1977 CJ 5 won't start.

[Big Jon]

Good evening,
Ok here is my problem. 3 Weeks ago I took my distributor out to check it. I marked it and put it back. Now it won’t start. I have tried everything I know. I took it TDC made sure it was pointing at #1 or at least close to it. It turns over just fine, sometimes it back fires through the carb and sometimes out the exhaust. Thanks for the help.

 

[LongHorn]

Good evening,
Ok here is my problem. 3 Weeks ago I took my distributor out to check it. I marked it and put it back. Now it won’t start. I have tried everything I know. I took it TDC made sure it was pointing at #1 or at least close to it. It turns over just fine, sometimes it back fires through the carb and sometimes out the exhaust. Thanks for the help.

Defiantly sounds like a timing issue.
Have you tried have someone rotate the distributor a little at a time, while you try & crank it.
Check your firing order if you took your wires off.
I've even seen people get the cap on 180 degrees off.

 

[csuengr]

Sounds like the timing is 180 degrees out. The best way to determine TDC on #1 is the finger covering the spark plug hole, as you turn the engine over with a wrench.

 

[JR74CJ5]

Defiantly sounds like a timing issue.
Have you tried have someone rotate the distributor a little at a time, while you try & crank it.
Check your firing order if you took your wires off.
I've even seen people get the cap on 180 degrees off.

I've put the cap on 180 before, and mixed up not just the firing order (had that right actually) but which cylinder was #1 and so on... Thinking of a Ford motor working on a chevy (or vise versa...)

Even did it on a 4cyl forklift... Not sure how i managed to get the wires crossed, but took me 5 HR's to figure it out...

Happens to the best of us...


~ JR