The car in question is a 1972 Oldsmobile 442 Cutlass with an Olds 350 engine. I had just switched out the original four barrel Olds intake to an Edelbrock Performer intake. After putting everything back together, the car will not start. It will crank, but not one time will it sputter. I've checked several spark plugs, which all seem to be sparking just fine. I've tried pouring fuel directly into the carburetor, and still nothing. Anyone have any suggestions on what to try next?

 

Any chance you have the coil wires backwards? Polarity does matter,but it should still run.

Did you remove the distributor or move it? Or mess with the wires at the starter at all?

Look closely at all the things you touched. If it ran before it should run now.

 

Don, the coil was never moved or messed with. The distributor was moved slightly, due to not being tightened down well before, but it was never removed or majorly moved around. No wires were ever messed with, to my knowledge.

 

Do you have voltage to the coil when the key is in the start position? If you don't have a meter you can run a jumper from your battery to the coil and see if it starts.

 

I know I've got voltage, since I have sparks at the plugs.

 

Sorry I missed the spark thing, an engine needs fuel and a properly timed spark. Since you said that nothing was disconnected, but the distributor turned it may be as simple as the timing being off.

 

is it big fat spark or minimal weak thin yellow spark?

I think pouring fuel into the engine ruled out fuel, as I read the above.

That leaves plug wires' order / timing.

Start with finding [10-0 degrees before] TDC #1 compression FOR SURE by the Approved Methods.
Verify that points are just opening [or tooth is just passing sensor if electronic]
Verify that the plug wire is being pointed to by the rotor is routed to #1 front left [driver's]
verify 18436572 COUNTER clockwise around the cap.

 

This afternoon I roughly timed the engine, so it should be relatively close to where it needs to be. The strange thing is that throughout the entire process (cranking 20+ times), I got maybe one light sputter. I know it's getting fuel, I've seen large sparks from multiple spark plugs, so it is getting power. What else could it be missing?

 

Just realized I never posted my solution. It turns out the old carburetor was incompatible with the newer Edelbrock performance intake. It was a stupidly simple matter of grinding a little bit off the top of the intake for the Edelbrock carburetor to fit, and it started right up.