Hello, just recently put in a new distributor because my control switch on the ignition coil wasn't grounding. Now that I'm getting proper ground and spark to all my plugs I still can't get the truck to start. I found TopDeadCenter and aligned the harmonic balancer accordingly but it still won't start. I get a small rev in the engine while turning it over but than quickly does off. Any suggestions, please ?

 

Hi Tony,
Don't know if you lined up the TDC on the pulley with #1 cyl actually being at the top of the compression stroke.. You need to have both in the right place so when you drop in the dist and having the rotor pointing to the #1 tower on the dist cap.

Could you tell us just how you installed the dist , it might save us some time,thanks.

 

I pulled the distributor after marking the old one to find keep it in close to the original. After I pulled the distributor, I cranked the engine over using the starter and my finger in the number 1 spark plug to get close to TDC. After I felt the pressure of the piston I turned the harmonic balancer a few degrees to get it to 10°. After that I set the rotor to the number one spark plug on the cap and stabbed it in. The truck will give a quick sputter upon cranking and then die. Hope this gives a little more info.

 

Thank you for your description, it sounds like you did everything right as long as you did not have to rotate the engine backwards to place it at the right spot..

I will usually set the TDC mark at the pointer and place the coil wire that goes to the dist cap close to a ground (1/4 in) then with the key on, rotate the dist base in the normal direction of rotation about an inch or two,then when I rotate it in the reverse direction I should get a spark from that coil wire, at that point lock the dist in that position and when you check it with a timing light you will find it is set exactly at TDC. You can unplug the spout connector, and set the 10 degree setting once you know it runs fine.

If all that is good and we still have the problem, it is time to look for a possible fuel problem.

 

I did rotate the balancer counter clockwise to get the timing on the correct degree mark.

 

If the dist is one tooth off, the truck will run but never be right.

Everything must be done in the normal direction of rotation and if we pass the TDC mark , cannot back up. Need to go another 2 revolutions to make sure there is no backward slop from timing chain. That is how it gets one tooth off.

Hang in there , you will get it straightened out.