newb troubles with a 50 dodge

hey there, i just picke dup a 50 dodge pilothouse truck. was being used as a daily up untill last weekend. it just died ont ehguy and he doesn't know why. i picked it up and brought it home. i have spark, fuel. i have found what i think is tdc, made sure the plug wires are int eh right order. i have my #1 plug wire about 1 oclock ont eh dist. it is a flathead 6cyl. it won't fire at all and i am getting some backfire through the carb ona reg cycle.
i did a compresion test, this is on a non running engine. here's what i got?
#1-45
#2-43
#3-50
#4-50
#5-40
#6-30

could there be a stuck intake valve on #6?
would this be my culprit? or should it still fire up and run shitty. i can't get ot to start at all.
when people say the timing is out 180, what does that mean? how do i go about pulling the dist out?
thanks for oyur insight.
Jay

 

I think your #1 plug wire should be at 7 o'clock. That's where mine is on my '55 Plymouth, which is essentially the same motor. That's what is meant by 180 degrees out.

 

I've got my 50 Dodge out in the parking lot- I'll go look at it after work.

I wouldn't assume that a valve problem on one cylinder would keep the engine from running...


Jay

 

Looks to me like not enough compression to run at all!

 

The fact that it was running, but now has such low compression numbers across the board would make me tend to believe that the cam is not turning in time for whatever reason.

 

im surprised it was running with that compression soo low

 

Sound like it jumped time.

 

I'm not sure exactly what the numbers should be but I seem to remember that my Chrysler flathead 6 had extremely low compression stock.

 

keep in mind this is sort of a dead compression, i finally sanded down the crank pulley looking for timing marks. not fun! pretty tight to get in there ona dodge. well, when my pointer is at TDC or very close, my dist is around 5 oclock.
i had it backfire yesterday and completely blow my mufler apart. like a grenade was in it.