by jkr Tue Jan 15, 2013 11:15 am
when he said ford distributor i thought one from chrysler marine. prestolite, they have made there way into street vehicles from marine applications by shoddy mechanics. you want fun some time try to figure why a perfectly running engine won't make your trans move, and your trans was just rebuilt. a chrysler marine engine was swapped into a car, but it was the counter rotating engine that were put into boats.
before you go ANY further;
BE VERY CAREFUL AS THERE IS STILL 3 SHOTS OF FUEL IN THE LINE FROM THE PUMP TO THE CARB IF YOU HAVEN'T PUT IT BACK ON.!!!!
if you haven't pulled the dist just check for the timing marks. remove the #1 plug, move engine to tdc and look at the rotor position. from factory it should point towards the front bolt holding the intake manifold on the DRIVERS side of the engine. DO NOT PANIC IF ITS NOT.
just check where #1 is on the cap and if it is within reach of the contact inside of the cap. if it is your close.
now do what rod said to check play, ANY OLD 318 WILL HAVE LOTS..... but still run.
if its close then your problem is elsewhere, like the points. for the novice and you guys sound like novices to me, Sorry, but old fools like me have done this hundreds of times in a pinch.
take and rotate the engine by hand till the highest part of the distributer cam wheel is against the rubbing block of the points. tear a small piecce off a matchbook or package of smokes and insert it between the fixed side and moving side of the points contacts. there should be a slight amount of pull but should slip out easily and the points should NOT be closed. there needs to be a small gap when its on the highest part of the cam and closed tight when on the flats. thats close enough to get the van to fire if everything is good. coil, wires, cap, rotor, AND MOST IMPORTANT FUEL !!!
find a safe place to burn a shot of whatever the pump is sending and look at the flame. if it flares and burns blue and the only thing left is a carbon stain on the floor you are good. anything else hook up a gallon can in front of the pump and crank it through to the carb. it WILL run, it has to.
the first rule of an internal combustion engine; you need spark (fire) and fuel, the air is already there.
let us know......................... jeff