I will try to be brief, but include details. I started with a used 1976 marine 455 w/ K heads. It was fairly fresh with rebuilt valves & stamped steel rockers. It was bored .030 oversize, it had a steel double roller chain. I decided to change the cam to a 1970 W-30 from Supercars Unlimited. I cleaned everything up, installed the new cam & lifters, assembled it and swapped it into my 1973 Cutlass. The build includes a Holley intake, Q-jet, HEI & Hooker headers.

It will crank, but not start. Here is what I checked as functioning. 12 volts to dist. current to plugs, dist dropped at 0 TDC on #1 to #1 terminal. This was done many times to exhaustion. Fuel was verified. Compression test showed all cyl's within range except #7. 85 lbs.

I pulled the covers and tested lifter pre-load according to crane method. .060" I then tested the valve timing per 1970 fact man. (cam is 1970 grind) The results comparing #4 to #1 cyl show only .004" diff when book says .2100" is indicated. I am confident that I aligned the sprockets per manual. Before I pull this all out, what else can I do? Thanks, Ed
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Engines need three things to run. Air, fuel, and spark. So are you getting fuel and spark? Do you have 12v at the coil during cranking.

 

Got spark ?
Firing order 18436572
Distributor turns ccw

 

Probably a stupid question, but are you sure #1 was at TCD compression? If you're getting fuel and spark, this is the only thing I can think of other than cam alignment.

 

Has nothing to do with it starting but eventually you'll have to address the 85# in one hole. Everything else has been covered.

 

IF - your cam is lined up with 0 marks on timing chain gear

IF - you really stabbed the distributor at TDC (not exhaust stroke)

IF - you have 12V at the coil and it is properly grounded

IF - you have the plug wires in the correct order 18436572

IF - when you have the engine at TDC the rotor in the distributor is pointing directly at the #1 Cylinder plug wire terminal in the distributor cap

THEN - turn your distributor clockwise in 1/4" increments. I have never been able to crank one of these engines at ZERO advance. And I always get them started after two or three tries by advancing the distributor.

 

Any progress-
As AH Pilot says -Timing may be flat- have someone turn dist. back and forth while cranking.
It should cough or spit or something when cranking(the carb) if you have spark and fuel, even if your way off on timing.
Keep us posted

 

We may have a one post wonder on our hands...I haven't seen the OP back on since his original question. Hope he got it worked out...

 

Or - he feel's stupid finding the distributer 180 off!
Something we've all done.

 

First; ah64pilot; Thank you for your service to our Country and the checklist. This is my hobby- relief valve for the rest of my world. I had hoped to have the whole swap done & running over the 4th. I took 6 days to spend in the shop. I met my goal- except the bitter ending with no start. I am stepping back and taking opinions and going to go through it until I succeed. My business consumes massive amounts of time and am going to be very limited after my up coming surgery. I will post the results when as they develop. Regards, Ed