hey, i have a 1987camaro with a smallblock 305 from a 1991 chevy. and when i got the car the firing order was set to something. and then i bought new plugs and lead wires and kept it the same when i installed them. then i got heeaders witch invovled taking off the plugs, so i forogot the firing order. so i looked online and i found this http://www.classiccarauto.com/impala...istributor.pngfiring order witch was definaltly differnent from thefireing orderi started out with. so when i try to start my car with the new firing order. it dosent even fire. i miiight of flooded it but i dought it. can some1 plz help me im very frustrated and am dieing to hear the sound of her with open headers plz reply, any imput will be great!

thankyou, cole mithrush

 

This may help you out.
http://www.boxwrench.net/specs/chevy_sb.htm
Before you start, put the #1 piston at Top Dead Center on the compression stroke. The rotor on the distributor will now poin to the #1 cylinder wire position, and then follow the diagram.

 

ok, but how do i know when the piston is at the top of the cylinder. and why will it make a difference if the piston is at the top? beacuse its not even firing and i dient have to put the piston at the top when i changed the wires, plugs, and rotorcap and stuff. plz exsplain in detail. it will be GREATLY APPRECIATED! thanks pete

 

The compression stroke of the #1 cylinder is where the firing order begins. To determine that, you would need to remove the #1 spark plug, hold your finger over the hole, and tap the engine over slowly until the pressure pushes your finger (it won't hurt), and the timing mark should be nearing TDC. At that point is where the #1 plug wire on the distributor cap should line up with the terminal that the rotor is pointing to You will need to remove the distributor cap to look.
But, from your story, I'm assuming that the engine ran fine with the plug wires where they are on the distributor cap, and the wires just got crossed at the plugs? Then there is an easier way. Take a timing light (hope you have one), and attach it to one of the plug wires on the left bank (1-3-5-7). Have someone crank the engine over and you point the timing light at the timing tab by the harmonic balancer. The #1 plug wire will make the timing mark visible on the balancer. Now that you know which one is your #1 plug wire, you can follow the timing diagram clockwise around the distributor cap to check the rest of them.

 

ok, so lets see if i understand. im gunna go to my car, take off the first plug wire that is on the drivers side of the engine closeest to me. and then take out the plug and put my finger over it. then get my dad to slowly start the car. and when i feel my finger being pushed i stop. then i look under the dist. cap and it should be pointing at the that cylidner? then i put the dist. cap baack on and do the same for every cylidner???

 

Almost. You only need to pull the #1 plug. Have your dad tap the engine over lightly until you feel the pressure. Then look down at the harmonic balancer and see where the timing groove is in relation to the timing tab. You want it as close as possible to lining up with each other. Then look at the rotor position. You can even make a magic marker line on the base of the distributor so you can see the line after the cap is back on. Trace that wire on the cap down and make sure it goes to the #1 spark plug. Then follow around the distributor cap clockwise from the #1 wire. The next wire should go to the #8 plug (furthermost rear on pass side). The next one should go to the #4 plug...etc.

 

ok. im not sure what the harmonic balancer is and what the timing groove and timing tab are. but when i look down at the fly wheel thing, i see about 4 little teeeth that might be what your talking about. ill go fool around with it for a while and tell what ive done.

thanks ALOT for the help.

 

ok. i did that. but im still confuesed about the timing groove and tab and stuff. so i took out the spark plug. and turned over engine untill air pushed my finger. and then the 4 little teeth were there but the grove wasent near those teeth. so when i take off the cap. the rotor should be facing number 1 cylinder?

 

When you feel the pressure, the #1 piston is approaching top dead center, but not necessarily all the way there yet. If you look down between the block and water pump, you'll see the timing tab on the timing chain cover, with the notches. "0" degrees should be like the third notch (wider one) from the left as you're looking down at it. If you don't see a notched line in the harmonic balancer (the flywheel thing) below the tab, then you need to tap the engine over just a little more. Standing in front of the car, the line on the balancer should be approaching from the left, since the balancer is spinning clockwise. And that's assuming you didn't already blow past the line when you initially stopped cranking. Remember, nice quick on and off ignition switch taps to crank it over.

 

ok thanks. ill fool around a little more and ill get back to you tommorw. thanks alot for all the help. i dont know what i would do without people like you. it woould probobly end up going into the shop witch is a bad thing beacuse i LOVE learning about my car. thanks.