TravWS6

k i no this isnt a LS1 but its a chevy still and its bin buggin me for a while now cant figure it out.. so i thought i would ask the pro's on here! well heres the problem.. the motor was totaly stripped down and braught to the machine shop where it was rebored to .060 over and cleaned up.. anyways. i get the the motor done finally put it in my 1979 chevy pick up and go to start it up and it turns over very slowly.. so i figured battery was done for so i go buy a new battery.. well same thing.. i even tried another battery. nope not the problem.. checked the timing many times.. pulled the distributer completly out and turned it over.. same thing!! checked all the rockers make sure they wernt to tight or loose.. there fine also.. could it be the starter? it did sit out side and exposed to a little rain for 4 months.. when i put the motor together before putting the heads on i turned it over with my tourqe wrench to make sure it took the amount of tourqe as said in my workbench book.. it was rite on there to... where could i have gone wrong??? i gave up on the thing.. any help would be much appreciated

TravWS6

PS motor is carburated

plumbr

I'd pull all the plugs and try to spin the motor over with a wrench on the crank bolt first. Shouldn't be overly tight or hard to turn over. Possible the bearing clearances are a little to tight. My best guess from here.

Dustin 98TA

Do you have a good spark? Do you have fuel? Do you have good compression? Is the distributor put in correctly with the rotor at #1 while the motor is at TDC?
You need to rule out all the basics first, then we can go from there.

P Mack

iTrader: (6)

The timing can still be right even if the distributor is 180 degrees off. But you said you took it out and turned it over, did you mean you turned it 180 degrees? If it's not the starter and not the distributor you may have flooded it so try opening the choke open while you crank it. If that doesn't work do a compression check like dustin said.

redbandit98

iTrader: (13)

be sure to check your ground connections!! small things are usually the culprit. put a meter on the battery and see what kind of juice your pulling when you try and start it. make sure you got 12 volts on the solenoid.

P Mack

iTrader: (6)

You ever figure this one out? I like to hear how people fix their problems just in case i ever run into the same thing.

TravWS6

hey really sorry guys.. bin real busy.. but ya i did get some time to work on the motor, talked to some friends n a guy said it could be the cam was off when i lined it up with the crank.. so i figured wut else could it be.. so tore the thing apart and it was off a bit.. so i fix that timings lined up perfect this time.. made sure of that.. and tought well its at TDC so better put the distributer in now firing #1 cylinder.. so put that in all properly had all my plugs out then had to set up all my rockers again... well this took me around3-4 hours bye the time i got all the pullys lined up and changed my oil after seeing some water get in thro the head.. well i was all excited when i got it together just before it got dark.. so i jump in the truck.. turn the key.. almost sounded like it wanted to go then cranked a bit longer then BANG! flame thro the carb.... then shot gas out the carb.. so i shut her down and said f**k it.. now im here.. i no for sure theres spark.. or that wouldn't of happend.. yes all my wires or on the rite plugs... now im really stuck... cuz i no everything is lined up.. the only thing that came to mind was maybe i put the rockers to tight?? i also no there is fuel yes.. looked in the carb and opened the throttle.. steady stream.. havent checked compression.. probly do that on monday since i gota go away this weekend.. cuz that would tell me if the valves are opening to soon rite? my battery was little weak front sitting even tho its brand new.. so i charged it the whole time i was workin on the motor.. o ya not to mention it turns over normal now! fixed one problem! haha one more thing i should mention as plumbr said.. i couldn't turn the motor over with my hand when i pulled the plugs,harmonic balencer and timing chain off.. i even had a hard timing just to get it to more with a socket and tourqe wrench didn't think nothin of it.. but i can take a look on the wrench to see how much tourqe it did take.. well if n e no's where else to look for problems please let me no.. thanx for the replys

00Z28Convert

Sounds like you are getting very close - fuel, air & spark are there!
Questions : what is the firing order you are using, and did you double check to make sure the wires are on correct cylinder? Are you using #1 on front, driver's side and then #3 and #5 and #7 going back?
Does this 350 have the old distributor with points in it?

bryan c

This sounds exactly like what happened to me on my last SBC rebuild. My problem ended up being spark plug wires out of order. Triple check that and your distributor installlation.

blue by you

iTrader: (5)

also make sure you have the rotor pointing at number one terminal on the distributor when the #1 piston is at the top of the compression stroke. that could cause your backfire through the carb, if you are 180 off with the distributor. hope you get her running!

Dustin 98TA

If all that checks out, advance the timing, it will backfire if it's retarded.

TravWS6

i no for sure my wires are all on the right plugs.. and yes the distributer is points.. and i also no for sure its lined up with #1 in the distributer with the piston since i put the cam-crank timing then droped the distributer in on #1 and havent touched it since.. i think i might go ahead and try advancing it and retarding it.. simple enough to do that.. wut way is advance ? clockwise? thanx guys

P Mack

iTrader: (6)

I am 99% sure your distributor is 180 degrees off. I did the same thing one time with the fireball through the carb and everything. Remember for every rotation of the cam, the crank goes through two rotations. Rotate the crank 1 full revolution back to top dead center and you will see the distributor only went half a revolution. After that move the rotor back to cylinder 1 and i'll bet it starts. The plug has to fire at compression TDC. Yours fired on the intake stroke TDC which is why the flame came out the intake.

TravWS6

well ya want the good news or bad news first?? k well i did the timing again after lining up the cam with the crank properly and dam almost fired then i relized it bin sittin so i put some fuel in the carb and fired it again she fired up nicly.. ran for about a minute.. then just slowly came to a dead stop.. so i thought ok maybe it ran outa fuel again.. so i turn the key and all u can hear is the starter engage but motor dont turn over.. had my battery charger hooked up the hole time and it turned over healthy when it started the first time.. so its not the battery.. even my gage reads rite... i don't think its the starter cuz its not that old.. but ya never no.. i gone thro a couple starters in a year.. i hope the motor isnt seized or n e thing major.. just when i thought u had everything fixed it had to go and do this great!! i even tried to turn it over from taking the driveshaft out and putting my big cresent wrench on the joint into the transfer case.. in 4th gear.. wut else can i do now???