Just re-read your post. If engine is honest to goodness backfiring (ie: exploding in the intake), you're definitely a tooth or two too advanced. Before starting proper, I'd drop some light weight oil (like a penetrating oil) into each cylinder through spark plug holes and let it soak where rain water collected. Rings ARE steel against a steel "liner" -- find that a great misnomer after seeing inside of your block. "Liner" makes you think of a sleeve inside a bored cylinder... Did you replace all ignition components? Bill Robertson #5939 >--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "cruznmd" <racuti1@xxxx> wrote: > Ok kids, here's what's happening: > > I bought a big honkin' Optima battery. I discovered my grounds and > battery connections were dirty so I cleaned them up. That got the > starter to engage. Hooked up the alternator belt and the little wire > for the "discharge" light on the dash. Oil, coolant, etc. > > By now, it was getting dark, so I didn't fool with it for long. > > The engine squeaks. It's -bone dry-. I did my best to get the timing > as close as I could, but the car didn't start. It tried once or > twice. I had a helper crank the engine, and I felt it puff a feeble > sort of back fire a couple of times. > > I think it's the timing. I feel very confident that I set the chains, > pistons, and valves correctly. I rotated the engine by hand, and > nothing was interfering. The distributor though... > > Here's what I did: Set piston 1 at TDC. Then I set the rotor in the > distributor in line with electrode #1 in distro cap. I then installed > the distributor and put the cap on, making sure they were still in > line. > > Hm...TDC? It's supposed to be 13 degrees -before- TDC, right? Am I an > entire gear tooth off, or can I adjust 13 degrees with the swing in > the distributor? > > The really good news? The engine isn't pukeing any fluids. > > Come on guys, I'm close. Help me out, I want to go to Pigeon Forge! > > Rich > #5335