it's a 1990, 302

i haven't run it for a while except to start a few times this winter. took about 10 seconds for it to start. it ran really rough, and died. started again with a little starter fluid. ran rough some more. lots of brown smoke and died again. now it wont start

there's 39-40 psi at the fuel rail. i have 1/4 full rear tank. i put in a small yellow bottle of heet to clean it up.

checked all the connections on my ignition parts. i have spark at the distributor and at one of my spark plug wires. would help if someone could tell me how to tell a good spark from a bad one. i have a spark tester with a screw in it i can test for a bigger spark. i opened it up the whole way to test the coil and it sparked fine. blue and white. there's spark at the plug wire i tested. it's more an on off on off spark. i'm guessing that's cuz of the distributor and the others are going on off as well

i did pull the distributor to change the coil inside and the ignition module. i changed the ignition coil too. it ran then but was overheating and revving all over the place so i didn't drive it much

i changed the thermostat and the temp. sensor and put coolant in it.

the battery is 13.84 volts, not running. that sounds ok to me. is there a diff between that and having enough amps cuz the battery light tends to blink when i try to start it.

i also have codes
key on engine on
21 cooling temperature sensor out of specified range or ECT out of range.
24 intake air charge temperature (ACT,IAT) sensor or Vane Air Temperature (VAT) sensor out of range

continuus memory
11 system ok

the only thing i can think of is i have really bad gas in there, or the timing is so screwed up it can't start.

i tried starting it with both the jumper for the spout off and then on. no difference. i want to try retarding the timing that someone told me to try but i don't really know how. do i move the distributor? and how far?

 

Code 21 is because the engine wasn't up to normal temp when doing the diagnostic test...that may or may not be the case for why you got code 24 too. That sensor is on the drivers side of the lower intake manifold in the middle. Right near the #6 injector.

Sounds like your timing is way off. Put the #1 cyl on TDC, take the cap off the dizzy and see where the rotor is pointing. It should be in the area of the #1 plug on the cap. If it isn't, than your timing is way off. Align it so it does and fire it up, pull the spout wire and put the timing light on it. Turn the distributor either direction to set the timing at 10* BTDC. You might have to clean off and mark the balancer to see 0 and the degree marks.

 

my chain jumped a tooth you can move every thing 1 spot to the left AKA CCW then time it on # 4 cyl the ECU will only accept 15 deg off any thing more and it will not start is the motor turning over good you put a whole bottle of heat in less the a 1/4 tank you need more fule in the tank heat Don't burn good it soaks up all the water and sends it thru yyour system to get rid of it then you put in fresh fule that has not had time tioo condince and get watter in it i know i did the same thing with 3/4 of a tank it was hard to start and ran like s#!# untill i ran that tank out and refuled it was like a whole diffrent truck.hope this helps just enough to get it running