455 has begun to bog with any throttle

12g should be fine

Nothing to do except install new ones.

 

Alright. New plugs. Correctly gapped and installed. New cap and rotor. New msd wires correctly assembled and installed:

Car wont fire up. It turns over but wont run and my GF says it shot an orange plume back out thru the air filter. So. What? Whats next?

 

What's the ignition timing?

Any chance the distributor is set to fire #6 when it should fire #1?

 

I also havent done that wiring Larry told me about. Completely slipped my mind at the time. Will run the battery directly into the coil to try that.

As far as the timing? Idk. I havent touched it. I bought the vehicle 5 yrs prior and used to drive it near daily until i had some carb issues occur that i took awhile to sort. For now, replaced the wires one by one so it certainly shouldnt be the case but ill attempt to investigate further.

 

Guess I need to buy a timing light. I dont have an MSD box, but, obviously HEI. Is that 5568 Innova complete overkill for what I'd need or should I just pull the trigger and be done with it?

 

Pull the trigger. Can't beat the Innova 5568 IMHO.

 

It's nice enough that you'll never need to buy another

 

Thx guys. Ill ask Santa then and see what I can muster up.

 

My question tho fellas is this: Can my timing have changed throughout these steps here? Like lets say my coolant eruption caused some of it to get into the plugs and dizzy cap which then could have fouled up my plugs... cuz I mean IDK what caused my plugs to foul tbh... but whatever, changed them, changed wires, changed cap, changed rotor, all as Ive stated. But why would my timing have changed? Is there anything that could cause something like that? And I still have to run the wire directly to the coil as well but have been caught up with Xmas BS thus far and havent yet. Thanks in advance guys, Im still learnin...

 

What you've done "should not" have changed the ignition timing unless the distributor hold-down was already loose. Not getting the plug wires back on the cap in the proper order will cause misfire on at least two cylinders, and as many additional as you've screwed the wiring order for.

Putting the rotor in 180 off will cause backfiring out the carb. Theoretically it can't happen, because there's a locating tab on the rotor (but I've seen it done.)

Maybe there was so much fuel in the cylinders, that cranking the engine splashed it all over the new plugs, and they're fouled again.

"I" would verify plug wire order, remove cap and rotor (which includes the ignition coil) to assure there's no oil, coolant, greasy fingerprints, whatever on the inside of the cap or anywhere on the rotor. Look at the tab on the rotor so it absolutely goes back where it's supposed to. Remove and inspect plugs. While they're out, crank the engine with the throttle WFO, and see if fuel mist shoots out the plug holes. AFTER the engine has been cranked, re-install rotor, cap 'n' coil, plug wires, plugs, etc. Specifically, you want to crank the engine with the plugs out AND the cap disconnected from the wire harness so you CANNOT have sparks that might ignite spraying fuel mist.

I've never read that you've actually tested to see if you have strong, regular, reliable spark. You "could" have a failed pickup coil, a failed ignition module, a failed capacitor inside the distributor. It is possible but not likely that you have a broken wire in the three-wire harness between the distributor and the side of the distributor cap. You could have a sheared roll-pin holding the distributor gear on. So again "I" would connect a spark-tester, calibrated for HEI ignitions, and see if there was reliable spark when cranking the engine. Given the fragility of Buick roll-pins, I'd want to either watch the rotor spin myself, or have someone else watch it, or set-up a camera to get it on video. Maybe the coolant surge was just coincidence. Possible, even if not hugely likely.

https://www.chevelles.com/techref/ftecref5.html


HEI and "Regular" ignition spark testers. There are many brands, and other styles completely. This is what "I" have, obtained a thousand years ago. Search for "HEI Spark Tester" on Amazon.


HEI tester has recessed center electrode to enlarge distance spark has to jump to side of tester.


Cut a spark plug boot to fit.


Push spark tester far enough into boot so that tip of tester touches the carbon "button" in the cap. With wires to side of cap INSTALLED, and spark-tester grounded to engine, (manifold, distributor body, whatever) crank engine. Sparks should snap from center to side of tester reliably, regularly (not erratic or intermittently.)

 

Double and triple check your firing order. Post some pictures of the cap and each cylinder head as best you can

 

You need to head the advice in the post above and then run the 12 volt positive wire from the battery to the + coil FIRST. Imo

 

Havent had the time to run these tests yet... Xmas and all, but will shortly. In the meantime spotted a Mac TL90 timing light for 30 bucks at a pawn shop. Cant find a lotta info on it so was wondering if you guys would consider that a good buy so i can get to testing or if something new would be better. Thanks again.

 

Might as well try and talk em down to $20, either way that’s not a bad price. Just hope it works

 

I have three timing lights. Folks are giving them to me because they don't own anything that can use a timing light, and they want to "get rid" of it.

Of the three, the only one I've actually used was the only one I bought new. Mac TL86, I think. Traded in a dim Crapsman back in...1985, maybe. Has a knob on the back for timing advance. Fabulous timing light.

I'll have to dig around to see what a TL90 looks like...but...based on my TL86, I'm guessing it's a winner if it still works right.

 

Thanks man ill head back and grab it up then. Hard to pony up the cash for that 5568 right now haha

 

Ok fellas, rdy for more braindead questions? Just got this timing gun home and im just checking to make sure it works. So hooked it up, lights flash, looks good. If i pull the trigger will the light strobe or does it need to be running for that? I just wanna make sure everything works here so forgive any dumbass questions. Im hoping to get to these checks Larry and Schurkey told me about here soon as well.

 

Forgot to add this pic