Ok, I have a 390 FE but it wont run. It cranks, i have fuel, i have energy and I even have fire!!! wooo wooo exiting the headers along with a nice POPing noise my neighboors are commenting on hearing. But it wont catch. I TDC'd about 2 months ago been working on it ever since, had some major electrical problems, they are fixed now. When the engine was on the stand about a year ago i made sure timing was right when i droped in the new cam. Then when engine was in i TDC checked it by piston 1 fully up and intake and exhaust both fully closed. Then i poped in the distributer. But damit all for all the checking and tweaking I have done it wont catch and run. The harmonic ballancer is ofcourse no help as it has no timming marks on it that are readable. It looks like this .......
ATC | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | BTC
10 ?? 20 30

and when i tdc'd the engine the top center was about 4 hash marks before the ?? marking. SO lets face it guys.. am I going to have to pull the whole front of my truck ( grill, lights, radiator) off and the water pump and the pullies and the harmonic ballancer and the alternator and the fuel pump and the timing cover to solve this riddle. Had some sudo mechaninc mention timing when he installed the engine into the truck and now I wonder if he pulled my timming cover and ##### with my sprockets. BTW i dont have a garage to work on this thing in.. Its all playing in the mud and cold.. lots of fun


Nate, the man with a ford that is his lifes biggest mystery

 

Oh, the timming mark thing got all messed up..
also like to note that all this start testing has already destroyed two batteries, thank god for 2 year free replacement.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 17-Dec-01 AT 09:04 PM (EST)]I think it's another 10, 10 atdc 0 10 btdc but not sure, this is just a guess on what I remember which I cant guarantee. Getting inside the timing cover will show if the cam is right. but are you sure your distributor wires are ran on the cap correctly? 15426378 going counterclockwise

 

well there are no marks after the ATC lettering.. soo would it be

10||||||||0|||||||20|||||30BTC ????

 

Maybe plug leads are out by 180 degrees. Remember the distributor turns at half the revs of the engine.

 

For me I would just change the har. then put it on 0 with pointing at no. one plug if no fire up a running then pull dist and stab again 180 out For me I pull dist then stab until gear engage, jump soilnoid with screwdirver until it picks up the oil drive shaft and install hold down, also look to see if firing order is correct and and coil wires are correct. if you think it the wiring of the truck is mess up then run wire to pos side of coil to pos side of batt then jump soilnoid and it will run , Hope this helps a little
GWB