Got an 80 corvette just finished replacing camshaft, stock specs, put everthing back together, lined up dots on timing chain, had heads cleaned, put another 80 intake manifold in, mine was cracked, and put her back together, set timing at TDC and inserted distributor, cranked her up and got nothing, checked dist button position and is in the 1 pos. ran a compression check on the 1 piston and when compression came up set distributor again still nothing have played with dist many times but cannot seem to get her to fire, have used timing light and then check dist, have had puffs of smoke out of carb. Have adjusted carb screws, any info on average number of turns on screws for stock settings. had to set screws high with the cracked manifold it was 4 turns to get her to run and not conk out. Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

Hey guy, been there done that!! My best quickest suggestion is pull the valve covers, BOTH of them, (so you can watch all of the valves and maybe determine if #1 is not compressing...which one is??) take the distributor cap off, turn the motor by hand (ratchet on the crankshaft/harmonic balancer bolt) and watch the rocker arms on the #1 cylinder, you know... intake/compression/ignition/exhaust after the intake stroke both of the valves will be closed and the distributor button should be coming around to #1 to fire. Not trying to insult anyone's intelligence with the Otto cycle, just a real quick check. If all of that looks good, the engine timing should be correct, now to the ignition timing.... check to make sure your firing order is correct and the correct wire is on the correct plug....

If all of that checks out??? I have only seen this once, the timing mark that was stamped on the cam gear was in the wrong place. We had the ignition timing set to the opening/closing of the valves, the intake/compression stroke was in the wrong sequence for the valves. We found that when we placed the new gear next to the old one.

Sorry for so many words, but ya gotta hear this one, had a friend that ran IMSA Stock/Sportsman for a couple of years with a Monza. He installed a 350 and wanted to heat it up a little. We were both boat mechanics at the time and he had just completed a motor swap in a 32' cruiser that had twin inboards (both SBC 350). The motor was running good, just a little weak, rather than rebuild the owner opted for a new motor. Eric liked the way it sounded so he took the cam out and installed in his monza. That thing spit and sputtered for 3 weeks while we racked our brains checking and double checking. One of the other mechanics in the building called me over one day during lunch. He had pulled the specs on the cam, turns out it was a reverse-rotation SBC 350 built specifically for the marine industry (twins, one is clockwise, other is counter-cw), Yea guys...it was trying to run backwards!!! Eric lived with that one for quite a while.

keep in touch on this one...
gonzo

 

 

All I can keep thinking of is Air, Fuel, Spark. Other than that, having never built an engine or played with the internals, Mobjack's suggestions sound good.. Make sure all the valves are working at the right time.

Good Luck!
Dan

 

Any mopar drivers should get a case of that !! LOL.

 

First check and make sure that you have the wires plugged into the destributor correctly; one wire will cause it to not fire but will turn over all day. Next, make sure you don't have the valves adjusted too tight. Of course, all the other things listed are important too.
Bernie

 

so you think the valve could be to tight. didn't think of that. I adjusted them til they would not spin by hand and then turned about 1/2 turn. firing order for 350 is 18436572 going clockwise correct?

 

I could use a case of that

 

The firing order you have is correct

If you think you might be close on the distributor, move all the wires on the distributor to the left 1 TOWER if that still doesn't work, move the wires back to the right 2 TOWERS ( towers= the post on top of the distributor the wires plug onto)
If the distributor is off 1 tooth (distributor gear meshing with the camshaft gear) , you should be able to at least get it to fire and sputter a little by moving the wire that needs to fire (relationship of valves closing and compression stroke) to the tower that is actually firing.... Is any of this clear as muddy water??? Been thru this bunches of times, just doing it and tryin to 'splain it is two different matters entirely... Again, not tryin to insult anyone's grey matter with the simple talk here.... trying to help make someone's vette fixuppable..
holler if it's still struggling....

btw, this thing is not fuel injected is it?? I don't remember reading that part. The other question is this, was the enginerunning correctly in THAT car before it was pulled for rebuild?? don't rule out the possibility of an electrical problem if it is injected/throttle body fueled...
gonzo

 

I just ran a check to get to tdc. I took off dist cap and put compression tester in #1 hole cranked engine and got compression one time for every revolution of dist button that is the compression stroke to get to tdc correct? Harmonic balancer should rotate twice for every one rotation of dist button correct? The only other thought i had was i replaced the timing chain cover with a new one that bolts the timing plate on with the screws for the gasket. could that be off causing me to turn the engine to not tdc according to the balancer mark and the timing plate 0 mark?

 

It seems like i am getting full compression approximately 10-12 degrees in advance of 0 on the tiiming plate.

 

It seems like i am getting full compression approximately 10-12 degrees in advance of 0 on the tiiming plate.

 

Have to ask did you prelube the lifters berore setting lash? If not they are more then likly to tight .

Good Luck

 

Man this is getting real aggravating. Here is what i have tried thus far. Ran check for tdc removed valve cover driver side. Watched valves as i turned it over from 12 oclock it was closed then exhaust opened then intake opened and then compression occured around 9 oclock and tdc is between 10 and 11 and at 0 position head was at top of block. Does this sound correct. i have tried putting ditributor in the tdc position but still get no fire. Shot some starter fluid in carb just to see if it was fuel problem and still nothing. I am running out of ideas any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated

 

yes i prelubed them with the camshaft lube that came with new cam. One question though after cranking as much as i did shouldnt't there be excess fuel pretty much like flooding the engine because i have turned it over to check different things yet when i pull the spark plug it is still dry with no real strong smell of fuel. I now before i have opened a spark plug hole and have fuel come out. I am going to check the valves now that i think about it i was only looking at the push rods and not the valves themselves. give you an update later. appreciate everyones input in this endevour. i need to take up cane pole fishing that only involes a stick and string can't mess that up to much

 

Sorry meant did you pre oil pressure the motor before setting lash.
The lifters pump up quite a bit with oil pressure and the valves may not open enough. But if you have good compession on all cylinders thats probably not the problem. On my last engine I used the fast bleed lifters they would bleed down so quick that when I set the lash it was so wrong the valves didn't close.

Good Luck

 

I Have The Hydraulic Lifters They Said To Lube Them Before Installing But Do Not Pre Pump Them With Oil. When I Compression Check Number One I Am Only Getting 35 Psi. I Did A Compression Check On All Cylinders A Year A Go And I Think They Were Around 130 Psi Do You Think Ihave The Rockers To Tight Thus The Valves Are Not Seating Tightly? If So How Should I Readjust The Valves?

 

you should have a minimum of 120 psi compression hopefully its just valve adjustment and the can isn't wiped you should always get oil to all parts of a new cam and lifters before trying to start the engine.
hopefully you have a good oil pump and have oil to the lifters now.
You have the instrutions on setting the lash? Try a real loose setting to start "just tight enough to feel resistance when you spin the push rod then back off one full turn.
It will not start with 30 compression..
good Luck

 

virg,
got her up to 90psi will readjust loser but shouldnt the rockers be in place and not rattle any. i can back off approx another 1/2 to 3/4 turn back and the rockers will not rattle. should the rockers be just tight enough to not rattle and be able to rotate the push rod with a little effort

 

You do not want to adjust the valves by spinning the pushrods. You can get them extremely tight before they quit spinning. Instead, tighten the rocker until the up and down play in the pushrod is gone. This is zero lash. Then, tighten another 3/4 turn and your done. I adjusted my trucks valves the way you did one time. I installed roller rockers. When I thought they were adjusted correctly, the rocker would rub against the head. I called Summit's tech line and they told me the correct way to do it. Hope this helps.