still using the old points system and decided to replace the wires, plugs and cap, thought I got everything right but apparently not because the old girl just wont start. She'll turn over, but that's all. Anyone have a wiring diagram for a 72 f250 v8? I can't think of anything else to do...

 

Not exactly sure what you are looking for. Firing order is: 15426378 with counterclockwise rotation,(unless it's a 351) then the firing order is 13726548, also counterclockwise rotation. Plug positions are: passenger side front to back
1234 -driver side front to back 5678.

If your cap is not marked for #1 plug wire then as you are facing the engine, the clip towards the rear of engine is just left of the #1 wire location.
HTH

 

kay that makes sense, but how are the cyliders numbered? is (1) the top left or bottom left as I look from the front and from there is (4) top or bottom right?

so is it:
(1) (5)
(2) (6)
(3) (7)
(4) (8)

?

 

Depending on how the brain works this looks confusing but---

back of engine here
(4) (8)
(3) (7)
(2) (6)
(1) (5)
Front here

make sense?

 

alright, I tried the firing order you recommended, which is the same one that I found in an 68 manual I had, and no luck, it turns over and sounds smooth, but it won't fire up. the new order is a lot different from the old order too. cylinder 1 was the second on the left from the rear clip and the order was 13628457. the diagram in the book had cylinder 1 as being the front post, so I tried that too and it's still not workin. starting to get a lil frustrated here

 

Did you by chance forget to install the rotor? Just wanted to ask as your not the first one to do that. Set the points on the low spot of the cam instead of the high point? Even if your plug leads are crossed up you should be popping if you even have spark.

.....=o&o>.....

 

let's staart over with some basics:
do you have spark?
was it running before the changes you made?
are your points adjusted properly?
may sound stupid but did you put the rotor button back in?

 

You beat me to it, If I've done it once I've done it a dozen times.

 

well, I'm going to go check to see if there's spark, but other than that, yes the rotor is in, I didn't replace that, just the cap, though I probably should have, yes the engine was running before I replaced everything, and that lets me assume that the points were adjusted properly to start with. I don't know what a rotor button is, but I didn't mess with it, so I assume it's still in place wherever it belongs.

 

rotor button is just what some people call a rotor

 

As I reach into a pocket to get a rag and cut knuckle on the spring steel arm of rotor, oh there it is. I installed a carbon tracked rotor in the job site idiots FE motor once, many days later I was the "super tuner" and he supplied the beer. Best tasting beer is free.

Our friend should locate # 1 on compression, locate terminal where rotor points to and call it #1 them go thru the firing order as he has 1 in 8 odds of the dizzy installed correctly in the past.

.....=o&o>.....

 

how can I do that without a compression guage? I'm working on this in the parking lot of my apartment building, plethora of basic tools, but no specialty tools...

 

o yes, there's plenty of spark and the rotor is in there too, it sounds like it wants to go but simply wont fire up

 

Do you know how to get #1 piston up on compression stroke?

 

Sweet! finally got it. I took the #1 plug out and stuck 6"- 1/4" drive extension down in the hole, then muscled the flywheel over by hand till the extension reached it's highest point. Took the cap off and it was pointed to the post just right of the one I had it on, to the right of the clip instead of the left. I shifted everything over and the old girl fired right up, as if to say "damn, no kiddin what took you so long?" Lol, thanks for the help fonz and beemer! you guys rock!