Engine will not start

Sounds like a plan.

I just cannot get over how you just abandoned your baby like that, 'specially when he was sick.

Waiting on you!

The medic

I am ready to put distributor back in. Any advice?

You may need a long screwdriver to tweak the oil pump slot one direction or the other (through the distributor hole) in order to get the distributor to fully drop into place (this may require pulling it out multiple times).

As far as getting it in "textbook", mark the distributor body below where "textbook number one spark plug wire will be (see my picture) mine is in textbook.

While you install it, your engine will be at "TDC", the distributor cap will be off, rotor button will be on! When it finally is in place, the rotor button will point at "the mark" you made on the distributor body.

"zero" will show up twice on a four stroke engine only one of those times will be TDC (top of the compression stroke) the other time will be top of the exhaust stroke (this is 180 degrees away from TDC).

See my pictures.

The medic

I got the distributor put in correctly. It turns over faster but still will not start. I am not sure what to check next. I am leaning towards the timing chain?

Remove the dist cap
Tie/ hang it well out of the way
Crank the engine.
Does it turn?
Does it turn "smoothly" or is it jumpy/ erratic?
Let's get it to slow motion.
Hide your keys/chock your wheels/ go to neutral.
Remove number one spark plug.
Stick it back in , maybe two threads (instead of your thumb).
Rotate the engine with a wrench or ratchet.
Clockwise as viewed from the grill.

When you hear the "hiss" coming by number one plug stop! (a friend may be helpful to hear this at number one (as the other cylinders hiss internally (usually fainter) when you rotate the engine.
Now, we are on compression stroke (coming up)
We are not up yet!
Ever so slowly rotate the engine (clock wise) until your timing mark (line) lines up with zero.
Stop!
I have found that using the starter for the "bumping" usually results in "overrunning" the marks.
Then you mistakenly rotate on around 180 degrees from where you should be (not saying bad things, but if you are new to this, it is an easy mistake!).

Okay, back to our slow-motion.
Now look at the rotor button,
it should be facing the "mark" you put on the distributor,
or which ever tower you chose to be number one (textbook or not).
The engine/cam/crank don't care which one it is.
As long as you were at TDC, you placed number one spark plug wire on "that tower" (the one that rotor is pointing to).
And your 1-5-3-6-2-4 firing order starts there- and runs the sequence clockwise (looking down on the 'stributor cap).
Installing it "textbook" cuts down on confusion later on, as you may have forgotten the "deal"- simply hooking it all up like it shows in the book will make it easier in eight months. (but you have to install it textbook now)

Let me know if you are sure at "TDC" and the rotor is pointing at number one wire.
Continuing to diagnose without the valve train being in time (mechanically) is going to have us chasing our tails forever until we come back to this point.
This is a quick reminder of how this thing works:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y6PS-2j2Ug&feature=related

If you are confident it is right two teaspoons of gas down the carburetor, then attempt a start.
"exactly" what does it do or does not do?
Lets do keep in mind and we are talking not really common, but does happen (as things do to me) Yes, you could have jumped timing (or previous guy installed it all wrong), the harmonic balancer could have slipped (i have post discussing that too). which would put your timing mark in the wrong position to the crankshaft.
But let's stay on the assumption that it did run well was not tinkered with/just has a tuning or bad part. checking the other "wild" stuff would be time consuming right now.

The MEDIC

First of all you are a great help to me, I am a sponge absorbing everything you are telling me! Lol

I am turning the crank with a 1/2" drive socket by hand. I have timing mark lined up at TDC (0) the number one cylinder at compression and distributor number one lined up correctly. I am getting gas also.

It turns over faster than before but still not firing. I am going to double check everything again today. I placed a wire straight from the battery to the coil to ensure twelve volts when I crank it (I have a remote start switch).

One thing I did notice is that with the oil pan off I could see a small part of the timing chain and it had some play in it?

Should I pull the cover and check and make sure it didn't jump timing?

I got small backfire in carburetor today. I have distributor moved one tower clockwise from where number one was.

The timing chain would be pretty involved, even just for a "peek".
Not only that, but your new pan gasket may be ruined (with a "cork and rubber pan gasket" the new timing gasket set comes with two cork tabs to replace the ends of the pan gasket that get ruined when removing/ installing a timing chain cover it also comes with a new front rubber seal) in my first picture you will see the surfaces the gaskets were on.
I do recommend a new chain, only if the other is really noisy (slapping the cover), your front crankshaft seal is leaking terribly or if you are really ready to make the engine better.
However, we do not know how your engine runs/smokes/knocks/bad head gasket/ burnt valves/or is running like a well oiled sewing machine.

My opinion is let's see if it is good enough to spend more money and time on. let's make it do all it will do before we do a timing set.
This link might inspire you, .let's wait a bit.

http://www.2carpros.com/questions/1992-ford-f-150-timing-chain-replacement-kit

I am going to send some pictures (like 3 of 168 took twice as long taking all them pictures)of my new timing set see the slack in the old one vs. The new one
Slack in the chain does sort of makes your zero mark on the timing chain cover be a "tad bit" off, maybe a degree or two, depending on the amount of slack. This is so minor, you need not upset yourself with it. These methods still work with no problem
As far as the back fire.
I guess i should have spoke of this during the distributor drop in (this may make you wanna drop it in again).
Spin the distributor clock wise until it hits. then counter clock wise until it hits.
Then stick it in the middle of the two "stops". Right there is where you want to get the rotor to look at the number one tower.

This will be the starting point, so that you will have plenty of clock wise and counter clock wise movement before it bottoms out.
Once you have found "center", you can "measure" where it is so that you can put it back there after wiggling/ moving the distributor to drop it in, then "measure" it back in (see my last picture).
I also use the "measure method" if i pull the distributor without moving the engine, wherever it stopped, this method saves on finding TDC. I simply mark the position of the rotor button (wherever it is), get the distributor (install the new one) point the button to the mark i made. everything is really close as before. i time it with my light. it may be a "tweak" off from the old setting. if you get messed up find TDC again, do it the like before.

If you are a cog off pull it and re-drop it in.
Final check distributor is centered and the rotor is looking at number one tower (or really close).
Now turn the key to "on" it will not break off, if there is no power to the coil.
Remote start that puppy.
While slowly, slowly turning the whole distributor either direction until it fires off, or really wants to. Most of the time, you can tell which direction is better sounding
Maybe ten to fifteen minutes of trying (do not fry your starter).
If it busts off and run it is time to time it with a light and dwell/tachometer meter and do some carburetor adjustments and some more checking the timing and more carburetor adjustments until it is right.

The MEDIC

I finally got time to work on this again today. I went ahead and changed the timing chain and gears and the cover was cracked. I did the water pump and thermostat and flushed the engine. The timing was lined up perfect but the chain had slack on both sides. It was actually easy! I have the one piece oil pan gasket and it rubber. It was not damaged.

I believe I am really close to get it to fire. I am still working o getting timing.

So I take it you did recheck the compression stroke, eased the timing mark on around to zero on the scale?
You are on true "TDC"?
Now you have dropped the distributor in so that it points to textbook number one position (it has dropped completely down against the block, as you have tweaked the oil pump slot to match the distributor? The wires are on in clock wise sequence?
Everybody is in position now it is ready to try it again.
Two teaspoons of gas down the carburetor, crank on it, twist the "barely tight" distributor by hand a little clock wise or counter clock wise until it runs. Tweak a bit more to get it to run better.
Let me know if we get to this point, I will review timing and carburetor adjustments, and curb idle.

The MEDIC

Any news?

The MEDIC

I got it cranking better but have not got spark. I am working on it again in the morning.

Maybe we did not cover this part very well.

See my answer in this post.

http://www.2carpros.com/questions/1987-ford-e-series-van-losing-spark-after-20-min-run-time-doesn-t-sputter-just

Pictures were taken at Advance Auto Parts.

THE MEDIC