Hey everyone, as (most) of you know I recently refreshed my z28s motor/transmission. I cannot get the darn thing to run to save my life. When it cranks over it almost starts but then keeps cranking. I've checked for spark/firing order and adjusted my valves several times but nothing. I even am using the stock dizzy and bypassed my msd 6al box but still nothing. I just replaced my ignition coil and I rebuilt my MSD billet distributor with a new drive gear, magnetic pickup, rotor and cap/wires. Any ideas?

 

Reads like it may be a little retarded in timing.
Good idea to bypass MSD box, eliminate a variable.

 

Yeah I've been trying to keep it as simple as possible but I am not having any luck. I checked compression too and all of the cylinders had great pressure (at least 160). Idk if its from just cranking it a lot but my battery cables/starter get really hot after cranking for a bit from the current draw.

 

30 seconds of cranking requires 2 minutes cool down time. Do not crank over 30 seconds unless you have a high end aftermarket start then the the manufacture should tell you how long to crank.

Are you getting any back firing? You have a spark tester that has a built in resistance?

I have gotten call like this before here is how I would rate the issues.

Valves to tight
Distributer not in the right toothof the Cam.
Carb was turned upside down and float is stuck. ( plugs are fuel soaked.)
Massive vacuum leak like the brake booster hose.
Distributer not hooked to the correct power source (this one only once and it drove me crazy. Power to the distributor key but not in the crank position)

I am sure there is more I am not remembering.

 

Yes I used an in line spark tester and all of the cylinders were firing. (This one) I've checked my valves several times and they are all in spec with my cam card. I've pulled the plugs and the motor wasn't flooded. I didn't change the power source for my distributor (but I ran 12v straight to my coil to bypass my MSD box just to be sure). The only one that I havent checked was my brake booster, which could be plausible since I have a vacuum pump/reservoir for my brakes since it doesn't make lots of vacuum with the big cam

 

If you had fuel going into the cylinders and the motor is not starting you should have some fuel on the plugs. You should be smelling gas also.

Look down the carb and work the throttle with the choke open. You should see two streams of fuel asuuming you bowl is full, You could try some carb cleaner down the carb and see if you get a reaction.

Fuel+Spark+Compression should give you something. If not running then a back fire or after fire. Warning: if you have been pumping gas in the motor it is going somewhere. You don't want to end up with a house fire.

 

Yeah I see fuel going down, the car fires but it wont run, like it will fire and sound like its about to start but then it will just keep cranking again. I can feel the header primaries getting warm too. I touched my electric choke and it was hot for some reason, could that be part of my issue?

 

Made a quick video so you can hear whats going on.

 

Are you sure you don't have the distributor installed 180 degrees off? With the crank and cam gears alignment marks both at 12 o'clock, that's tdc compression stroke cylinder#1. If they were facing each other, that's tdc cylinder 6. If you installed the distributor with the marks facing each other, its off 180 degrees.

 

I did dot to dot on my cam install, so that would put it out 180 so should I take out the #6 plug and put it at 0 on my damper? That should put #1 at tdc of the compression stroke which i can then reset my distributor .