HELP! My truck won’t start!

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Truck82

Truck82

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So… my truck won’t start. I did a tune up today (cap, rotor, spark plugs. Didn’t mess with the carburetor because it won’t start) put everything back together and it doesn’t want to fire. Cranks over and back fires through the carburetor but won’t start up. I am not experienced in troubleshooting and know nothing about electrical issues. Any help, advice, or possibilities would be greatly appreciated!
 
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First is you did put the/a rotor back on before the cap (I've done it plenty of times)?

Second I would inspect the connections at the cap. I've had trouble before with them pushing the terminals either out of the plug or up into the cap and not making connection or an intermittent connection.

Carbon button in place under the coil?

I assume it was running before the tuneup?
 
Truck82

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The truck ran great before the tune up.

Yes the rotor was put on before the cap.
(I’m going to assume I put it on correctly)

Carbon button? Not sure what this is, I’ll be honest. Is the picture attached the carbon button? If so, yes it’s in but if its installed correctly I don’t know.

I will check the connections and make sure the spark plug wires are in the right order (for the 10th time)

Honestly I’m kind of mad about the whole thing. I was being cheap and bought the cheapest parts I could find. When they showed up in the mail they looked like toys and not something I would want on my truck. So maybe it’s the parts just not working? Sorry to drag you into my personal problems :D

Thanks for the tips

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Truck82

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Dmack said:
Double check your firing order. Make sure you didn't switch some wires or move the whole set over a terminal.
Click to expand...
I’m thinking I might have moved them over a terminal. Is there any way I can check which one the no. 1 cylinder should be on without removing the valve cover to look at when the valves are closed?
 
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Pull the cylinder 1 plug, put your thumb over the hole and bump it over until the compression bumps your thumb off. Should be #1 coming up on the compression stroke. Look at your timing mark and see if it is close to tdc. If you are off a terminal on the cap, that would put the mark 45 degrees off TDC instead.
 
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Another option is to turn it over until the timing mark is at tdc. Pull the cap and the rotor should point to either #1 or 180 degrees off. If not, you are off.
 
Truck82

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I though I’d give y’all an update. I had the no. 1 spark plug in the wrong place and so obviously every other one was out of place making it not run. My problem is that I’m still 180 out even with the rotor in the right place. I’ve doubled checked everything and it’s all correct. I’ve just decided I’m fine with that as it is running great and I’ll just have to time it off the companion cylinder.
Thank you everyone for the help!
 
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??
 
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Truck82 said:
I though I’d give y’all an update. I had the no. 1 spark plug in the wrong place and so obviously every other one was out of place making it not run. My problem is that I’m still 180 out even with the rotor in the right place. I’ve doubled checked everything and it’s all correct. I’ve just decided I’m fine with that as it is running great and I’ll just have to time it off the companion cylinder.
Thank you everyone for the help!
Click to expand...

There is no rule the says the rotor HAS to be physically pointed at the #1 plug - it is common practice and not a bad idea but as long as the rotor is pointing at the wire connected to the #1 plug when the #1 piston is at top of the compression stroke (and all the subsequent wires are in the right sequence), it will run just fine and do no harm. You can still time off the #1 cylinder because its still firing at the correct moment. The relationship of the rotor to the wires is what matters, not the absolute physical position of the rotor.

I always label my cap and wires with where they are going before disassembly, and then mark the new ones before reassembly (if the pre-existing labels are gone) so I don't make that mistake. Had a friend get a couple reversed on an engine a couple years ago and when it tried to run it apparently blew the head gasket from the fire happening at the wrong part of the stroke.
 
Truck82

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YakkoWarner said:
There is no rule the says the rotor HAS to be physically pointed at the #1 plug - it is common practice and not a bad idea but as long as the rotor is pointing at the wire connected to the #1 plug when the #1 piston is at top of the compression stroke (and all the subsequent wires are in the right sequence), it will run just fine and do no harm. You can still time off the #1 cylinder because its still firing at the correct moment. The relationship of the rotor to the wires is what matters, not the absolute physical position of the rotor.

I always label my cap and wires with where they are going before disassembly, and then mark the new ones before reassembly (if the pre-existing labels are gone) so I don't make that mistake. Had a friend get a couple reversed on an engine a couple years ago and when it tried to run it apparently blew the head gasket from the fire happening at the wrong part of the stroke.
Click to expand...
Right now I have the rotor pointing at the no. 8 cylinder and have the no. 1 plug wire in that position. My problem is that I’m still 180 out and having to time it off of the no. 4 spark plug wire. Why am I 180 out when the rotor points at the no. 1 plug wire at TDC compression AND when it’s at TDC exhaust? No matter what, I’m always 180 out. I’ve gotten so frustrated at cranking that thing over by hand and repositioning the distributor so many times that I’ll just have to leave it 180 out and time off of the no. 4.
 
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Truck82 said:
Right now I have the rotor pointing at the no. 8 cylinder and have the no. 1 plug wire in that position. My problem is that I’m still 180 out and having to time it off of the no. 4 spark plug wire. Why am I 180 out when the rotor points at the no. 1 plug wire at TDC compression AND when it’s at TDC exhaust? No matter what, I’m always 180 out. I’ve gotten so frustrated at cranking that thing over by hand and repositioning the distributor so many times that I’ll just have to leave it 180 out and time off of the no. 4.
Click to expand...

You got me on that one. As long as the rotor is pointing at the right wire it will run just fine however. I wouldn't re-stab a distributor either in that case, just label the cap and wires appropriate and let it ride.
 
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Truck82 said:
Right now I have the rotor pointing at the no. 8 cylinder and have the no. 1 plug wire in that position. My problem is that I’m still 180 out and having to time it off of the no. 4 spark plug wire. Why am I 180 out when the rotor points at the no. 1 plug wire at TDC compression AND when it’s at TDC exhaust? No matter what, I’m always 180 out. I’ve gotten so frustrated at cranking that thing over by hand and repositioning the distributor so many times that I’ll just have to leave it 180 out and time off of the no. 4.
Click to expand...
Posted below.
 
Last edited:
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Cam and distributor turn at 1/2 crank speed,so rotor will be 180 out every other revolution.
 
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It doesn't matter where the dizzy is inserted, as long as the rotor is pointed at the wire going to #1, as said.
I don't think you "get it". Now the way a Chevy 350 works, #1 and #6 are "companion cylinders". This means that they, and only they, will be at TDC when the crank timing marks are lined up, be it compression/fire, or exhaust. No other cylinders have this ability with the timing marks. So, if you are timing it on #6, is just fine.
If you are limiting it on #4, as you say, then you don't know where #4 is, or your balancer has slipped on the rubber. When setting timing on old,dirty, rusty engines I have used the coil wire for the inductive pickup on a timing light, for the extra flashes and light. But it is hard on timing light bulbs.
 
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