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1974 Pontiac Firebird Won't fire up

Tiny
CYCOTICTA
  • MEMBER
  • 1974 PONTIAC FIREBIRD
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 100,000 MILES
Car has been sitting for a while. Ran last year but rear main seal leaked. Pulled enigine out and changed rear main seal. Dropped engine back in and can't get it to fire up. Replaced points distributor to HEI but still won't fire up. Turns over strong, getting strong spark, but I can hear one cylinder popping out the exhaust on the passanger side. Replaced the intake gasket, ran through the timing again, but still no luck. Pulled the valve covers to make sure all the valves where open and closing, and that looked okay also. Plugged up all vaccuum on the carb and intake with plugs, just to make sure I didn't haver a vaccuum leak elsewhere. I'm lost!
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Friday, January 9th, 2009 AT 3:10 PM

5 Replies

Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
Did you put the engine no.1 piston on its compression/TDC before you changed the distributor?
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Friday, January 9th, 2009 AT 3:14 PM
Tiny
CYCOTICTA
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  • 3 POSTS
I did, twice. Pulled No. 1 plug and rotated engine until I felt air being forced out and the piston was at the top of the cylinder. I'm getting a lot of smoke / air coming out of the valve covers when I turn over the engine.
Think it's in the timing? I'm ready to tear the front end off and check the chain and gears. Maybe the chain slipped? Or is it more simple than that?
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Friday, January 9th, 2009 AT 4:17 PM
Tiny
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I did, twice. Pulled No. 1 plug and rotated engine until I felt air being forced out and the piston was at the top of the cylinder.

When you did this where was the ignition rotor pointing at in the distributor
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Saturday, January 10th, 2009 AT 1:16 PM
Tiny
CYCOTICTA
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Towards the rear of the car, at the No. 1 spot on the cap. I pulle dthe timing cover today and notice the timing chain is very loose. Could that have been it?
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Saturday, January 10th, 2009 AT 5:23 PM
Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
Get the timing chain squared away and then get back if it continues
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Saturday, January 10th, 2009 AT 6:13 PM

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