ok, my friend has a 92 camaro, 305 TBI. he bought it really cheap with a broken crank and hes paying me to put a 350 TBI out of a 95 truck in it just to sell it. I have everything put together but i cant get the the SOB started. it wants to fire but it backfires through the intake, and if i turn the distributer some it backfires through the exhaust. I thought the cam might be 180 out or soemthing, but not sure. I found TDC on #1, and lined up the dots on the timing chain where they faced eachother, and set the rotor bug facing #1 cyllinder (as far as i could tell) I check the wires several times to make sure they were in the right order. theres compression, gas, and ignition seems ot be working properly. I'm also not sure of the proper way to set the dist with the rotor bug facing the #1 cyl. I'm not used to messing with the distributers and stuff, i usually stick with 4th gens and the optisparks. please help me with any suggestions/ideas i can try, or sometihng that i mesed up on. i need to get this car out of my garage! thanks
Chad

 

When the timing gear dots are facing each other, you're in #6 firing position.

Put the distributor in 180 degrees from where it is, should fire up. Or, to be sure, disconnect the power to the coil, take out #1 spark plug. Bring the engine around so the timing mark is approaching TDC while holding a finger over #1 spark plug hole. As it comes to TDC for #1, there should be pressure on the spark plug hole. As it comes to TDC for #6, there should not be any pressure on the #1 spark plug hole. Then install the distributor with the rotor facing the #1 spark plug wire tower.

 

hmmm, i guess i had it backwards then! I thought that when the dots faced eachother, it was TDC, compression sttroke on number 1. thanks for the info, hope it works!

Chad

 

Actually, the engine should be at TDC on #1 when the timing "dots" are at 12 o'clock and 12 o'clock, but installing a timing chain that way invites misalignment. Its generally easier to install at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock to assure alignment and proper timing, then roll the engine to install the distributor as necessary.

If the engine has been backfiring and afterfiring, you may want to remove and check the spark plugs for fuel contamination. If the plugs are wet, it isn't going to start easily regardless of the timing.

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5-7,

Are you sleeping with your fire extinguisher? Hope everything is clear around your location.

 

learn from my mistakes, turned the rotor 180 degs and it started right up (DUH). Thanks for your help and info fellas

Chad

 

The fireline is 12 miles from work, I live another 8 miles away. The smoke was the worst Sunday, still pretty bad Monday for the solar eclipse, but fairly clear today. The wind is blowing straight up the range, so the new smoke is not blowing over us.

A mere 87,000 acres, or 127 square miles so far...

 

That's all? Heck, I used to have to mow that much every week, with a reel-type push mower, uphill in every direction...plus trimming.

Wow! Keep your eyes open for wind shifts. We'd hate to see you have to relocate suddenly. I wish you'd get some of this excess rain that we've been having. WE don't need it but it would probably help you out a bunch.

 

And I covered that much ground walking to school every day when I was a kid, uphill both ways...

We're keeping an eye on things. Wind did shift, now smokey again. Gotta have something to keep life interesting, right?

Oh, Chad, glad you got it running...

 

I thought that you were 180 degrees out!