Thread: won't start.

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ok, I replaced the heads, lifters, cam, and intake. It'll crank, but it won't even fire. Everyonce inawhile I get one good backfire but that's about it. It bare cranks now cause the battery is about dead. I've retarded the timing and advanced the timing and nothing seems to help. I double checked all the wires and I'm definitely getting spark. I think I'm getting fuel. when I open the throttle all the way I see the jets squirting. I figure it's something to do with the timing. I put my finger over the #1 spark plug and cranked it until I felt it push it out. I brought the mark up to 0 degrees and then I set the distributor to #1 and dropped it in. Any ideas?

what engine is in that 86 Fire-Chicken??

It's a chevy 350 and I adjusted the preload by tightening the rocker bolt until I felt drag then gave it 1/2 turn. It's HEI.

I would check to make sure it is not 180 out. I would also assume you put a new timing chain on it when you replaced everything. You may double check to make sure the alignment marks on the gears are properly positioned.

thetiming gear was the last thing i looked at before I put it all together. both of the marks were at 12 o clock and it was a new chain. I do have kind of a dilema. when I dropped the distributor in. I put my finger over the hole of #1 spark plug and cranked it around until I felt compression. I did the same thing again today. I lined the mark up with 0 on the pointer took the cap off and low and behold it was 180 out. The thing was pointing back to 6. So I reset the distributor. The thing cranks easier it seems but m'fer still won't fire. Not even a back fire or a belch. Just keeps cranking until the battery dies. If I hadn't put so much work in the car I'd kick it. A hammer did go flying though as obsceneties flowed through my lips and bounced off a bush and hit the neighbors house. Luckily no one was home.

LEARN THIS LESSON<<<<when it's all going to shit,,,,take a break,,,,walk away,,,,have a beer,,,,,and invite a good friend to help you out,,,,i've seen more stuck bolts come loose as if by magic,,,or,,,,bolts magicly line up,,,,nut's thread nice,,,,and complete,,utter,,,stupid,,,lame brain,,,,#@*#*&# screwups,,,solved,,,by just a walk,,,and maybee a beer.

exactly what I did. cleaned up and walked away.

But what about the beer?
That's the real solution

whiskey Mmmmmmm maker's mark

On a Chevy V8, aren't the cam and crank timing marks supposed to line up at 6 and 12 (dot-to-dot) rather than at 12 and 12?

the dot to dot thing is #6 at tdc 12 and 12 is #1 at tdc

Originally posted by firebird45331
the dot to dot thing is #6 at tdc 12 and 12 is #1 at tdc

How sure are you? Don't mean to be a smartass, but after all, your engine doesn't run.

My Chevy book shows dot to dot, the Chevy hi-po catalog shows dot to dot. I've always installed dot to dot.

One more from the Chevy Performance Parts Catalog.

I was a little confused at first too, but I'm 99.9% sure. All my manuals say the same thing. The 12 & 6 position is for #6 TDC once you turn the motor to 12 & 12 then that brings # 1 to TDC

I'd take a quick look at that .01% if I were you.

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles...me/index3.html

http://www.fast351.com/enginerebuild...imingchain.jpg

http://experts.about.com/q/781/3896455.htm