I bought an MSD Super HEI kit from jegs and installed it according to the instructions. Seem to be getting spark, very nice spark, but the engine won't fire, i put it in at top dead center just as it was taken out, it backfired a few times out the carb and now it's not firing at all. Am i skipping something completely obvious or what? it ran great before with the accel hei coil. One of my friends suggested the spark plug gap, i checked all the wired and they're setup exactly as the wiring diagram shows.

 

Sounds like your dist is in 180° out...

There are 2 instances of #1 TDC in one complete engine cycle, which is 2 crank revolutions. One of them is #1 firing. The other is #1 exhaust valve just closing and intake valve just opening, and #6 firing.

Find #1 firing by removing the #1 spark plug and bumping the engine with the starter until you hear compression coming out #1, then bump it slowly until the timing mark is up. I'll bet you'll find that your rotor is pointing at #6 plug wire at that point. You'll need to lift the dist back up enough for it to clear the gear, turn the shaft exactly 180° from where it will be, and drop it back in.

 

like i said, i installed it exactly as i took it out, rotor is in the same place, tried flippin it 180 degrees, put it in just about every position it could go in, thats why i posted...

 

Are you sure you have the wires on right? Not starting on the wrong terminal or anything?

 

yea, #1 is pointing toward #1, followed firing order clockwise...

 

If you are running a Vacuum advance ,in cap coil HEI and you are using the ignition module with the MSD then that may be your problem. Msd ignition boxes wont work with most non stock modules , you have to remove the module and run the purple and green wires right to the pick-up. They only plug in one way. It should be in your instructions.

 

http://msdignition.com/pdf/pdf13.pdf



Download for the directions I was talking about.

 

w

 

no, i'm running the whole msd hei kit, external coil adapter, blaster 2, 6AL, no module...i think it's either the plug gap is incorrect or a faulty connection to the dist from the coil...will check this evening...
thanks for your help