Well, when I started this thread I was happy about getting 'er fired up but now I'm a bit discouraged. I've been working all week now on the engine trying to get it to run decent and no luck yet. I've replaced plugs and wires, distributor cap and rotor, rebuilt the carburetor, chased down all the vacuum leaks and it still runs like crap. It backfires through the carburetor almost like the plug wires wires are run wrong but I have them in the only place it will run at all and won't idle below about 1200 RPM...

...and yes Dick, I have used up most of those 7 gallons trying to get it fine tuned. Ahh, the fun we have tinkering on our old trucks.

Vern

 

Could have set the distributor a tooth off?

 

I had a similar problem on my daughters 302/5.0.. as a Chevy guy, I forgot that the distrbutor rotation was different AND had it off a tooth as well..

so I had to run it WAY retarded to get it to catch.. but it wouldn't run worth a darn.. I had the rotor lined up on the wrong side of the mark I had made.
two weeks I struggled thru this..

Then my Ford buddy comes over and yells what the heck you doin? lifts the distributor, and sets it down 2 teeth back and voila..

Sam

 

With a Chebby if you stick it in where it looks like it should go you will be 1 tooth advanced.
Stick it in 1 tooth back and hold down firmly and have someone just barely bump the starter; it should now slide in and be fully seated.
You can also use a longer hold down bolt, put some turns on it to hold the dizzy and then hit the starter yourself. Or go make/buy a remote starter cable and switch.

Oh yeah, be sure the wiring is back to stock. CW rotation 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2
I used to build Chebbies before I got bored and needed a challenge!

 

Dick,

That would be my guess but if I move the distributor one tooth either way it won't start at all. BTW, isn't moving the plug wires one position either way the same thing as moving the distributor one tooth either way? I've had this distributor out and in so many times that I decided to find the right combination by moving the plug wires instead. You would think that I would hit the right combination eventually. I don't really care if number one is where it should be as long as it runs...maybe I need to yank this HEI distributor out completely and go back to points! At least I understand those.

Vern

 

And a big screwdriver will let you turn the oil pump just enough that you don't need to jump the starter to seat the dizzy. Boy was THAT fun to learn.

Sam

 

Moving the plug wires is like jumping 10 teeth. What you need to do is get the leading edge of the rotor lined up with the plug for the number 1 cylinder.
(ford & chevy go in opposite directions)

Sam

 

Sam,

I've done that about umpteen times but it won't start there. I'll keep plugging and try again...eventually I'll hit the right combination.

Vern

 

and Number 1 at top dead center (ready to fire).

Sam

 

Okay, here's what I'm doing. I turn the engine over until the number one cylinder is coming up to fire (I can feel it pushing air out of the cylinder), then I bump the starter so that the timing mark on the harmonic balancer is centered on the timing tab, then I put the distributor in so that the rotor is facing the number one cylinder, then I turn the engine over and it doesn't start...so what am I doing wrong?

Vern

 

does it sound like it attempts to fire but won't hold?

What engine (posts don't tell me)

was it rebuilt before this attempt to run, post says its been sitting a while.

you mentioned an HEI wiring snafu, please explain, maybe a direct wire from the battery for the power terminal would matter.
(my HEI is wired with a wire straight from my temp key switch).

When you got it running, where was the dizzie set up?

When I had this exact problem, I 'assumed' the distributor was going clockwise, but I was wrong. So the plug wires were set wrong, and the rotor was lined up on the wrong edge.

Sam

 

Which way does a Ford dizzy spin? CCW? I am trying to avoid the same proble. Vern has me worried.

 

Does it sound like it attempts to fire but won't hold?

No, it doesn't fire at all.

What engine (posts don't tell me)

350 Chevy

was it rebuilt before this attempt to run, post says its been sitting a while.

Has 2500 miles on a rebuild. New timing chain, cam, lifters, rods, mains, bearings, and heads rebuilt but has been sitting since 1995. It has a different intake manifold and carburetor on it now but it ran fine during the 2500 miles I put on it before 1995. It had the 74 and older distributor in it with an aftermarket electronic ignition during that time but I have switched it to HEI now.

you mentioned an HEI wiring snafu, please explain, maybe a direct wire from the battery for the power terminal would matter.
(my HEI is wired with a wire straight from my temp key switch).

Originally, I omitted the starter return wire (outside small terminal on solenoid) from the starter solenoid so the HEI was only getting power when the switch was in the 'on' position and nothing during "start". So it would not fire when the starter was turning but would fire when I let go of the key. I put the return wire back and ran it back to the HEI power wire so that it would have 12V when the switch was in both the 'on' and 'start' positions. That seems to have fixed that problem.

When you got it running, where was the dizzie set up?

After setting it up as I described and getting no start, I began rotating the plug wires clockwise one position at a time until it fired. It ran with the number one plug wire in either the number 5 or 6 hole...don't remember exactly which one.

When I had this exact problem, I 'assumed' the distributor was going clockwise, but I was wrong. So the plug wires were set wrong, and the rotor was lined up on the wrong edge.

I am running the plug wires clockwise using 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 firing order...

Vern

 

Well, theres a clue

firing order 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2,
and plug on 6 or 5 as 1 where it worked.. SO, something is 180 degrees out of phase..

ran before 1995, and not opened since, so its not internal..

SO, Sounds to me like you do NOT have TDC for #1.

I use a wratchet and socket to turn my engine over.. never could get the starter thing..

Sam

 

I agree about the 180 degrees out, but doesn't TDC occur when the number one piston comes up on the compression stroke? That is how I'm determining the position to insert the distributor. One other thing...I am using a different harmonic balancer than what was on the engine before. Is it possible the timing mark on the harmonic balancer is not in the right place for this particular engine? If that were true, how would I determine TDC without using the timing mark?

Vern