Timing my 302

[mercuryzephyrz7]

I have the engine turning over and it sounds fairly consistent to my inexperienced ear. However I'm not convinced I have this thing timed correctly.

I set the timing marks to 10 BTDC and my distributor rotor was set pointing to my number 1 wire.

When turning it over, I have air coming out of my carb for some reason. I'm not sure why but I'm hoping I don't have a leak in my Carb/intake gasket.

Anyways, I'm getting gas, and I'm getting spark but it won't fire. I'm wondering if any of you have a step by step guide to time a car? I need to learn this and I think I'm close, but without some more experienced help I can't be sure.

I don't know if my distributor is 180 out, or if I need to do something else that I'm not aware of. Any input will help I will be working on this tonight. Thanks guys!

[SVT Rob]

Sounds like your compression stroke is occuring with an intake valve open.

[mercuryzephyrz7]

Hmm. Well I haven't touched the timing gear on this particular engine. It ran fine in the doner car and all I have done was replace the heads and intake.

When I put the heads on I made sure It was at TDC before mounting them, so I'm not sure how I could have done that or at the very least how I can fix it :/

[86_Notch]

take the # 1 spark plug out
stick your finger in the hole
have a buddy manually turn the engine over using a socket on the crank bolt
when you feel a woosh of air past your finger then you're on the compression stroke
put the dizzy in so that the rotor is facing # 1 on the cap
you may have to rotate the motor a little so that the timing marks are lined up
put the spark plug back in
put the wires on the cap in the correct firing order.

[mercuryzephyrz7]

take the # 1 spark plug out
stick your finger in the hole
have a buddy manually turn the engine over using a socket on the crank bolt
when you feel a woosh of air past your finger then you're on the compression stroke
put the dizzy in so that the rotor is facing # 1 on the cap
you may have to rotate the motor a little so that the timing marks are lined up
put the spark plug back in
put the wires on the cap in the correct firing order.

Ahhh one small detail I have forgotten: To make sure it's on the compression stroke when the dist goes in!

One question. When you say the rotor should face #1, is that the #1 wire on the cap, or the #1 cylinder?

Well geez you may have possibly solved my air out the carb problem. I will be sure to do that tonight and see what happens. Thanks!!

[jsam]

rotor button pointing to #1 on cap and what 86 notch said

[mercuryzephyrz7]

Well I got everything where it should be, however I still got air coming out of the carb when it cranks over.

I'm thinking I could have tightened one of my rockers too much? I tried to keep it fairly loose but I was so confused as to how tight to tighten them.

Other than that, what else could it be?

[jsam]

is this a roller cam motor? if so the rockers should torque down to 20-25 ft lbs.

[mercuryzephyrz7]

The guy I bought it from said it was, but it was in an '84 car so I don't know for sure. Any way to tell?

[jsam]

did you have the intake off it? did it have the dogbones on top of the lifters and the hold downs bolted into the lifter valley? if so yes it is a roller cam

[mercuryzephyrz7]

did you have the intake off it? did it have the dogbones on top of the lifters and the hold downs bolted into the lifter valley? if so yes it is a roller cam

I don't have the intake it came with an Edelbrock.

Excuse my ignorance here but I don't know what dogbones are and the bolts went through the rocker, then through a steel strip and then bolted to the head.

[craigerSS]

how about the right firing order,there's two for 302's depending on the year

[mercuryzephyrz7]

how about the right firing order,there's two for 302's depending on the year

Hmm good point. One order for the HO motors and another for the rest, right?

I used 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8 and this is on an '84 motor.

The guy I bought it from said it was a roller, said it was an HO as well. The wrong firing order would certainly explain it not firing up, however it wouldn't explain the air coming out of my carb as it turns over.

[83t-topp]

dizzy out 180 degress?
just wondering.

[craigerSS]

if you have a cam with the other firing order it will blow air out the carb,it happened to me,my rebuilder put a cam in with the other firing order without telling me, took me awhile to figure that one out

[mercuryzephyrz7]

if you have a cam with the other firing order it will blow air out the carb,it happened to me,my rebuilder put a cam in with the other firing order without telling me, took me awhile to figure that one out

Really?! So once you realized that you needed the other firing order the car quit blowing air out the carb and ran fine?? I'm going to try the other firing order now and see what it does for me

Thanks!!