Help me get this thing running again!

[Riveted1]

So my truck was sitting for about 3 years (in the garage of course!) and I decided it was time to get it going again. It ran before it was parked. Well, I decided to throw a new Edelbrock manifold, carb and Holley fuel pump. Put in new spark plugs, oil, coolant, gas and battery. (Oh and I'm pretty green at this stuff, but I'm learning a lot!)
Thought it would crank right up. Nope. Backfired out the carb (nice light show!) Turned the dist 180 degrees and tried again. Tried moving the distributor both ways, but it just wouldn't fire up. Put it at TDC again, looked at the rotor, and it was pointing at spark plug wire #7. Out 180 degrees now? Turned the dist 180 again, took it back around to TDC and rotor was pointing at #1 spark plug wire. Should be close right? Played and played with it, just won't crank.
Any thoughts?

[webfoot]

Are you sure you were at TDC? Just because the line on the balancer is at 0 on the timing tab doesn't mean you are at TDC.

[Riveted1]

Pulled #1 spark plug, had a neighbor turn her over, felt for the puff of air. Seemed to be right on the mark. Could it still be 180 out? What's another way to do it?

[special-K]

It won`t crank or won`t fire?Sounds like it`s cranking,right?As in turning over...the battery is making the starter spin the engine.If i`s not firing and coughing out the carb it could be the wires aren`t on the right plugs.Why would your timing be off if you never changed it and it ran before?Put the distributor back where it was.

[webfoot]

Pull the valve cover and spin it over by hand, watch for the intake valve to close, next time the line comes around it will be at tdc.

[Riveted1]

Special-K- Yeah sorry, it will crank, just won't fire up. I will check the plug wires again tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure they're right. Dist is now back where it originally was.

Webfoot- Good info. I will try that tomorrow too.

[long67]

sounds like you have some wires wrong.you still will have to turn the distributor one way or the other for it to start.

[Riveted1]

Originally Posted by webfoot

Pull the valve cover and spin it over by hand, watch for the intake valve to close, next time the line comes around it will be at tdc.

Oh ya, how do you tell the difference between the intake and exhaust valves?

[68C15]

on cylinder #1 (the forward one on the driver's side) the front valve is exhaust. that side of the engine is arranged like this:
E
I
I
E
E
I
E

THE FIRING ORDER IS 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 and they go clockwise with #1 being on the driver's side front of the cap. if it was 180* off it would point at #6
on an HEI cap #1 is circled. note; this is with my phasing cap installed.

[webfoot]

Originally Posted by Riveted1

Oh ya, how do you tell the difference between the intake and exhaust valves?

Just line up the ports, if you see an exhaust manifold exit by the valve it is an exhaust valve, if it is by an intake runner, you have intake.

as 68C15 posted, #1 intake will be the 2nd one.

[72 cheyenne pdx]

Did you replace the fuel filter? I am unsure if you have tried this, but get some starter fluid and try shooting some in the carb. See it it will run then. If it does, then you may have a fuel issue.

Good Luck

SEA

[Rreemo]

Sounds like it's all in the timing....since it was spitting back through the carb initially, it's getting some fuel. As mentioned above, make sure you are at #1 TDC...if you have to pull the valve cover and make sure both valves on #1 are closed (spings not collapsed)...I always do this by hand myself, and as you turn the engine over, you can reach in the #1 spark plug hole with a small screw driver to feel the piston coming to the top, and then you'll be for sure that it's at the top of it's stroke...ONLY do this when turning the engine over by hand...for obvious reasons.

Secondly, I'd carefully go back through all of your plug wires and be sure that you do have the firing order correct. Once all this is right it should fire up.

[smoked68]

Had the same deal going on after doing a cam and heads on the truck. We had an HEI dist. in and running. Put all back togeather, nothing. Would turn over, sometimes fire other times not. Very confusing. After days, literally, found a broken wire in the dist. under the pickup. Could be... Good luck, Mike

[Riveted1]

68C15- thanks for that info... that's just good stuff to have!

72CheyennePDX- yep, it's got a new fuel filter and tried the starting fluid... no luck there

Followed Rreemo's suggestion on how to find TDC. (Thanks!) It's right on the mark. Found another web page that said my rotor should be initially pointing at 5:30 (HEI) and it is.

Checked the spark plug wires again and again, they look right. Using my Haynes manual, u know! I had taken a few pictures of everything before I took it apart, and the wires SEEM to all go to the same spots as before. (I say that b/c the individual wires are kinda hard to see) Even tried lining the distributor up the way it was in the pics, no good. Still shooting fire out the carb or "huffing" if I'm not giving any gas.

Looked at the coil wires and the wires going to the distributor, everything looks good. 12v coming from the battery.

I'm starting to pull my hair out... and I need all I can get!!

[BarryB]

this is with my phasing cap installed.[/QUOTE]
Not meaning to High Jack, the thread, but do you like the phasing cap.This Cap is the one that runs the right side of the wires down the right side af the blocl and left down the left??
I have always wanted to try one because it makes a cleaner look unser the hood and better than bundled wires

[[ol'Blue]]

by any chance is there sufficient ground?

i have had a problem myself in the past, not getting it to fire..

with bad grounds..

make sure the battery is grounded to frame, and block..


goodluck!

-Ryan

[Riveted1]

Grounding did cross my mind, b/c a lot of the wiring is still original. (one of my future upgrades) But wouldn't the ground be good if I'm getting fire out of the carb? I mean, obviously I'm getting a spark...

[68C15]

Originally Posted by BarryB

this is with my phasing cap installed.

Not meaning to High Jack, the thread, but do you like the phasing cap.This Cap is the one that runs the right side of the wires down the right side af the blocl and left down the left??
I have always wanted to try one because it makes a cleaner look unser the hood and better than bundled wires[/QUOTE]

a "phasing cap" is a cap that has a hole in it so you can shine the timing light in there to make sure the rotor is in fact phased to the cap. if it's out of phase you can have spark scatter and end up with cross-fire to an adjacent tower. this if let to go wild can and will burn pistons.

[8696steve]

It sounds like the distributor is still in the wrong position. It sounds like it is sparking while the intake valve is open causing a backfire through the carburetor. A good way to make sure that it is at TDC put something that will make a good seal where the #1 spark plug is supposed to be and will blow out with some pressure. Then bump the key until it blows out, then put the distributer in the hole, if it is tough to get the distributor all the way down then get a long screw driver and turn the oil pump a little to get it lined up also. Make sure that the tab on the distributor is pointing towards the #1 cylinder/ plug. then try it out.

[yellowGT]

I bought me a truck that had been sitting for 8 years. Got it home, pulled the tank out, yanked the carb, fuel lines, changed the fuel filter, plugs, and wires. I will tell you that if you dont do your wires one at a time you will be in a world of sh8 at least i was. Got it figured out and soon as i turned the key gas fed the carb and started right up. In my opinion, make sure you wires are plugged right. I have a square body with a 305 sitting in it right now and I tried plugging them in the same way but i learned i couldnt do my 350 like that. Ill send you the diagram.

[Riveted1]

Ok, so now I'm second-guessing if I have the spark plug wires right at the distributor. I saw the pic that was posted above, but it's a little hard to see. I have the 2nd post clockwise passed where the wires hook up to the coil as my #1... is this right?

Oh ya, it's a 1973 350 w/HEI if that helps.

[lbpd719]

1 8 4 3 6 5 7 2 - Goodluck!

[Riveted1]

I know the firing order, just wondering if I have em right on the distributor. You know, the right #1.....

[cdowns]

you have 8 positions on the distributor it makes no difference which ofthe positions is #1 as long as the rotor is pointing toward that post at TDC on the compression stroke

[Riveted1]

Ok, so that's right then. Battery was a little low today from cranking on it so much, so I put it on the charger this afternoon and I'm gonna start fresh again tomorrow.