to the point it's hard to start, but that's not common.
The starter relay can effect the ignition on stock setups, if the Brown wire shorts out inside. But on a properly wired HEI setup you're not using that wire usually anyway. However, just so we know for sure, disconnect the Brown wire from the small "I" post on the right side of the starter relay and see if that helps.

That last bit was very rare on an original quality relay, but with the crappy aftermarket relays available it's becoming way more common.
So if you haven't already, don't throw away the old relay. Keep it in your glovebox for the day that the new one fails and leaves you stranded.

Good luck.

Paul