trying to start after finishing head gasket job, just put in dist. and went to start and backfires over and over, is the dist in wrong?, the plug wires are correct according to diagram, i really wasn't sure which way to put it, I am so ready to hear it run again, please help

 

So did you just ram the distributor in, hoping it would be right? You need to do that properly, it sounds like your timing is off. Get a friend to put his finger on the #1 hole, and turn it over with a wrench on the crank. When you just stop hearing it hiss, thats tdc. Now install the rotor with it pointing to #1. Very simple. Then once installed correctly, leave the bolt a little loose so you can turn the distributor. Have someone crank it over as you slowly move the distributor around until it fires. Now go rent or borrow a timing gun. Clockwise advances the timing, counterclockwise retards it. If it is hard to trun over, meaning it sounds like the starter is really labouring, you need to advance it.

 

You were exactly right, I just dropped it in. I found #1 TDC like you said but when I put it in it seemed to be pointing to #2, when I tried to start it, it did same thing, so I put wires on so #2 was #1 and did the rest with that orientation and it almost sounds like it will start. My fuel pump is also running alot and I can hear it in the fuel rails. Does that need to 'refill' after being apart? I haven't been able to try too much battery is dying and the charger gives me enough for about 15 seconds. So, did I screw up on the dizzy again and is there a fuel issue?