Thread: my 350 dosent start

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ok ive got a age old problem with new twist....reciently i completely rebuilt a 79 350 corvette ...orgionally an L48 with four barrel carb... i rebuilt a different 350 block of same period except a 4 bolt main instead of a 2 bolt ...all new everything and put new heads on set up for an L82 but that just means bigger valves... i get spark and with the new added on ..inline electric fuel pump i get fuel and i pump throttle on carb and can see gas sqirting into carb ....I followed book to the letter on timing and according to the shop manual crank, cam , and distributor all exactly as they should be timed...

But still no matter what i do the car turns over but will not start... pops a little here and there but nothing..... before the rebuild the carb was rebuilt a year prior so i know it should be still ok ..but to my amazement the OEM block for years had a dead cylinder still ran and previous owner (my father) had no clue so the carb was adjusted to technically a 7 cylinder motor but ran without issue.

So basically everything that says the car should run adds up to no go... not sure exact year of block but same cast number as OEM one...wondering if fireing order changed with in those years or with L82 heads could air fuel mixture need adjustment im not aware of...............any ideas..?... thanks mike

sounds like you might be 180 deg out on timing

Yep, half a turn out would be my first guess,too.

The guys are on the right track. For years I couldn't get it into my head that when the timing marks on the timing chain were lined up THIS WAS NOT TOP DEAD CENTER, so I would drop in the distributor, and it was 180 out of phase every time. Became a running joke in the family that I "did it again."

Hold your finger or thumb over number one spark plug hole and slowly crank the engine till you feel compression blowing it off. Watch your timing mark, and bring it to zero. Drop your distributor in pointing to number one plug. This will get you close enough to fire. The fact you are hearing popping is a sign the plugs are firing at the wrong time in the cycle.

Could be other stuff too, but you need to confirm this first.

Don

my 350 wont start either darned oll truck