302 crate motor , i bought wont start, only pops through carb if not really advanced hei ignition edelbrock 4bbl , ive tried both firing orders for 302, 302ho timing mark up on #1 , any suggestions / i know really would help if i knew what cam and so on but i dont, any help appreciated
Do you know if the distributor is in proper working order? have you checked to make sure the cam doesn't have a flat lobe?
Valves to tight / hanging open ?? Usually, it WILL pop through the carb when timing is advanced to far...firing before intake valve closes. I would Triple check firing order and timing before looking for sticky or tight valves. Verify TDC on #1 physically, then with your distributor loose, ignition on, and the plug out, rotate your distributor back and forth checking for spark.
Ok makes sense about popping tried both firing orders too the 15486372 didnt do anthing not even pop through carb yes 13726548
ive looked on google and have seen conflicting stories of timing being different for 302ho and crate motors any truth to this ?
ok but which one is number 1 on a hei cap ive heard it doesnt matter as long as the timing is correct
if #1 piston is at top dead center on compression stroke which ever spark plug wire the rotor points at that is #1 you then follow the firing order in the rotation that the rotor turns when the starter is engaged
thats next to check guess i need to pull the left side valve cover and check the valve and piston to verify tdc
ok found my problem we used the timing cover from another small block the timing pointer is on the wrong side !! ive been trying this 180 out all along the cover has a pointer on the right side when looking at the motor not on the left side looking down at it
No need to pull the valve cover. Pull #1 spark plug and put your thumb OVER the hole. Don't stick your thumb in the hole or your thumb could be a little bit shorter following the next step. Use a remote starter switch or have somebody tap... tap... tap... the starter until you start feeling the compression at the plug hole. It must be coming up on the compression stroke for this to work. Watch the timing mark on the crankshaft balancer and if you pass top dead center, tap the starter again while checking for compression. I like to stop tapping a little bit before the timing mark. I use a socket & ratchet now to rotate the engine the last couple inches to the timing setting you want on the crankshaft timing mark. (6 or 8 degrees or whatever you like) The distributor rotor should now be pointing to the number #1 position on the cap as seen in the diagram below. If not pointing to #1, pull the distributor, turn rotor and drop distributor back in. Might take several tries. (You can do like King Ford said and use wherever the rotor is pointing as #1 on the cap and it will work but I'd rather use factory setting) Now that the distributor is close to the correct position, put the clamp on but still letting it move with some resistance. For the next step I use a #2 Phillips screwdriver with a 4" or 6" shaft and insert the end into the spark plug end of the spark plug wire. (The screwdriver is replacing the spark plug for this test) Go turn the ignition switch to the "ON" position.... NOT THE "START" POSITION Now go back out to the engine, hold the handle of the screwdriver having the shaft be about 1/4" away from a ground. (engine block, manifold, carb base... anything grounded) You're looking for spark jumping from the screwdriver shaft to ground. Slowly, turn distributor back or forth with one hand while holding screwdriver and looking for spark jump using the other hand. Keep trying until you have that exact position of the distributor located at the time of the spark jump. (sometimes you can hear the "snap" of the spark) Once you have the spark position located, tighten the distributor so it can't move. YOU'RE TIMED... go turn ignition switch off and have a beer or fire the engine up. This is a foolproof way to set the timing exactly without a timing light as long as the timing pointer and balancer marks are correct. My grandpa called it "static timing". Useful when firing up a new engine needing break-in.
this is an unknown crate motor dont know if its a ho or non ho or just what it is starting from scratch
actually had it running with a points distributer at one point but not very well had to be wayyyy advanced to start
You're distributor is one tooth off, maybe more than one...If you have the timing advance cranked, and it's barely running, then it's still running retarded. Now, what I'd try first is moving each plug wire back one hole and see if you're closer...Verifying TDC physically, and checking where the rotor is pointed will tell you this, it's been suggested multiple times...it's really the only proper way forward here...If that all checks out, then we can move onto other possible causes.
If it ran with a point dizzy, and it now won't start with an HEI (Ford had an HEI? I only am familiar with the thin film ones), you have it in 180 off, or it's a module has failed.
Ok man, put the tools down and get your nose in a book. You don't have a "crate motor" you've got a used donor engine. Here you say #1 is up. Needs to up on compression and physically verified. Fuck the timing marks. Get the book out. You're on the wrong side of a ford engine. Get the book out See, get the book out. BS cause that's not what you wrote or not what we read. Get the book out. Ford- Firing order really different. Get the book out. There's so much wrong here it's hard to begin to help.
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