Did you run the compression test with the carb Wide Open and let the engine crank over a few times, not just once?

Josh

 

I unhooked the coil, and used a remote starter to crank over the engine at least five times on each cylinder and it read zero on all of them. I hope I don't have to pull the heads but if I have to I have to.

 

The carb needs to be blocked Wide Open as well.

Maybe the timing chain broke. Does the distributor rotate?

Josh

 

Will having the carb blocked wide open flood the engine?
The distributor does rotate, if by the distibutor you mean the thing under the distributor cap, i've heard it called a rotor bug is that right? I have heard that there is a fiber-like chain for the timing chain and that it might become loose over time and that then can cause the crank and cam to not be aligned with each other, like the cam might jump or slip and not be right with the crank. Whatever ideas you can think of for me to try i will gladly listen! Thanks for the help

 

Rotor Bug? Just rotor or ignition rotor, no bugs there.

Some original cam timing gears were plastic (The 360/390 was one that came originally with plastic gears)

You absolutely need to find TDC for cylinder #1 and quit dinking around with constantly spinning the engine over and over.

Pull the passenger valve cover and watch the #1 rockers, as soon as BOTH are closed bring the harmonic dampner to 0 degrees. The rotor should be pointing at 1 O'Clock.

Josh

 

Overhead cam engines often have a timing belt that can break when too worn. Your truck motor isn't overhead cam. It has a dual row chain. If the engine was just re-built, it should be brand new. Being installed improperly would cause chaos as far as timing. Who installed it, and did they know what they were doing? As far as a blown head gasket, engines are capable of running with a blown head gasket unless they hydro lock. I once had a Porsche that had terrible compression but still ran.

Judging by your questions, I wonder if you aren't in over your head. I would highly suggest enlisting the help of an experienced friend.

Assuming there isn't a gross assembly error, then getting the engine to run is a matter of fuel and spark with the proper timing. It concerns me that you replaced the magnetic pickup as this isn't a simple thing to do. There's potential that you haven't installed it correctly. No signal to the electronic ignition box, no spark.

If you find a friend that has worked on Chevy's or Mopar V8's, but not Fords. Make sure they realize that #1 cylinder is the front right (passenger side), and that the numbering system is different than Chev's or Mopars (see ealier post). Chevy (not sure about Mopar) calls the front left cylinder #1 (it is #5 on a Ford) and Chevy numbers it's cylinders totally differently.

I'd reinforce that you do as Josh says, pull the right valve cover and locate TDC for cylinder #1. At this point, I'd suggest pulling the distributor and having a shop test and verify that it the magnetic trigger is functioning properly. Then install the distributor properly. Aim the rotor at 1 o'clock. Make sure that the wire on the cap above the rotor is the #1 wire. Make sure that the rest of the firing order is correct counter-clockwise around the distributor cap. If it starts, then time it with a timing light. If it still doesn't after you've verified the distributor functions properly, then check for spark. If no spark, then it'll never run. If you do have spark. Then maybe you can turn attention to the fuel end of things.

Why you aren't getting any compression reading is troubling.

 

inhonor....what part of missouri are u in?

 

im in crystal city, MO

 

I got a new battery but it was a cheapy. Could a better battery make a difference? I will be taking the valve cover off though to positively get #1 on TDC. I did check for spark yesterday and i have spark. I'm not sure how long the truck sat for without being run. Should I take off the carb and clean it out?

 

If the battery had enough current to turn the motor over, it was enough to run the truck. You know you are making spark. One step at a time. Find #1 TDC, install the distributor properly with the rotor pointed at the #1 spark plug wire. Verify that your firing order is correct per the earlier post in counterclockwise direction around the cap. Worry about the carburetor later if it still doesn't fire. You might verify that when you open the throttle, that the accelerator pump squirts some fuel into the venturies. I'd resist playing with the carb until you have the distributor properly installed. If you have fire (spark) and the timing is in the neighborhood, then it should start if it has fuel, or at least pop some.

 

I have spark. I have fuel squirting into the carb when I step on the gas. I have tried starting it and it didn't work so I made sure it wasn't out 180 degrees and it still didn't start. If fuel is getting to the engine when I pull the spark plugs out should they have fuel all over them? My father in law seems to think that I need to pump up the lifters. He said that oil is what pumps them up so I need to pull all the spark plugs and keep cranking the engine until the lifters pump up. Is this correct?

 

You are seriously going to destroy that engine just cranking and cranking and cranking and cranking and cranking and cranking and cranking and cranking...

With all the supposed cranking you have done you should have had the lifters pumped up by now...

Which leads me to this question; Are you trying to start a fresh engine with a new camshaft?

With all the cranking and no running I will bet you have killed the cam, and when I say killed I mean wiped out every lobe by now.

Josh

 

Its not a fresh engine. It had been sitting in my uncles garage for probably 5 years but I don't know when the last time it was that he had it running. I did the compression test and it read zero across all cylinders.

 

Since you've had the engine turning over, how has it sounded? Has it sounded labored, like it's under a load or has it sounded like it's turning over real easy? Have you noticed any other sounds like 'whooshing' or whistling noises while it's turning over - that kind of thing? If it was generating compression, you should be able to tell by listening to it - you should be getting some kind of compression - if you're getting absolutely zero compression on all cylinders then stop cranking the engine as something is majorly wrong...

 

I have absolutely found TDC. Set the rotor to #1 and nothing. I checked the compression again with a different tester and it still reads zero. Stuck valves, bad lifters, worn piston rings, blown head gasket, any other reason it would have no compression?