Swapped my intake, carb and distributor on my 84 307 and I've been messing with the timing trying to get it to run, started with 0 advance, tried around 10, and around 20. Definitely not 180 off on TDC as I had the intake off amd could see enough of the valves to know it was on compression. Bottle feeding the carb and I I'll get spits and shudders and an occasional fire out the carb. Hasn't run yet. I've advanced and retarded it by twisting it forward and back.
I'm going to put a new fuel pump on and have that feed the carb next just to make starting it easier. Any ideas to try out today would be appreciated

 

First ensure the engine is at TDC. Stuff something in #1 spark plug hole and rotate the engine until it blows out - I use a wine cork.
Once you have that, ensure the distributor is stabbed correctly so the rotor is pointing at #1 plug wire terminal. Due to the angle of the gear it will rotate when dropping it in, so you have to compensate.

 

it was on compression and I definitely had it pointed at the number 1. Rechecked it each time I went to advance it.

 

Have you tried giving it a snort of ether yet?

 

With the timing anywhere close, the engine should fire and run.

Replacing the fuel pump won’t help.

 

What brand "HEI" did you install" ? Have you tried your old distributor ?

 

Were the plug wires removed? If yes, was firing order/wire install done taking into account Olds CCW distributor rotation?

The valves on #1 were completely closed and the valves were teetering open/close on # 6?

 

Sounds as if you're getting spark and fuel based on fireballs.

Based on your description, it sounds like you might be a tooth or two out based on the spitting and coughing, or a couple of wires are swapped if it's not 180 out as you say. Assuming it's sputtering no matter where you put the distributor? Just my opinion. No video, no pictures, nothing for us to go on except a sentence.

My advice is to STOP. I know it sounds basic, but find TDC on the compression stroke again on #1. Don't guess. Sometimes it helps to double-check your work. Take #1 plug out and make sure you're on the compression stroke while manually turning or bumping the engine over (may take a helper). Set timing mark to TDC from there, check distributor rotor position, and set it back to pointing at or near #1 cylinder if needed. Install cap, make sure you get the wires on the proper terminals for the firing order CCW, and go from there. Unless you have bent or burnt valves, the engine should try to fire up and run.

I'd still set the plug gap at around 0.045" or thereabouts. You don't need 0.060," or even the recommended 0.080" as you may see on the emissions label. The car will run just fine with 0.045" and not overtax the ignition module. That huge gap was really done more for emissions on the lean-burn CCC stuff, and assuming this swap was done to get off the computer.

 

Rather than eyeballing the valves with the intake off, why not verify TDC on compression with the plug out? Sorry, but we're not there to see exactly what you have been doing and there have been FAR too many threads like this where the OP comes back later and after swearing up and down that the distributor is in right, sheepishly admits that the distributor was actually 180 out.

 

So the issue wasn't the timing, or being 180 off, turns out when my buddy got his grubby hands in there he neglected to tell me he didnt have as much experience with these as he said, and put the cap on without matching up the tabs, basically he put the cap on crooked one time, the motor spun over, wrecked my rotor, and he later fixed it and said nothing. I spent 2 days double checking, re doing. Getting it perfect until I finally saw the metal tab on the rotor was bent straight up, I had a backup, put that on, and she fired up and ran perfectly. Thank all of you that gave me suggestions, I appreciate the help this community has given me. Little by little I'm going grey now, but the cars looking younger by the day

 

Glad you got it figured out.

 

95% of the time, it's the simple **** that wrecks your day. Glad it got sorted out. Oh, and don't let your friend work on your car anymore.

 

He's a diesel mechanic and swapped to newer cars, turbos and tuning basically. Anything pre 90s and hes apparently ***** so yea. I'll stuck with my buddy who raced modified dirt track cars and has built 100 small blocks from here on out