Try this...find approximate compression stroke TDC on #1 cyl. Look to see where the rotor is pointing and mark that one on the cap as #1. Then double check all your spark plug wires to fire in order of 18436572 (front to rear: Right bank 2-4-6-8, left bank 1-3-5-7). But remember that the 331 dizzy runs COUNTERCLOCKWISE. no telling why the car was parked or what anybody has done to try to get it started in the last many years...
DAMN $500 for the rebuild that sounds good. I wish i could get my 331 rebuilt for that much. I got quoted about close to $4000 for mine. Shit i am going to just drop in a 350/350 combo and later i am going to put the 331 back in. Laterz 54Caddy
I already looked into a SBC for mine and it is a lot harder then you would think. There is a company that for 500 bucks will sell you the mounts and the new oil pan for a 472 or a 500 and it bolts right in. The rebuild is assuming you are rebuilding it yourself.
Could be a stuck float on the carb....guy at the piston and paint car show was trying to start his 51 Chevy...and all it was doing was blowing black smoke and kinda semi back firing...told him to get a BFH and smack the carb..actually just use the wooden part and unstuck the float and the car fired right up..sometimes it's the simple things.
I am hoping that it is that simple. It is not blowing any black smoke and when I hold my hand over the exhaust, I can feel the exhaust but, my hand does not stink like raw fuel or anything....
I'm with MBL. I just went through the same problem about 2 months ago. 331 Hemi, sat for a "few" years. Threw in a battery, turned over fine. Backfired through exhaust. Checked/replaced everything electrical. Took off valve covers, three stuck valves, three collapsed lifters. Removed heads, did valve job. Put back together and it runs fine. Beleive me and MBL, pull the covers. It's an easy way to tell if something is seriously wrong. Good luck, Flatheaded
OK.. The rockers are rocking and everything is sparking. Now, something I didn't notice before... When I pored fuel down the Carb, I noticed it was leaking pretty bad. Goven this fact, the carb is probably leaking all over the place and I am thinking that the engine is simply flooding itself out. Next step... Carb rebuild. Now, I have rebuilt rochester 4 barrerls before so I wouldn't think this one should be any harder....
But I thought you didn't smell any fuel after cranking on it for a while, doesn't sound like flooding. It probably could use a carb rebuild anyway, but I don't think that's your non-starting problem. I would drop a few dollars on a new set of plugs and double check the timing. Keep us updated.
Well, there are a few things... 1: I decided to try to "keep it simple stupid" and went ahead and checked the plug wires to make sure that they were in the correct order. They weren't so I fixed that. Still not starting. I hand cranked the engine to top dead center on the #2 piston and opened up the dist cap. Everything appeared to be in order. Still not starting. I have decided to throw in the towel and install the 472.
If you have gas, compression, and fire...and the timing's right..it should fire. Have you noted the direction of the rotor's rotation? If you decide not to go with the 331...let us know. The Degenerators might be able to find a use for it. Tim MBL
The rotor is moving in a clockwise rotation. While I agree with you 100% that I should be getting it started, it simply is not happening. Once I yank the engine, I will let everyone know about it. You are only 5 hours away from me.....
Also in addition, while cranking it for 30 seconds or so, it starts to slow WAY down like the battery is fading. I let it sit for 10 seconds and try again and it turns strong. I am thinking that maybe it is somehow building up too much pressure and doing a type of "hydrolock" kind of thing? Hell, I dunno. Either way, I am pretty much finished with it. I sent an email to http://www.cad500parts.com/ to see what kind of a conversion kit they have for the 472 to go into my car...
Well if you got the rotation wrong..then you still have the wires out of whack. Double check this...I have made the mistake at some point. Tim MBL
Its sooooo easy to get an engine wired "180 out" ,,confusing for some too mind you !. What happens is basically this . You have the wires in all the right places , on all the right plugs BUT your engine is trying to fire its cylinders on its exhaust stroke instead of its compression stroke. REMEMBER , the plug is supposed to ignite the mixture of gas and air as the piston approaches the top of its stroke WITH BOTH VALVES CLOSED!. You can check for this by simply watching your rocker arms move. When BOTH rockers are NOT raised by the pushrods and there is NO pressure being exerted on BOTH valve springs of number one cylinder,,THAT number one cylinder is coming UP on its compression stroke and is ready to fire. The other way to check to be sure the piston is on its compression stroke is to put your thumb over the number one spark plug hole ( thats OVER not IN) and have your buddy bump the starter in short bursts. when you feel the air pressure against your thunb and see the timing mark getting close ,,thats compression. If you should think you are 180 out just do this for simplicity sake roll the engine over slowly til yout timing marks line up dead on. Now lift your distributor and turn the rotor to exactly across from where it was like <<<<< it was here ,,,,now its >>>>> here . 180 degrees away. Now see if it fires and runs . A four stroke engine only has its power stroke every second time the piston comes up. thats why ya gotta know which of the two up strokes is the one for power .
OK... I really love you guys.. Keeping me motivated to get this POS running. I really hate to put in a 472 beacuse that means I gotta drill holes and I really want to NOT cut this car up too much. I will try to get Uncle Jack to come help me with it. He is old school. Hell, it is probably something stupid like a loose wire or something....
Good man... don't give up on it. If it's spinning and the valvetrain is working, she should run. My vote is still for new spark plugs and and rechecking the timing.
Just wanted to post this one more time, no reason you can't have that timed up nice in a half an hour. Try this...find approximate compression stroke TDC on #1 cyl. Look to see where the rotor is pointing and mark that one on the cap as #1. Then double check all your spark plug wires to fire in order of 18436572 (front to rear: Right bank 2-4-6-8, left bank 1-3-5-7). But remember that the 331 dizzy runs COUNTERCLOCKWISE.
LOL, reminds me of a 32 Pontiac with 6 cyl I had years ago... cleaned it up, turned over strong, wouldn't start -- I had the plug wires in reverse order... I thought the distributor turned the other way!! Check the firing order and the rotation of the distributor.
Woah... Wait... I thought it was right/left from looking into the engine bay from the front bumper (meaning right = drivers side)
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