Fuel and Fire but engine will not run!

[slickeric]

Ok, here is the story... At the beginning of this year I bought a 1987 Chevy Silverado "R10" with a 5.7 liter 350 TBI engine in it. I bought the truck in non-working condition. The previous owner, which is my neighbor basically drove the truck till it laid down and then parked it in front of his house where it just sat. The truck sat up for over a year and a half possibly 2 years. Finally, I decided to walk over to his house and ask him if he was interested in selling his truck. He was, so we worked out a deal and I purchased it from him. Before I bought it from him he let me know that it was not running due to a blown head gasket. When I broke down the engine I discovered that it had both of the head gaskets blown, both of the heads were cracked, two of the pistons were cracked at the guides (or the ears - the lower part of the piston), two of the pistons rods were bent, all of the piston rings and seals were all terribly worn and would no longer expand (a couple of the piston rings were even broken they were so old and brittle), the timing chain was weak with a lot of slack on one side. That is most of the major things this truck had going on with it when I tore it down. So this is what I done to it, I replaced the heads since the cracked ones that were originally on the truck could NOT be repaired. The used heads I bought went straight to my local machine shop for a full restoration. By the way I live in the Houston area. I also purchased new pistons, piston rods, piston rings & seals, new timing chain, gear and sprocket, new camshaft and lifters, new oil pump & screen, new water pump, new fuel filter, fresh spark plugs & wires, fresh distributor along with the ignition coil, new thermostat, new PCV valve, new EGR valve, along with all the proper gaskets and seals to properly put it all back together (i.e. head gasket set, intake manifold gaskets, timing chain cover gasket, etc. etc. etc) Ok, so I put the engine back together, did everything by the book right down to the torque sequence on the heads as well as the tightening of the rocker arms on the push rods. Turned the engine to TDC made sure the #1 piston was at the top of its stroke and the line on the crankshaft wheel was dead on the 0. Dropped the distributor back in on the #1 plug tower, put all the spark plugs in and the spark plug wires on the proper spark plugs (the firing order I followed is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 going clockwise from the #1 plug on the distributor which is in the 5 o’clock area when you look at the distributor standing in front of the engine.) On the engine the plugs are numbered (from front of engine to rear) driver’s side 1-3-5-7 and on passenger side (from front of engine to rear) 2-4-6-8. Dropped a hot battery in and gave her a crank… she just spun over but wouldn’t start. So I checked all my fuses in the fuse box under the dash. All of them are good except 1 which is the 1 for the instrument panel. The fuse in it is good just not getting fire to that circuit for some reason. I wouldn’t think that this instrument fuse circuit, that is getting no power would keep the engine from starting. So I figured maybe the engine was on the wrong compression stroke, so I pulled the distributor out and rotated it 180 degrees, tightened it back down and then gave her another spin. Still nothing… I could see the two fuel injectors pulsating shooting fuel down in the intake so I then wanted to check if I was getting spark, so I pulled off each wire and spark plug separately (1 at a time) and put each of them up against the engine block (spark plug attached to spark plug wire & wire attached to distributor cap) all of the plugs are getting good spark. Placed everything back together then proceeded to check the engine grounds, all good in that department. So I proceeded to crank her again, and again nothing. She turns over quickly but will not start. I just don’t understand it if its on time and getting gas and spark, the engine has to start or blow up! Has anyone ever encountered a problem as such as this? Any suggestions… I am drawing a blank here. Let me know what you think… thanks in advance.

[lilpoindexter]

Are you certain the cam/crank timing is accurate?

[bluex]

How does it sound when it turns over? I had a friend that the first time he adjusted the valves with a hyd cam he just kept running them down until they were tight like the book said. He completely bottomed the lifters out. You stop when they get tight and go 1/2 turn more. Then stop, they will get kinda loose again b/c of the hyd lifter, the 1/2 turn is to preload it. If you keep cranking them down the engine cant build compression b/c all the valves are being held open. You have basically made a soild valvetrain with the rocker nuts cranked all the way down.

If you did this the engine will spin over very quickly/easily and sound funny. It also wont run even though everything appears correct. You will need to readjust the vavles and will more than likely need all new push rods.

[notyo_cheez]

Wow, just wow. I'd have gone with a crate instead of tearing down/rebuilding the old one but that's just me.

You have fire and fuel, so I'll say look at your timing again. Double check your firing order as well, happened to me more than once.

[slickeric]

Are you certain the cam/crank timing is accurate?

It has to be, when I put the camshaft in I lined the dots between the camshaft and the crankshaft (kissing together) while the #1 piston was at the top of its stroke, the crankshaft wheel will only go back on there one way because it has that tooth on the shaft. Once the engine is at TDC and the distributor is on the number 1 plug tower and your spark plug wires are all in according to the firing order 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2, if all this is done that way, the timing is close enough to start the engine. Don't cha think?

[77 350 Shorty Wide]

Good Morning, Or it's 180 out. Some years the dots on the cam and crank gear need to be opposite one another not "kissing".

God Bless, Terry

[slickeric]

How does it sound when it turns over? I had a friend that the first time he adjusted the valves with a hyd cam he just kept running them down until they were tight like the book said. He completely bottomed the lifters out. You stop when they get tight and go 1/2 turn more. Then stop, they will get kinda loose again b/c of the hyd lifter, the 1/2 turn is to preload it. If you keep cranking them down the engine cant build compression b/c all the valves are being held open. You have basically made a soild valvetrain with the rocker nuts cranked all the way down.
If you did this the engine will spin over very quickly/easily and sound funny. It also wont run even though everything appears correct. You will need to readjust the vavles and will more than likely need all new push rods.
__________________
Paul

You might be on to somthing here... I thought of this, but I second guessed myself because I did exactly what the book said the proper way was, which is: Set the engine to TDC then tighten the rocker arms on the #1 piston to all the play is removed from the rods (using your thumbs to spin the rods till all the play is removed). Once all the play is removed the book says to spin each bolt one full turn. (360 deg.) Then turn the crankshaft wheel a quarter turn and move on to the next piston in the firing order which would be #8. Repeat the process and so on... Now that that I think of it Paul, the engine (when spun over) does spin over very quickly and sounds funny like the starter need to be shimmed. You know that high pitch grind noise you hear when the starter's teeth is not hitting the flywheel flushly. I just thought when I got it running right I would throw some shims in the starter... I am probably going over to the shop today to tinker with her a little, I will let you all know what went on. Thanks again!

[slickeric]

Good Morning, Or it's 180 out. Some years the dots on the cam and crank gear need to be opposite one another not "kissing".

God Bless, Terry

No Terry, I think not... I've tried flipping the distributor 180 deg. a few times with the same exact result as before. And on my particular engine the dots on the gears that are on the crankshaft and the camshaft are supposed to "kiss" when engine is at TDC. I am strongly leaning towards the point that Paul made in the post before yours. Your input is greatly appreciated though. Thank you and GOD bless!

[LONGHAIR]

Originally Posted by 77 350 Shorty Wide

Some years the dots on the cam and crank gear need to be opposite one another not "kissing".

They all work that way. If you put the cam gear and crank gear so that the dots are together, all you have to do is turn the crank one revolution.....and the cam gear's dot will be at the top too.
What matters is where the distributor is pointed....

If the dots are together the distributor should be pointed toward #6....If they are both at 12o'clock, it should be at #1.

[rcsweet21]

I would check the valves again and make sure they are adjusted as if you rolled it over enough they would have pumped up and possibly opened the valves so you would not have compression just a thought