I have a 1974 cutlass with a 350 rocket engine. It was running and the the engine got painted. Now it's out of time. I've never done that before. Can get some assistance please.

 

Did you pull the distributor? Did you pull the plug wires?

This might help.

 

Yes I did. I bought everything new. I put it at zero on the timing mark and its misfiring and flames coming out the headers.

 

First you need to get #1 at tdc. Wire the firing order as per the picture above. Remember the distributor turns CCW. Then set your timing once the engine starts.

 

Ok thank you.

 

Once you have verified the firing order is correct....With #1 spark plug removed, stick your finger in #1 spark plug hole while someone (or you using a remote start switch) bumps the engine over until it spits your finger out. Now #1 piston is at or about TDC.

Now, look at where the mark is on the crank damper. Should be somewhere where you can see it. Now move the engine(damper, by hand) to line up the mark on the damper with 0* on the timing tab. You are now at top dead center...TDC.

With the distributor cap off the rotor should be pointing towards #1 cylinder and the #1 tower on the cap. If it doesn't its off a tooth or two.

Put it all back together and fire it up. With a timing light, move the distributor (with the engine running) until the mark on the damper lines up with 10 or 12* BTDC on the tab(with the vacuum advance plugged off, no vac leak).

Once the engine is running and timing is adjusted hook the distributor vacuum advance canister back up to the carb base or manifold vac source and adjust the carb air fuel screws.
A vacuum gauge hooked to a manifold vac source will greatly assist you dialing in the A/F mixture. You want to obtain the highest vac reading possible with both the timing and A/F adjustments.

Let us know if this helped.

 

I did that and it still will not fire up. Could there be something else wrong?

 

If its misfiring and shooting flames, its working, just at the wrong time. It also may be 180 out. You can pull the distributor with the rotor pointing at #1, turn the rotor so its pointing to #6 when its reinstalled and try again.

 

"I did that and it still will not fire up. Could there be something else wrong"?

Yes at this point everything's suspect.
Just to confirm, it does crank over ok and fires up correct? Just not firing correctly? Gota be specific online for us to help efficiently
Sounds like the firing order is still incorrect or like Eric said the distributor is not clocked right (180*out).
Recheck the firing order and verify #1 is on TCD with the rotor pointing at #1 cyc.

Questions:
Points distributor or HEI?
Is the distributor sitting flush in the block?
If points is the point gap set correctly?
Spark plug gap set correctly?
Did you save the old parts? If yes, systematically reinstall one at a time. See if it fixes it

By the statement "everythings new", does this include the whole distributor and coil? Or just the consumable parts...cap, rotor, points, plugs, wires, etc?

Verify all grounds are good from the engine to the body and negative cable on the battery to the block?

Flames shooting out of the intake or exhaust is usually a timing problem. Timing setting, cam lobes or bad valves.

Do you have a volt/ohm meter, Timing light, tach/dwell meter(for points), spark tester, and a vacuum gauge?