It's done but it doesn't start!

[Nima]

Well, as you know, I was doing some upgrading to my engine for the first time.
I changed the intake, carb and valve covers. Intake and carb are edlebrock performer series. Beside the valve cover broken bolt which I am not sure I fixed it right, everthing else went pretty smooth but my engine doesn't start now!. It cranks, very week though. I use battery charger but still it cranks very slowly. One other thing I see/smell lots of fuel in the carb. I thought may be my fuel filter is not right. Any other ideas for dummy like me?! I marked all the wires and distributor before hand and I think they are all the way they were before. I believe I connected all the vaccum hoses right. I'll try to post some pics if that helps but until then, I would appreciate some insights. Thanks.

[71Longbed]

Sounds too me like timing is off are you sure you placed the distributor back right?

[chickenwing]

Take your battery to the parts house and have em put a load on it to see if it's good.

[Nima]

I thought so. I marked the distributor cab and vacuum advance before taking it off and then put back right on. But any ways, if timing in off how can I fix it?. I have a time light but I never use it before.

[grayw0lf]

A timing light is ideal, but you can get pretty close just by listening to it. Turn your engine till your #1 is at TDC on the compression stroke. Your rotor button should now be pointing the #1 plug wire.

If you try & get a healthy backfire, then your probably 180 off (wrong stroke).

[chickenwing]

This is kinda like the blind leadin the blind. But was taught to adjust idle to spec. Cap Distributer vacuume advance. For inductive pick-up, (I've never used anything else)clamp lead on #1 plug wire close to plug and away from other wire. Be mindfull to have proper side of pick-up pointing to plug. Hook up light to battery. Have dist. hold down bolt snug but not tight. Start up. Flash light on timing mark and move distributer accordingly to bring timing where you want it. I can't tell you what to time it at, I allways got to look it up.

[68LSS1]

If it's flooding hold the accelerator all the way down until it starts and immediately let off. If that doesn't work I would suspect the battery. How long has the truck been down? If that checks out good the timing would be the next issue. The easiest thing to do will be to loosen distributor hold down and move it one way and/or the other while someone cranks it to get it close enough to start. If that works then set the timing with the light. If that doesn't work then remove the #1 spark plug and the BAT or + wire from the distributor (I'm assuming HEI) and hold thumb over spark plug hole. Have someone else crank/bump until you start feeling pressure and then when it feels like the compression is the greatest stop. It make take a couple times to get this close. Remove the cap and make sure the rotor is pointing close to were the #1 wire on the cap would be. If its 180 degrees out (pointing away from the #1 wire) you will need to remove the distributor and reindex it. If you marked the distributor how did you mark it? You needed to make a mark were the advance pointed to and were the rotor pointed to get it close enough to start.

[Blue Beard]

The distributor may be even one tooth off.

Always found the best way was to bring the #1 to TDC as mentioned. If in doubt, remove the #1 plug and feel the compression stroke.

[GMC AMI]

If truck was starting before the dist. was removed than it sounds like you have the timing too far advanced and this will cause the motor to crank over slowly. I bought
a truck that the timing was off one tooth, retarded, and the 350 had no power.
I guess that is why I got a good deal, the PO did not have a clue. I pulled the dist. and put in right, what a diff. Runs balls to the walls now, good luck, Mike

[greasemonkey]

When I put my engine back in, I forgot the ground strap, and the starter would crank very slowly and stop. Just an idea.

[Nima]

Thanks guys. To answer to some of the questions; Yes the engine was starting fairly strong before, It was down only for couple of weeks and I know I have bad ground connectiion although I changed the main battery and ground cables less than month ago. I believe, it should be the timing since the way I read your above threads, I think I didn't mark the distributor right. What I did, I marked the vacuum advance location on the corner of body using a long piece of rods, then I marked the distributor cap the same way while I marked all the spark pluck wires on it. I did not take off the distributor cap at all. Well I'll try you recommendations althoug it may take couple of days since work week started again!. You guys (and gals)are great!. Thanks.

[chickenwing]

Never experianced this, but after thinkin about it, I think I understand why it would slow things down. Cylinder is firing while still coming up on compression stroke, working against itself... Is that the gyst of it? Still learnin.
Rich

[68C15]

BINGO!!!
give that man a cigar!
Nima & all others trying things like this in the near future. you need to remove cap & mark its position prior to removal. its also a good idea to bring engine to TDC #1 before anything dealing with timing is removed.
FYI, the HEI cap should have the rectangle pointing straight to the drivers side with the 3 small wires that come fron dizzy to cap exiting directly to the front. basically have it "square" on the engine.

[Spoof]

Remember you call tell TDC by the vibration damper notch, also remember it COULD be TDC on #6 (I think?) You know it's TDC on #1 if neither the intake or exhaust valve springs are compressed on that cylinder, if the rockers aren't loose, wrong cylinder. Or remove a plug and stick something in to feel for the top of the piston, just don't drop it in !!!
Once you've established #1 is TDC then drop in your dizzy pointed at #1 wire. Sometimes it will refuse to line up correctly , this is probably because the oil pump drive notch has moved by some unexplainable phenomena. Use a big flat head screwdriver to rotate it so your dizzy can just pop right in.
I bet that was your problem, but normally I would expect a backfire or something.

[Nima]

Ok, I have point type distributor. I brought the #1 to TDC and I removed the distributor cap but somehow I couldn't line it up to the first wire. It tries to satrt though.Still working on it though.How can % move the rotor toward #1 which is at TDC?

[68LSS1]

Remove the distributor and reinstall it. Keep in mind the rotor will turn as the teeth on the gear of the distributor engage with the cam. Just keep doing it until you get it close and then move the distributor in the direction to get it to line up. Just make sure you allow for enough movement of the distributor to be able to move it to set the timing with the light (make sure tha vacuum advance has some room in front of and behind it for adjustment).

[68C15]

if the dizzy doesnt mesh with the oil pump drive just slowly BY HAND turn engine over with a 5/8 socket on front of crank. doing so will allow it all to line up. you may have to lightly push it down.

[Nima]

Thanks for your patient and explanation.

[Hunter]

Man, when I was a kid I walked around mumbling 18436572...18436572... Not kidding. Now, repeat after me: 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. That's the firing order of smallblock Chevy motors. Odd numbers driver's side 1-3-5-7 front to back and even on passenger's side 2-4-6-8.
Don't know your skill level, so don't take this as an insult, but if you understand 4 cycle engines you know that TDC occurs after the intake valve closes and the piston comes all the way up the cylinder to the top of the stroke. That's where the fuel / air mixture is compressed and the plug fires, making a kaboom that shoves the piston and rod back down the cylinder turning the crank etc. etc.... SO, you gotta make SURE your #1 piston (driver's side, front of motor) is at the top after the intake valve closes. Take valve cover off. Put 1/2" drive socket and ratchet on crank bolt. Pulling all plugs on new motor will make it turn MUCH easier. Turn motor until #1 intake valve closes. Insert pencil into plug hole. Keep turning slowly notice pencil position changing. Use pencil to get TDC. You can also turn the crank backwards to get the optimal TDC position. Now, look at distributor cap to get location of #1 plug wire. The goal of the distributor insertion is to have the rotor pointing towards the #1 plug wire when installed. Generally the distributor will have the adjustment window pointing straight forward when installed. I seem to remember that the #1 position on the cap is the one just to the right of the window looking straight at it (toward the rear of the truck). Remember that the rotor may jump forward one tooth going in, so start with rotor back a bit. If you miss it, pull it and try again. If the distributor is where you want it but won't drop in all the way, hold the distributor in place and slowly turn the engine again with the breaker bar. It will drop in when the oil pump shaft aligns. Or look down the hole with a light and turn the shaft to where it needs to be with a big flat head screwdriver. This takes a bit of time but, like everything is easier the second time you do it. When the distributor's in correctly, put the plugs back in, the valve cover back on, check the firing order of the plug wires and repeat the Mantra: 18436572 Check the order again. Then see if it fires up.
Remember: To run, a motor needs only 3 things: Spark, fuel/air and compression. If you are SURE you have these 3 things and your timing is even close, it WILL start. Good luck and tell us what happens. Hunter