I own a 1979 bronco with a 460 in it. It has an oversized cam, new edlebrock 750 cfm carb, mallory coil, comp distributer, new batteries, alternator, and starter. The other day i started it up as usual by giving it a little gas to get it to idle because it is a manual carb, well it shut off after a few seconds when i was reving it and hasnt started since. It will crank all day and the batteries are still not having to be jumped but it wont turn over. It seems to backfire in a way to and even shot a flame out the tailpipe but i cant even get anything but a crank from it. It doesnt even sound like it wants to go. Its not the fuel lines or the carb so im thinking the coil or distributer which has the ignition module inside it, it has three wires going into it, a red, green and orangish brown, which i beleive runs the ingnition module. When i hooked up a spark plug tester we got a very low spark that wasnt steady. It seemed as if it was barley sparking at all. could this be the coil and distributer or can it also be something else. How hard would it be to change out the distributer or install one with a vacume advance, being mine is very basic. Sorry for the length but any help would be greatly appreciated figuring its my only driver.
Thanks
Joseph

 

Pull the distributor cap and check to see if the rotor is turning at all. If it's not your oil pump is seized up that happened to me a couple of times.

 

Not hard at all to change out the dist. First thing is make sure you know where the plug wires go on the dist cap, then pull the cap off and make note of where the rotor is pointing pick something on the engine that lines up with the rotor and mark it. Now make note of how the dist is oriented in the hole make a mark or use some tape to mark this. Then just disconnect the other wires and the retaining bolt and remove the dist straight up. When replacing the dist it may take a time or two to get it to line up with your marks because of the type of gears the rotor will turn some as you drop it back in this is normal and this is why it make take 2 or 3 tries. Then just reconnect the wires put the cap back tighten the retaining bolt just barely snug so you can still turn the dist. Start truck and set your timing tighten the bolt and your good to go. IMPORTANT NOTE WHILE DIST IS OUT DO NOT CRANK THE MOTOR OVER AS THIS WILL CAUSE DIST TO BE OUT OF TIME. If this does happen all is not lost just get engine to top dead center for number 1 piston and this should be on the compression stroke, then find where number 1 plug wire is on the dist cap. Now line up rotor with number 1 on cap and the dist with previuos mark and drop in again remember rotor will turn some so it may take a time or 2. Then just follow the other steps above. Hope this helps if you need any more help just ask. Good Luck,

Rick
86 302 EFI, bored 60 over, AOD,
Headman Headers, Flowmaster 40 series,
2 inch dual exhaust, MSD ignition