Thread: won't start.

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I don't know what to say. I wrote it out as simple as I could. Guys, the procedure that I wrote out works. If it don't start after following what I wrote out then you have the Timing marks wrong. One more thing. If you have compression, the marks are right. If you have the marks that far out, there is no way it will have compression. Squirt a small amount of oil in the cylinders and put a compression guage on it and check it. If you don't have one, Auto Zone will loan you one. It doesn't take much to blow your finger off a spark plug hole.
It takes but a few minutes to check what I have written. If it was any easier I would have to do it for you.
Ed

ok, I'm probably wrong, but I don't think it matters if you install a cam gear dot to dot at 6:00 & 12:00 or 12:00 & 12:00. if you install it at 6 & 12 then you have to make one complete revolution to bring it to #1 TDC vs. 12 & 12 already being at #1 TDC and that's according to chilton

Originally posted by firebird45331
ok, I'm probably wrong, but I don't think it matters if you install a cam gear dot to dot at 6:00 & 12:00 or 12:00 & 12:00. if you install it at 6 & 12 then you have to make one complete revolution to bring it to #1 TDC vs. 12 & 12 already being at #1 TDC and that's according to chilton

you are right, its just makes it harder to tell if its right at 12 and 12. use a straight edge.

Ed,

I think your explanation was the clearest of all. I looked at my posts, and I think I've been skirting around the issue. I wasn't separating cam installation from getting the distributor placed properly.

I did essentially what you said without thinking about it, because I've done it so many times myself. Here's what I really did.

- Pulled off the intake and front cover.
- Installed the cam dot-to-dot without paying any attention to TDC, balancer, distributor, or anything else.
- Put the cover back on.
- Installed the balancer. Of course, it was pointing to the timing mark, but at this point I really didn't care whether it was #6 TDC or #1. (I assume it was at #6)
- Turned the engine and watched the lifters to make sure I was at #1 TDC. (Now, it should be 12 & 12)
- Set the #1 valves, then proceeded to set the rest by using 1/4 turn increments on the crank.
- Brought it back to #1 TDC.
- Installed the distributor.

Bottom line, it doesn't matter whether you install at 12 & 12 or dot-to-dot, as long as the timing mark on the damper is at the pointer and you bring the engine to #1 TDC before you install the distributor.

Smack me if I'm wrong, then I'll quit beating on this dead horse.

Henry,
You have it dead on the nose. It makes no difference whether it is at 6 & 12 Or 12 & 12, as long as they are lined up at some point. That is what I keep trying to tell Firebird. By installing the distributor with the timing marks set at 12-14 degrees BTDC and rotating the distributor until it fires as in my explanation above, It will start unless there is some other problem. Most of the time I never even have to reset the timing. It could not be simpler.
What do you have, a 350 stroker bored .040? bored
.040 and a stroke of 3.75 would be 385. I am building a 1937 Cadillac with a stroker in it. Going together nicely. The engine alone has around $12,000 invested in it. Mostly in chrome. About $10,000 in chrome. Absolutely georgous.
Well fellers, I have had about enough of this one. Not making any headway.
Ed

Ed,

It's not 385 CID, it's a crate 350 with Fast Burn heads. Basically an upgraded ZZ-4. Chevy calls it the Fast Burn 385 because of the 385 HP rating. By adding the Hot Cam, it brings the motor pretty close to the specs of the ZZ-430.

Originally posted by Henry Rifle
Ed,

I think your explanation was the clearest of all. I looked at my posts, and I think I've been skirting around the issue. I wasn't separating cam installation from getting the distributor placed properly.

I did essentially what you said without thinking about it, because I've done it so many times myself. Here's what I really did.

- Pulled off the intake and front cover.
- Installed the cam dot-to-dot without paying any attention to TDC, balancer, distributor, or anything else.
- Put the cover back on.
- Installed the balancer. Of course, it was pointing to the timing mark, but at this point I really didn't care whether it was #6 TDC or #1. (I assume it was at #6)
- Turned the engine and watched the lifters to make sure I was at #1 TDC. (Now, it should be 12 & 12)
- Set the #1 valves, then proceeded to set the rest by using 1/4 turn increments on the crank.
- Brought it back to #1 TDC.
- Installed the distributor.

Bottom line, it doesn't matter whether you install at 12 & 12 or dot-to-dot, as long as the timing mark on the damper is at the pointer and you bring the engine to #1 TDC before you install the distributor.

Smack me if I'm wrong, then I'll quit beating on this dead horse.

"Bottom line, it doesn't matter whether you install at 12 & 12 or dot-to-dot, as long as the timing mark on the damper is at the pointer and you bring the engine to #1 TDC before you install the distributor"

why didnt you say that in the first place. after i get the dot to dot and put the cover on i never think about where the dots are anymore, then i get my #1 comp. stroke up and put the rotor button where i want #1 to be in the cap.

Hey, Mike,
Neat looking avatar you have . Does your truck look that good?
Ed

that's what I've been saying, Everyone keeps telling me that my car won't start because I aligned them originally at 12 & 12. I aligned them last night at 6 and 12 and it still won't start.

I had #6 and it was wet. I screwed in the carb adjustments just a little, and some are black.

There is no screw on the carb that controls fuel mixture. The screw that you are talking about controls the idle AIR mixture. By screwing it in, you have made it even MORE rich at an idle and it will flood worse. Screw it all the way in and back it out about 2-1/2 turns. It can be readjusted when you get it running.
Sometimes even trying to burn the plugs off like that it still won't work. Once a plug gets fouled like that it is very difficult to start in an already flooded engine. If you are short on cash you can try it though. Before you put the plugs in, turn the engine over several times with the starter to help disipate the fuel in the cylinders.
Did you do a compression test? Did you double check the distributor for firing on #1 cylinder? You haven't mentioned any of this.
I hate to keep beating a dead horse on this, but if you are going to get it started these things need to be done.
Ed

why didnt you say that in the first place.

Mike,

I just wandered off into Stupidville for a minute. That's in Klewless County, just south of the Whatthehay river, in the Great State of Confusion.

Like you said, I never worried about the cam after I put it in dot-to-dot. Next in line was valve adjustment, then proper distributor installation.

Kinda like driving an automatic. . . you don't need to worry about the next gear.

it's wanting to fire. It kicks over just won't quite make it. I did a compression test

#1 140
#2 165
#3 150
#4 160
#5 95
#6 160
#7 120
#8 160

would a lifter out of adjustment cause a low compression on #5?

I have an edelbrock 1405 and i double checked the timing today. I watched the valves on #1. after the intake valve opened I lined up the balancer to 10 btdc and dropped the distributor in right at #1

Hmmm I don't have an oil squirter. I used to have a syring that I injected tranny fluid into my air tools if I can find that I'll use it