Thread: my 350 dosent start

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Ok, if you did it by the book and placed the crankshaft timing gear with the dot at 12:00 noon and the camshaft timing gear dot at 6:00 PM with the #1 piston (front of motor, driver's side) at top dead center, then something else is wrong. That something may be that the outer ring on the harmonic damper has slipped on the elastomeric material that is wedged between the outer ring and the inner hub of the damper when it is manufactured. If so, then all attempts at timing the motor with a light will end in failure. It may also be that you have used the incorrect damper for the timing tab that is on the front cover, which again, will end in failure when trying to use a light to time the motor.

Here's how: Toddle on down to Diggers Speed Shop on Lake Street and purchase a piston stop and a degree tape that sticks to the outer ring of the harmonic damper. You'll have to carefully measure the outer diameter of the damper ring in order to purchase the correct tape.

Remove the driver's side valve cover. Remove all spark plugs to make the motor easier to turn. Turn the motor over clockwise at the crankshaft with a long handled ratchet and a socket on the harmonic damper retaining bolt. Have your buddy put his thumb over the #1 spark plug hole as you continue to turn the crank. He'll be feeling air pressure created by the piston coming up in the bore. When he can no longer feel any pressure, turn the crank about another 1/8 turn and stop. Using a marker of some kind, make a mark on the outer ring of the damper exactly at the timing pointer. I've even used a small piece of masking tape stuck to the ring and marked it with a ball point pen. Install the piston stop and screw it in until it barely makes contact with the crown of the piston. Leave the piston stop right there. Do not move it. Go easy and continue turning the crank clockwise all the way around until the piston comes up against the piston stop again. As soon as you feel resistance, STOP. Make another mark on the damper ring at the timing pointer. Now, measure between these two marks you have made on the ring. The exact center between the marks will be TOP DEAD CENTER. Mark top dead center with a pen. Affix the timing tape to the damper ring with the TDC mark on the tape centered at your top dead center mark on the damper.

Remove the piston stop. Rotate the motor through almost 2 more revolutions with your buddy holding his thumb on #1 hole. As he starts to feel compression, you can have him remove his thumb and you can start looking at the timing tape on the damper ring. It will be coming up to TDC. Stop the crank at about 12 degrees BEFORE TOP DEAD CENTER. Do not turn the crank any more. You are done with this part of the operation. REPEAT, DO NOT TURN THE CRANK ANY MORE. Re-install spark plugs.

Remove the distributor. Remove the cap. Pull all the wires off the cap. Straighten out the wires so you can find the longest and shortest ones. Install the distributor with the rotor button pointing to about 6:30 PM. You may have to do this several times, using a long flat bladed screwdriver to align the oil pump drive slot at the oil pump so the distributor will go all the way into the intake manifold so that you can get the retainer clamp on it. Once you have the distributor seated and the rotor pointed to 6:30 PM as you are standing in front of the motor, you can reinstall the cap and start running the wires. Plug in the longest wire at the 6:30 position of the cap and run it to #1 plug (driver's side front hole). Plug in your shortest wire in the next cap hole clockwise and run it to #8 plug (rear hole passenger side). Now, a mid-length wire in the next cap hole clockwise and run it to #4 plug (second plug from the front, pass side). Now, another mid-length wire in the next cap hole clockwise and run to the #3 plug (second from front, driver's side). Now, a mid-length wire in the next cap hole clockwise and run to the #6 plug (third from front, pass side). Now, a mid-length wire in the next cap hole clockwise and run it to the #5 plug, (third from front, driver's side). Now, run a short wire from the next cap hole clockwise to #7 plug (back hole, driver's side). Now, run a long wire from the next cap hole clockwise to #2 plug (front hole, passenger side). Re-install valve cover. Check engine oil level. Check coolant level. Snug down the distributor clamp bolt (leave the bolt just snug so you can turn the housing by hand to adjust the timing). Remove socket and ratchet from crank bolt. Attach timing light. Remove the vacuum advance rubber line from the vacuum advance pod. Plug the end of the line with a golf tee or small bolt.

FIRE MOTOR. Adjust for 12 degrees initial timing with motor idling. Tighten distributor clamp bolt. Replace vacuum line on vacuum pod.

ENJOY.

You're welcome.