carrie72

I have a 1971 Cutlass with a 350 that the previous owner converted over to an HEI. I did a tune up on it yesterday and unfortunately the parts store gave me the wrong distributor cap so I had to take mine off and bring it to them. I had marked the wires after pulling them off the cap. Long story short, tape fell off the wires, we replaced the plugs and wires and placed them in the new cap every way we possibly could as listed on the internet and the car will not start. Worked on it for 12 hrs yesterday and still nothing. I really need to know what I may have done wrong and what I can do to fix it. The car ran fine before this, it just really needed a tune up. I replaced valve cover gaskets, wires, plugs, cap and rotor. Used the same coil on the distributor as it was fine. Someone please help. The car has to run because my boys have to drive it to school.

JohnnyBs68S

I'd start by rotating the crankshaft until cyl #1 is at TDC on the compression stroke (s/b at 0-deg on the timing indicator on the balancer). Then pull the distributor cap and note where the rotor is pointing, that would be where cyl #1's plug wire goes. Then install the remaining wires according to the firing order.

carrie72

Thank you Johnny but I don't have a timing light, will have to do it the old fasion way and pull the plug I guess. My son's and I tried this last night but we still couldn't get it to fire. I know something has to be screwed up with the firing order because the car was just fine other than having a miss which is why I changed everything and it needed it badly. So other than pulling number 1 and sticking our finger in the whole that's all we know we can do but it didn't work last night.....

MDchanic

You don't need a timing light.

Just turn the engine (use the fan belt, with two hands, if necessary) until the line on the balancer points to the "0."
The rotor will be pointing to either the #6 or the #1 cylinder. Almost definitely, the #1 will be forward but a bit toward the driver's side, and the #6 will be rearward but a bit toward the passenger side. If you want to use the finger in the hole technique, that's fine, too.

Then attach the plug wires in the order that is cast into the top of the intake manifold, after the cast-in words "FIRING ORDER." Each cylinder is numbered on the intake manifold as well, but they start with #1 at the front on the driver's side, then #2 on the passenger side, then #3 behind #1, etc.

Remember to put them in the right order going in a counterclockwise direction.

The car should start right up.

And next time, a white or silver paint marker can be used to number the wire boots and the cap towers, and the marks will stay legible for years if you don't mess with them too many times.

- Eric

Troys Toy 70

Another thing you might check if Eric's proceedure does not work, check to make sure you have power to the coil and you have spark. If it has been converted to HEI, how is it wired in? Moving it around may have been just enough to break a connection.

Seff

If Eric's method doesn't work, rotate the cables 180 degrees - meaning that the
#1 cable goes where the #6 was, etc. The crank turns, the timing mark hits 0, and the #1 piston hits TDC twice during one rotation of the camshaft and ignition - the compression stroke, and the exhaust stroke.

Sugar Bear

X2...the tabs can be bent over when reconnecting the plugs on the side of the distributor cap.

Did you re-install the spring loaded carbon button under the coil and tighten the rotor?

rjohnson442

Did you re-install the spring loaded carbon button under the coil
X2
Also is the cap all the way on? it has a small tab to seat it all the way down correctly.

captjim

I can't believe that you, of all people, wrote that! LOL

MDchanic

Well, the previous owner could have started with #1 anywhere, but he probably didn't, because most people are just not that creative.

- Eric

Lars

Verify you have spark to the plug, "hold on to it when cranking the motor" or something safer