I was trying to get the engine started up tonight, so I could get it broken in, but wasn't having any luck, even if I put a little fuel in the carb. Only tried that once, early on.

My Holley street fuel pump wasn't putting out any fuel, so I swapped a stock fuel pump on, and it was really flowing. Not sure what was up with the Holley, because the connections were on right. Arm was same length. Maybe it needed a taller eccentric. I don't know.

While I was cranking it with the stock fuel pump on, I noticed it was really pumping the fuel to the carb, because I have a see-through filter right by the carb. As soon as I saw it was building too much pressure and spraying fuel around the filter, a big tower of flame shot out of the carb and caught the rear passenger side of the engine on fire. Lucky me, I was able to get the gas can away before it caught up.

A: Why would it build up so much pressure at the carb with a stock fuel pump, especially on a 750 Edelbrock Performer? It would squirt fuel into the venturis (?) when you worked the throttle, but otherwise it looked like no gas was flowing into the carb.

B: Why would fire shoot up out of the carb?

C: How exactly do I set timing? I was pretty sure I understood, but I want someone to give me a step-by-step for the whole process, with every little detail described, because I'm guessing I have it set wrong, hence the fire-from-the-carb issue. I'm looking for 42 degrees total timing, 16 degrees initial, 26 centrifugal. This is with a 512 lift, 280 Isky cam.


Someone help me out, this has seriously got me bummed out.

http://carbdford.com/viewtopic.php?t=5543 might help ya out on the timing dont know about the fuel pressure good luck
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66 289 mild port work edelbrook 600 cfm proformer intake msd/duraspark long tube headers roller tip rockers crane cam flowmasters 3.55 gears b&m transpack

if you are running duraspark this is a good link http://www.reincarnation-automotive.com/Duraspark_distributor_recurve_instructions_index.html
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66 289 mild port work edelbrook 600 cfm proformer intake msd/duraspark long tube headers roller tip rockers crane cam flowmasters 3.55 gears b&m transpack

I've read both of those articles. My distributor is set to use the 13 slot, to give 26 degrees total centrifugal advance.

And what I need to know about the timing is where I physically set the crankshaft, how to install the distributor, where everything needs to point, etc. For some reason, I can't find anything that tells exactly what to do. Just how to advance your timing, how to set vacuum timing, etc. Nothing on just intalling the distributor to get the correct initial timing. Not even the Haynes manual. Or at least in there it isn't clear.

Whatever. This car hates me.

then when you clear your head,
i had to correct firing order on a mustang years ago after purchase.
i tried starting and got flames out carb too.
first, find TDC for #1 cylinder. (both valves should be closed position and piston at top of cylinder)
i pulled #1 spark plug
disconnect lead from coil to distibutor so it wont fire!
put my thumb over spark plug hole,
had a friend crank engine until pressure blew my thumb off.
checked rotor positon on dist. cap where it should be to fire #1 cylinder.
it was off by 180°.
removed dist. and rotated it so rotor would be in correct position to fire and close enough to set timing.

installed plug, attached spark plug wire, reconnected the coil lead, installed dist. cap and turned it over.

it started, ran and timed it with timing light.
hope this helps
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This Ain't No L-Kamino!

quote:

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Originally posted by Rylic:
And what I need to know about the timing is where I physically set the crankshaft, how to install the distributor, where everything needs to point, etc. For some reason, I can't find anything that tells exactly what to do. Just how to advance your timing, how to set vacuum timing, etc. Nothing on just intalling the distributor to get the correct initial timing. Not even the Haynes manual. Or at least in there it isn't clear.

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The problem is that all I have is a Haynes manual that's for a 1979 Ford Econoline van, and I'm using a 302 so I use it for my motor information, and I'm using whatever I can find on the internet. I don't have a shop manual to look in. The information I'm finding isn't being clear enough for someone who's never had to set the timing before without having marks on the distributor and block as to where to put it back. From what I read in the Haynes manual, I couldn't tell if you put it at TDC, insert the distributor and line up the rotor with the #1 wire, if you get to TDC and then rotate it to the degree of advance you want, then insert the distributor and line up the rotor with the #1 wire, or what. As I said, I haven't found a detailed step-by-step that explains it for someone who hasn't done it before.

Last edited by Rylic on Tue May 30, 2006 8:52 pm; edited 1 time in total

kyles step by step should work.
in any case, you will have to find TDC on comp. stroke.
and install dist so that the rotor will rotate to poiint to #1 position on dist. cap.

haynes manuals are okay. but invest in a ford shop manual.
$40 thru any major mustang supplier/ebay. 67 mustang manuals have falcon, mustang and fairlanes. 200/289/390 engines. its all in there.

maybe someone else has some input?
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This Ain't No L-Kamino!

Well according to everything I checked (#1 cylinder blowing air out through the spark plug hole, both valves closed), my timing marks should be accurate, which means that my timing should be set close enough to start, unless it's not advanced enough, which would put it back where I had it to begin with.

I have checked, and I am getting spark, but the car will not start, and it looked like it was still backfiring through the carburetor. Also, I think the electric choke assembly must have gotten to hot, because it was open, and would not spring back closed, which I thought it would do when the engine was off.

Is this the first fire up of this `engine?
if you have found TDC on compression stroke ,as above, & its back fireing like crazy you may want to check the biggest mistake we all made on initial fire up.
your rockers are all out of wack, probably to tight, so it doesn;t matter if you have the timing perfect she will back fire & blow out the carb.
Re-check your rocker arm sequence, sounds like this to me.
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roger powell

Yes, it's the first start-up, but as far as the rockers, the guy who put the motor together builds motors for a living, and I figured he would have had that stuff right. I suppose I could take a look at them, but at the same time, I'm not sure if I feel comfortable adjusting them.

Ok, just trying it again tonight, I tried retarding and advancing the distributor to see if it helped or not. I didn't have the fuel pump hose running into the gas can, because I wasn't sure if I was going to get flames out of the carb and exhaust manifolds or not, but there was some gas left in the carb bowls.

So when I retarded the distributor, the carb would backfire or whatever every time (I guess) a plug would fire. It would blow air out of the top of the carb and make kind of a popping noise. No fire though. I would assume because of the lack of fuel other than what was in the bowls.

When I advanced the distributor, depending on how far, it would either just backfire through the carb every once in a while, or if I went farther, it would just shoot a flame out of one of the exhaust manifolds. I assume that means I'm heading in the right direction, only maybe a little too far.

Mind you, I still did not get it to start, because I want to make sure I'm not going to blow up the gas can when I try it again.

Anyone?

not sure what you're doing, maybe you should contact the guy who assembled this engine and consult him for start up procedures. it still sounds like you need to remove distributor and re confirm it fiting to #1 (whether advanced or retarded) to get it to run up to 2000 rpm for 20 minutes.
dont take this the wrong way, i hope you have an extinguisher at hand when trying to start this engine.
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This Ain't No L-Kamino!

I don't have an extinguisher yet, that's why I hadn't ran the fuel hose back into the gas can yet.

I think I may just need to advance the timing more than where I originally had it. I guess once it stops backfiring through the carb, I'll know it's close to where it needs to be, and I can get gas pumping into it again to see if it will start.

I did verify that it was at TDC on the compression stroke, and it was pointing to the #1 cylinder.

One of my cousin's friends races drag cars and build them/has an auto repair shop, and I'm going to see if I can get him to come over and look at it, but in the mean time I'm going to see if I can figure it out by myself.

keep us posted, i'm curious about this one.
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This Ain't No L-Kamino!