I replaced all this stuff in my 85' 2.8 V6 and now the engine won't start. I pretty sure I'm wiring the distributor correctly, I went by the diagram in the Mitchel Manual. I make a quick sketch of what I'm going off in the manual. Is this correct? When I try to start it, it has all the symptoms of the wrong cylinders firing: puttering, backfiring. I don't know where to start.

 

i could be wrong on this, but i don't recall the 2.8 ever having number 1 on the right side. i have seen the book be wrong on thing like that too many times, check the numbers on the intake.

 

It's on the left side though, look at the pic. The intake has this information on it? Where exactly?

 

the pic is showing the motor from the front of the car, so it seems like number 1 is on the left side in the pic, but with that motor in a car, it would have number 1 on the right side of the motor, when ever someone talks about the left side of anything on a car, they are talking about the driver's side of the car.

not all intakes have the cylinder numbers on them, but if the intake has the cylinder numbers on it, they will be right above the valve covers on the intake runners, its been a while sence the last time i worked on a 2.8, so im not sure it will have them.

 

Ok, I'll take a look in the morning and get back.

 

No such luck. My battery is almost dead from craking it so much trying to get it to start. Anyone have a difinitive way to wire up the distributor?

 

shift your wires one post over counter clockwise.

 

Nope. I ended up calling a tech out to help me with it. He was stumped for about half an hour before unplugging the mass air flow. Started right up. He said the mass air flow was letting it go though the backfires and not letting it start. Thanks for the help, tough, guys.