OK, I've tried everything... Timing, fuel, compression... It just won't run. It will backfire if I advance or retard the timing, but she no run. Any suggestions? I just had my 455 rebuilt. Bored 30 over, crank 10 under, full head job (reground valves, stock/old springs, resurfaced, etc.), new stock cam, upgraded ignition to HEI, and Holly 600CFM 4150 series carb, everything else is stock. I should mention that the engine is a donor into a 78 Jeep Cherokee Chief. It ran prior to being rebuilt just fine.
Check to make sure it is timed on the compression stroke and not the exhaust stroke. It sounds to me that you are 180 degrees out. :Smarty: :Smarty:
600cfm? She may want a bit more I agree on the timing I also once had a bad HEI distributor. The pick-up coil went bad. As I recall, sometiems the car would start and sometiems it wouldn't. PITA but easy to replace if pulling the distributor out doesn't scare you I take an old cap and cut off the #1 tower, then drill it out BIG. Then I can fit the cap, and look inside to see where the rotor points
When I put it together, trust me, I double and triple checked to make sure that it was dead on timed right. The distributer trick is a good one. Just ordered a upgrade kit from Summit today, so... I'll try that. Carburaetor reply is the same I've heard, however... I did some research and I'll only lose about 5% of my power at 5500 rpm.
Once you get it running you need to reconsider the carb and the research. Install an 800 cfm q jet and you will feel the difference.
If the HEI goes bad, it is one of 2 things. Either the module is done, or the coil is (rusted/burnt/broken) bad. On my GS, the coil went out and gave me an intermitent starting problem AND it would not pull any RPM's over 2100-2200. Turned out to be the lead wires on the coil that lead out to the module. After only 28 years the insulation had worn through and when the advance kicked in, the break opened and grounded out the system (no start or killed the running engine). Drove me nuts, ended up pulling the HEI and tearing it down completely. I used an extra coil I had from a Vega HEI. Car runs great, pulls to 5500+, problem solved. Also, rethink the carb. 455 is a low RPM motor that will need fuel much sooner than 5500 RPM. I have been running a Holley 750, and most likely will be switching to an 800 Q-jet (driveablity & economy). Jim '69 GS California 455 Stage 1 / Muncie 4spd / 3.31 12 bolt posi "Passes everything but gas stations"
I would say it has to be 180 out if you have spark (which if you are getting a backfile you do). I had one I know I checked multiple times but I was wrong. I pulled the dist moved it around put it back in and she started right up. It is a very easy and common thing to get it put in incorrectly.
If all of the above checks out theres always the fireing order to distributor rotation... I've seen plug wires on incorrect to firing order or wired backwards to distributor rotation...
One other possibility no one has mentioned that caused me a bunch of anguish once... The Buick 350 used the same HEI distributor, but the drive gear had one more tooth than the big block dist... I believe the small block has 14 teeth and the big block has 13. Someone correct me if I am wrong. Anyway, if it is the wrong gear for the engine, the timing will change continuously, causing backfires, difficult engine cranking, and for obvious reasons the engine will never start. Good luck with it.
I've never tried to force the wrong gear into place, but from what I've heard, things get chewed up pretty quickly. Devon
Major vacuum leak? I had trouble starting a new engine up because I had missed a port on the manifold. :af: She would backfire, but that was it.
In my case I didn't have to force anything, it just went right in like it should, but as I said, it made the timing change continuously... obviously the engine didn't run, but nothing was chewed up. A little hard on a carburetor and exhaust system to be backfiring and throwing flames up through the air cleaner!!!
pull the #1 plug and stick a cork in it. Rotate motor in correct direction and when the cork Pops stop and look at where the distributor is pointing.
Alan I like that idea about the cork, I would have the wife turn the starter and us my finger, I guess that you learn something new every day. Garyou:
ray: once i sold a man a 350-4 engine that ran good when i had it. he got it and took it home but couldn't get the thing to run. i tried everything i knew but nothing. another mechanic came by the next day and he couldn't crank it. we founf out that the guy who bought the engine from me had a put a 2bb intake on it without changing the intake gasket. he never told me that before so. i don't know what to tell you about yours but just make sure everything is sealed tight and have the RIGHT INTAKE GASKET ON.....mike
Just got it fired Sat the 28th. I got a HEI upgrade kit from Summit. Let it sit for a couple days till the wife kicked me out to work on it (I know, hard to believe huh?) Started to turn it wove and got it the second time. WOO-HOOOOOO!! Thanks for everyone who posted, I appreciate it a lot. Thanks guys.
