Car wont fire.

[WayFast84]

The firebird is back together. The motor was at tdc and the distributor was installed at the 5:30 position. pointing at number 1. The wires are also correct. The car will turn over and it sounds normal, but it just wont fire. Its getting fuel and air, But after cranking it and playing with the timing i killed the battery so I couldn't check the spark.

If the timing is adjusted one way it will have a minor back fire out of the carb. If its adjusted the other way. it sounds normal but it just wont fire.

[BigAls87Z28]

You did it once before, you will do it again....just give it time.

I cant seen the damn screen im laughin so hard....

[WayFast84]

want to put money on it?

pretty sure its just 180 out.

[BigAls87Z28]

want to put money on it?

pretty sure its just 180 out.

Thats not what Im talking about...

[Jersyboyy]

Check your valve lash? Make sure you adjust the rockers properly and your getting good compression. Keep playing with the dizzy I still have a hard time getting it in right half the time.

[The Fixer]

My guess, if you have fuel, air, and spark, your valve lash is too tight, especially if turning the dizzy while cranking doesn't get it to fire.

[Batman]

I'd say it's 180 out, I'd try that first.

[deadtrend1]

How did you find top dead center? Turn the motor till the #1 intake valve open and closed? Then turned till the balancer lined up with 0*?

or did you just turn the motor till the balancer lined up with 0*?

[sweetbmxrider]

we talking 5:30 position on your watch?

[deadtrend1]

we talking 5:30 position on your watch?

Since that doesn't seem to help this question at all, try not being a smart ass so this thread does escalate into a retarded e-screaming match with this kid....

[sweetbmxrider]

nah i'm good. i would like clarification on the 5:30 thing though because it doesn't make sense and it is probably where his problem lies.

[deadtrend1]

nah i'm good. i would like clarification on the 5:30 thing though because it doesn't make sense and it is probably where his problem lies.

Probably means he has the rotor pointing towards the front left corner of the motor. Just guessing though..

[sweetbmxrider]

Probably means he has the rotor pointing towards the front left corner of the motor. Just guessing though..

yeah i dono thats why i'm asking. could be anything with WF.

[Jersyboyy]

Valve lash check it! Back off on those rockers man that valve lash is probally on to tight. Did you set each valve up by putting that piston at tdc? That cause my not to get my motor to start before.

[WildBillyT]

You all mean lifter preload. He should not have valve lash on a hydraulic cammed motor.

WF: Check this stuff

1.) Charge your battery to a full charge
2.) Check for 180* out

[The Fixer]

You all mean lifter preload. He should not have valve lash on a hydraulic cammed motor.


True. However, if the rocker arms are cranked down too tight, the motor won't fire. And since he had the heads off and had to reset all of them, there's a good possibility the lifters bled down in the meantime and he overtightened them. When we built my 305 eons ago we did the same thing, and it wouldn't fire worth a damn - sounded like it wanted to, but just couldn't. Once we loosened everything up 1/2 turn, the motor came to life and we re-adjusted the rocker arms.

I agree though, he should check his firing order and dizzy first before tearing the valve covers off again.

[WayFast84]

how many turns are you supposed to turn them? I did 3/4 of a turn. I used the two sided method to adjust the valves.

[LTb1ow]

What kind of lifters?

[NJSPEEDER]

how many turns are you supposed to turn them? I did 3/4 of a turn. I used the two sided method to adjust the valves.

Check the specs, I thought comp called for 1/4-1/2 turn on their hydraulic lifters. I usually put them at 1/4 and then go over them again after the engine has been run through a full heat cycle.

[Jersyboyy]

back each one off 1/4 turn and try it again then 1/8th of a turn(valve covers can stay off) see if anything changed dude.
If I get a new car tom ill stop by during the week(after i get insurance and it registered) if you havnt figured it out by then.

[NJSPEEDER]

back each one off 1/4 turn and try it again then 1/8th of a turn(valve covers can stay off) see if anything changed dude.
If I get a new car tom ill stop by during the week(after i get insurance and it registered) if you havnt figured it out by then.

Please don't run the motor with the valve covers off. It just makes a friggin mess and you don't want to touch it whiel it is moving anyway. There are only four bolts and a gasket on each side, take the two minutes to put them on

[deadtrend1]

I always just turned a extra 1/2

[Slow Z]

Here we go..... Goof proof method of putting a distributor in right the first time.....

Take out the #1 spark plug, put your finger over the hole and turn the motor over (preferably by hand - remove all plugs to make this easier) until compression blows your finger out. Continue to turn it until the mark on the balancer comes to the 16* BTDC mark (or wherever you want your initial timing at...) on the timing tab. With the distributor still in, make a mark on the body of it where the #1 plug terminal on the cap is. Now take off the cap... is the rotor pointing close to the mark you made? If yes then put the cap back on and spark plug(s) back in. Now hook up a timing light and turn the ignition on (don't crank it! just key in ON position). Pull the trigger on the timing light while you spin the distributor clockwise, then back counter-clockwise. The light will flash and this is where you want to stop turning it and tighten the hold-down. Your done, your timing is right.

If your rotor was not pointing at the mark you made on the distributor body, pull out the distributor and drop it back in so they line up then bump the motor over, the distributor will line up with the oil pump driveshaft by itself and remain in the correct position... Time and time again I see people wasting their time sticking a screw driver down the motor trying to get the distributor to fully seat - Just drop it in until it half-way meshes with the gears and bump the motor over. Anyway, after you do this you need to repeat the first steps - Finger over plug, feel for compression, mark off rotor, etc...

If the car still doesn't start, your valve lash is wrong - There is a goofproof way of doing this too but thats another 19 paragraphs.

[WayFast84]

It was 180 degrees off, but it still wont fire and the negative battery terminal heated up and began melting..

[GP99GT]

sounds like a bad ground or starter motor

[WayFast84]

the pig tail for the alternator is broken, would that cause it?

[Mike]

yes if its shorting

[Jersyboyy]

eh itll cause the neg terminal to do its little boogy spark dance but not keep it from starting. you had the dist 180 out and corrected it now? Did you check the valve lash too?

[sweetbmxrider]

unless its shorting, which it could do easily by touching the alternator housing or mounting bracket etc...

[deadtrend1]

hoe long were you trying to crank it before the cable started to melt?

[NJSPEEDER]

the pig tail for the alternator is broken, would that cause it?

Broken how? Connector smashed? Wires messed up? How many times has it been on and off? There are lots of kinds of broken

[Batman]

It was 180 degrees off, but it still wont fire and the negative battery terminal heated up and began melting..

Wow, that's unexpected. Did it happen while you turned the engine over or as soon as you connected the battery?

[Jersyboyy]

Same thing happened when I put my ***** back together after the new heads and cam. It happened when I cranked it! Fix the wire and move on matt. If you want some help me and my buddies can stop by.

Some how "motor" got turned into all starts? WTF?

[WayFast84]

The black wire was touching the alternator housing. I'm replacing the pigtail, and taking 1/4 turn off the rocker arms to see if that will help.

It almost ran last night but if was seriously 200 rpm's for like 6 seconds and then it cut.

edit, it was happening when I was cranking it. I got a new pig tail and negative battery terminal. I'm gonna try the new pig tail, take .25 off the rocker arms and try to fire it. see if it still smokes if it does I'm replacing the negative battery terminal, possibly the positive and go from there.

[WayFast84]

new pig tail is on, seemed to fix the smoking hot wire problem. took .25 off the rocker arms car still wont fire up. Running out of ideas.

[LTb1ow]

Are you getting spark?

[sweetbmxrider]

what is it doing now?

[NJSPEEDER]

Take all the rockers back to completely loose and start over. Make sure that #1 is at TDC, and go through, one cyl at a time. Set the lifters to 1/4 past 0 lash. Turn the engine 1/4 turn at a time and just follow the firing order.

Once you have all cyls done, turn the motor 1/4 turn at a time and push down on the rockers, you should be able to compress the rocker on the lifter side, but it should not be terribly tight and there should be no slack.

The biggest thing is making sure that you are at TDC for #1 on the compression stroke when you tigthen the rockers and when you install the distributor.

[Blacdout96]

Hm, you know wayfast is describingthe same scenerio with my friends camaro. He put headson it, and I was not there to see what he did with the valve lash. We've tried a many of times to get it to start over, but it jsut back fires, or sounds like the timing is off. ill take alook intot that the next time I roll up his way and see if that may be the potential problem. The kid has a good heart, but I always gotta hold his hand through any projects on that car.

[Batman]

Anyone have an extra HEI Module?