Hi all. Finished building my 455" and am having timing issues! Used a Howard roller 4/7 swap camshaft/Howard alum billet roller rockers/Cloyes kit, hardened pushrods, etc. Set the cam timing straight up. (the cam is 4 degrees advanced from the factory). D.U.I vacuum secondary distributor. Doesn't want to start but fires and sounds like running on 5-6 cylinders. Barfs through the Quickfuel 880 carb. can't adjust the distributor much because the vacuum pot hits the firewall. Can I jump the distributor a tooth one way or the other or does it sound like a cam timing problem. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Many thanks in advance. Bill. wfg4u2aol.com/ or here.

 

Have to ask, are the plug wires right with the 4/7 swapped?

 

That's not what straight up means. If you didn't actually degree it then you don't know where it is.
I had a cam years ago that was 12* retarded even though it supposedly had 4* advance "ground in".
You can realign your distributor but also check your firing order as per Gene.

 

You can jump the distributor over a tooth to start... that's not uncommon.

 

Are you using the terminal that the rotor is pointing at as your #1?

 

Thanks for the replies. I went through it again today and pulled all plugs, pulled distributor, checked all wires and timing!! And WALA!!! It shook the garage!!!! I think I have a distributor cap that is a seriously tight fit. I had to tap it into place today to get it seated. I think it made the difference. Thanks again for your knowledge and responses. Bill.