Hot Rods 303 Oldsmobile not firing

with firing order 18736542, it doesn't start.
with 18436572 it at least kicks and blows fire out the carbs.
#1 plus off, finger over hole, found mark on the dizzy.
tested the mallory, I see a spark when I pull a wire
dizzy runs counter clockwise.

 

18736542 is correct firing order, there is some misinformation online.
Mark on dizzy? You mean the rotor is pointed to spark plug #1?

 

It just doesn't want to fire.

 

One tooth off at the distributor can cause that.

 

@skooch has the correct firing order.

Take it apart and start over from scratch.

 

18736542 is the correct firing order. Do you have a timing pointer on the crank pulley? If you do, bring #1 up on compression and align the timing pointer. The rotor should be pointing to #1 terminal in the distributor cap. Now turn the distributor clockwise until the points close. Then move it counterclockwise until the points just open and lock it down. If the rotor is still pointing at the #1 terminal, your timing will be close enough to start the engine.

 

You can use a test light to determine when the points just open. With the ignition on, connect the test light to the distributor side of the coil and to ground. When the points are closed, the light will be out. The instant the points open, the light will come on. That's where you want to set the distributor.

 

I'll give it a try tomorrow, thanks.

 

If all the above suggestions don’t work, these engines were famous for the timing chains stretching and jumping a tooth or two.

 

What's a dizzy. I'm 80, and not up on all this new lingo.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dizzy,_Miss_Lizzy

Seems to be a popular shortened term for distributor, mainly used by south of the equator British colonists.

 

looks like it's been sitting a while
does the valve train look like it's behaving itself when cranking with the covers off?
does it have reasonable cranking compression?
is there evidence of fuel delivery?

 

I suspect to be absolutely certain of TDC marked on the pulley you could do the piston stop method and mark the pulley at CW and CCW stops then divide in half to see if the pointer lines up with the new center mark. I have seen them be off fwiw.

 

Or I could just jam a screwdriver in the spark hole slowly turning it over and see exactly where TDC is and compare it to the pointer. I did mark it when I ***embled it but we shall see.

 

tdc on compression stroke right?
not just tdc checked with screw driver in plug hole which of course could be 180° off timing and still line up with tdc mark.

 

yep, the kaboom part of the stroke, thank you.

 

Connected 2 batteries and shoved 24 volts down it's throat!

https://youtube.com/shorts/-qFJ2lO4Wb

 

Congrats.

 

I believe it originated in a large country claiming to be a Continent where they should have kept it to themselves……

 

I really need to stop hanging out with my Kiwi buddy!