Ziff951

I've been dealing with a no start issue (many of you might have been helping me) and I just did another recheck of the timing, wires, blah, blah, blah, etc...and decided to let it crank for a little while....well...I had the loudest pop (explosion?) out of the exhaust... not even kidding, it was like a .45 being fired five feet from me...my ears are ringing... when I looked back there was a small cloud of black smoke floating away...what the F is going on!?

If my noid light says my injectors are firing and I tested spark at each plug...and my timing is quadruple checked...WTF?

On the bright side, that's the only noise that's come out of the exhaust in a month...;-)

Stephen

fast951

The backfire from the exhaust could be caused by fuel dumped into the exhaust and the spark at the wrong time. Did you verify the firing order? Did you check the rotor not to be moving on the shaft (screw backed out).. The cap is fine?

JohnKoaWood

Is it possible the timing has jumped?

line up the flywheel timing mark and make sure the cam timing mark is right....

sounds like the timing is off (like 180 degrees... firing on the top of the exhaust stroke rather than the compression stroke...)

I know, I know, 2:1 cam to crank.... BUT if the button is 180 off it will ALWAYS be 180 off...

Ziff951

The marks all line up on the cam, bellhousing top, and notch underneath.

What I did just find was two different descriptions of the firing order...
from the top right when facing the dist. and going clockwise:
2134
1342

So which freakin' one is it? they both technically go in the same order, but where they start makes a huge difference... I had it on the one from clark's garage... 1342 and just tried it on 2134 and it sputtered a little bit..no actual firing, but way different than the previous cranking...this is annoying.

John, the cap and rotor are brand new and just rechecked to make sure it's not backed out..

If my plugs have been fouled repeatedly while cranking, are they worthless now, or do they just need to dry out?

Thanks for the help guys..

Stephen

fast951

If plugs are fouled, they are no good.

From Clark's garage, distributor cap with cylinders ID Here

Richgreenster

I think that you need to make sure that the motor is TDC the old fashion way. Remove the spark plug and make sure the piston is top of the stroke. Be careful not to drop your probe in there.. Check your cam housing mark. You will be able to see the mark through the hole in the metal housing cover. Then get yourself some new plugs. Then I would check that your distributor rotor is correct. It should point to #1 (about 5 o'clock if looking at it from the front of the car.

Tom M'Guinn

I would go over all the basics one more time -- post picture of your wires/firing order, and you cam/flywheel timing, and where your rotor points when you think its at TDC (either compression or exhaust), and some overall engine bay shots. Someone may notice something you are missing. Sounds like you've been flooding the engine for whatever reason (i.e., pumping gas through it without a timely spark to burn it) so plugs maybe glazed over. How do you know you have spark?

Richgreenster

Great Idea!

Ziff951

Okay, i definitely need new plugs, John.

Rich, I lined up the cam housing mark, the notch by the starter and the OT at the back of the bellhousing. Is there any way that timing could still be off? Just incase, I'm asking seriously, not sarcastically..:-)
The rotor should be pointing at 5 o'clock? I think I might be 180 off, although I don't understand how...I'm going to run out and line everything up again and see where my rotor is pointing..

Tom, great idea on pics...I'll see what I can do...I have the wife watching our son, so I may get pulled away...;-).

Everyone's help is hugely appreciated

Ziff951

I'm so frazzled at this point, but it looks like I'm 180 out, right? how the frig? here're a pic..with the camshaft mark lined up. Have I been focusing on all the other **** and didn't even look at what was in front of my face!?

gpr8er

Holy Sheet!!! What's the F is that hose coming out of the end of the fuel rail??

MM951

Looks like you are 180* out, the metal tab on the rotor should be at about 5 o'clock (pointing to #1 cylinder on cap)

Tom M'Guinn

If the cam mark appears in the window, then that looks ok. The copper part at the end of the rotor seems to point generally in the right place (about 5 oclock as mentioned).

Ziff951

Hahaha, gpr8er, the line on the fuel rail is just a temporary gauge for pressure testing...didn't have time to put a proper unit on there...(old one was dead) don't worry, I'm not going to drive it like that..;-) (if it ever runs again....)

Okay, Mike and Tom, you're telling me opposite info. Unless I'm mistaken, my rotor is pointed to 11 o'clock, right?

gpr8er

http://www.batinc.net/

These guys sell the proper fitting for the fuel rail test port. A #12 globe fitting to -4AN line. If they don't have them in stock they will order. IIRC they run about $30.