Ok guys, my project is almost complete. Now it is time for the scratching of the heads and wondering what the hell I did wrong.

I have been rebuilding my 1980 Ford F100 with a 302 and manual transmission. I have had the motor rebuilt and transmission. Replaced the alternator, starter, water pump, etc. The engine compartment has had lots or work and looks really good. I placed an edelbrock 1406 carburetor with an edelbrock performer intake manifold. Which was a change from the original 2 barrel that I had on it.

So here is the problem...I went to try and start her for the first time....she turned over but never fired. I left the air cleaner off while I tried to start her and noticed that the carburetor would "spit" fuel up. Is that normal? This is funny but it kinda sounded like a whale spitting water...just not as loud of course.

Any suggestions? I know that is a broad question. I am going to drop the fuel tank and replace the fuel. It smelled a little funny, so I want to take that out of the equation. The engine builder told me he set piston one at top dead center so I place my rotor facing the number 1 piston. So my timing should be okay.

Like I said, she is turning over...just doesn't seem to get that fire. All help and suggestions is greatly appreciated.

 

Are you getting spark?

 

This will be a dumb question I know and I am sorry, but...How do I tell?

 

If I recall, you hold one of the plugs near a ground like the intake manifold and either turn the key to On or bump the engine over til you see spark. I'm not sure at all if that's the proper method though (I've heard of it being done this way once).

I'm researching it on google to see what comes up.

 

Okay, here is what I did.

1. pulled the spark plug (#5 in case your wondering)
2. put the plug back in the spark plug wire
3. placed the plug up against the exhasut manifold bolt and hand someone try to crank the truck.

I got a small, small spark....it was orange to.

What do ya think....?

 

orange spark is weak, blue is better so that may or may not be your biggest problem. Carb spewing fuel sounds bad, do you mean it was shooting raw gas out of the vent or something or did it just backfire and blow back fuel vapor?

 

So does what does weak spark mean? Bad coil? Bad ICM? She has new wires and new plugs. The things not are not new in the engine compartment are shorter is a shorter list than the things that are.

I am not sure if it was backfiring, doesn't she have to fire in order to backfire? If I have to say it seemed more like a shot of fuel coming up from the carberator. In fact, when I am in the cab trying to crank her and it does that you can see the light 'poof' of fluid as it shoots up.

 

It sounds posibly like cam is out of time or have valves not opening. you said it was rebuilt. do you have adjustable rockers. maybe they need adjusted after rebuild. ihave had engines with flat exhaust lobes cause compression to blow back thru the intake. cause the exhasut valve would not open to relieve compression. this may be beyond your problem but when mentioned rebuild might check.

 

Oh man I hope not, that sounds way over my head anyway.

I guess I need to figure out why I have a weak spark and how to fix it.

 

Who put the dist in the engine? Are you sure it's in the right place? If this engine has never been run after the rebuild, you will need a wrench and a timing light hooked up, even if it does start. Also a screwdriver for carb adjustments. No engine I know of ever started after a complete teardown without running around quickly making adjustments. You will also need some water to put in the radiator after it pukes out some.

 

I put the dist. back in the engine. I am pretty sure it is in correctly. The rebuild shop told me that set piston 1 at top dead center and that i need to stab the dist. so that the rotor was facing piston 1. That was actually the only way I could get the dist. to go all the way in. Would that give me a weak spark?

 

Probably the coil causing a weak spark, but like I said, that may not be the reason it wont start. Did you point the rotor at #1 piston? Itr should be pointed to the #1 terminal on the cap when on TDC of the compression stroke.

 

Bashby, the rotor was pointed at #1 piston. Now the #1 terminal on the cap was not pointed at the #1 piston, only the rotor. The cap had the #1 terminal pointed at #5 piston...

 

Ignore where the pistons are in relation to the rotor/ dist. It needs to be pointed at #1 terminal of the cap. Pull #1 spark plug and turn the engine clockwise with a socket and ratchet on the crank pulley (15/16" socket I think). Hold a finger over the spark plug hole, when you feel air coming out the piston is coming up on the compression stroke. Keep turning it until the timing pointer is at 0 deg. Now you need to pull the dist and line up the rotor with #1 terminal on the cap.

 

I apologize for my ignorance..but if I understand you correctly the rotor needs to be pointed at the #1 terminal on the dist. cap?

So once I feel the air coming out of the spark plug hole I keep turning till I get the timing pointed to 0 deg. Then I pull the dist out of the engine and line the rotor up with the #1 terminal on the dist cap? Is that correct?

I always thought the rotor had to be pointed to the #1 piston.