I have a small block 350 with a Holley 600 cfm carb and an Accel HEI distributor/super coil.

We fired up my car for the first time on an engine swap and set the timing while running at 0 degrees on the timing tab. The motor seemed to run fine enough to take it around the block for a test. Things went great.

However, it was late so we called it a night. Now today, the car will absolutely not start. The only thing I can get is the car to turn over (barely) and then it immediately backfires (very badly). Nothing has changed since last night when I shut it off and it was at least working well enough to move the car. Now nothing...

Does anyone have any idea where I can start? I can only assume this is a timing issue.

Any ideas anyone???

 

backfiring usually means it's retarted too much on the timing. just time it again and try it out. besides you want much more timing than 0 degrees. you realistically want 34-36 degrees at 3000 RPM or so.

 

That is true. We were just trying to get the car started so we could time it. I was going to time it today in the light but now the car won't start at all.

Do you suggest to just keep rotating the distributor until I can fire it up? I have tried this and so far have succeeded in only creating harsher backfires.

 

i usually set the timing after the heads being off or after a cam swap by getting top dead center(as determined by the valve timing events) and putting the dist in at this point. then i make sure to turn the crank to 12 degrees( or what ever you run inital timing at) on the timing tab and put the #1 cylinder plug wire on the dist at exactly the point the rotor is pointing at. i use this method to eliminate the task of trying to figure where the time should be set when you are trying to break in a cam. it is not an absolute way to set time, but it will get you somewhere near where you are wanting to go. after you have broken in the cam then go back and use a timing light to set the time properly.i hope this info helps you.