starting engine to set timing???

ok i started my engine for the first time lastnight and only ran it for about 20sec about 3 times well i got a new timing light today and went to start it got it to run about 2 mins then cut it off cus i was having something smoke was just the headers but pull the plugs and they were saturated like with left over fuel... now i cant get my engine to run longer than a couple seconds can anyone tell me what to do is it like the timing being out 180 degrees cus it was backfiring alot too??

 

Loosen the distributor, turn it one way, see if that helps, if not try the other way. That'll tell you if it's way out..not big turns, maybe a 1/8th of a turn.
If you had the engine apart, there's a good chance that it's 180 out.

 

ok im going to try that 1/8th turn either way how do i check if its 180 out???

 

tryed turning it an 1/8th and no difference i turned the engine over till my tdc mark on the crank lined up and i then took the dist cap off and its 180 from the number one spark plug do i just remove the dest and replace it at number 1????

 

Yeah, get it over to number 1. I think you are indeed 180 off.

 

ok turned it and set it to number 1 started and ran for about 4 mins temp got up to 140 then it choked itself out like it was to rich and now its flooded so that would be just the carb being to rich right??? how would i go by doing this is this by just adjusting the floats?????

 

Close the mixture screws.(turn em in gently till they stop)Back em out 1 and 1/2 turns.This is a base line setting for your carb and should help you out as far as running is concerned.Check the choke and be certain it isnt hanging shut.Even cold the choke plate shouild be open a bit...say 3/32" to 1/8" between the choke plate and the carb horn, at the front edge it seals to when fully closed. If fuel is just poring out of the carb into the engine, you probably have a float stuck or crud between the needle/seat. Good luck.

 

ok i can try that too i know i might be asking a bunch of dumb questions just never have done this and kind of doing this all myself... i know that the guy who had the car before me said that the car the floats set screws were stuck and he replaced them before i got the car so it would run

 

reset the mixture screws and now it backfires thur the carb with a big spray of fuel so lost

 

Not sure what carb you have, but tap it firmly against both front and rear ends with the handle end of a large screwdriver. If you have a stuck float or needle, that may free it up.

But, regardless, still sounds like you have the distributor off by 180 degrees.

When it ran, did it run smooth, or was it loping like it had a huge cam? If loping, and popping, it is off on the distributor timing.

I did it once where it ran smooth, but every 10-15 seconds I would get a loud POP! It was still just the distributor off by a couple teeth.

 

yea i flipped the dist and set the screws like and finally got it start and it revd up to 2500 and smoke was coming out of my valve cover breather tube so i killed it and tryed to start it after turning done both the idler screw and the choke and now it wont start

 

Is this a fresh engine??? What exactly did you have apart on this thing. Sounds like the float/floats are set too low allowing too much fuel into the bowls and flooding the carb. Some smoke out of the breather is normal on an old engine. As for the reving up to 2K...Choke is working? If so fast idle is high,and needs to be turned down to 15 to 1700 RPM. OR you cranked up the curb idle too much, or you have a big vacuum leak somewhere... Also...Did you do anything to the valvetrain on the engine?? IE: Adjust or loosen/re-adjust the rocker arms at all???

 

i replaced the head gaskets and the intake manifold. put a new double roller timing chain and fallowed what the instructions along with what a buddy of mine who has worked on ford motors all his life. all the pistons and bottom end are stock and never touched like when i get it running i see something wrong and turn it off then i cant get it refired again. idk how to check for a vacuum leak everything has either a new hose or a cap on it ive let it sit for the past 30mins cus i flooded it.

 

One of the things thats happening when you fire it up and then shut it down right away is, you are loading the spark plugs with gas. This will make it hard to start the next time around...Especially if its in rapid sucession. Are your valves adjusted properly??? It this a stock 72 302??? If so, the rockers are a positive stop designe.(no adjustment) you turn the nuts till they stop then torque em to 20 to 35 Lbs ft and thats it, their adjusted. If your timeing is dead on this is the only thing I can think of that will cause your (popping/backfire) other than too much fuel going in the engine. Unless you have a burnt/sticking valve.What kind of carb are you running on this engine??? Edelbrock/Holley???

 

ok well its a stock 302 from 72, the buddy of mine that i talked about before, told me to torque them down and then back them off 3/4 of a turn and thats what he has done fore many years and all of his engines. so im guessing thats wrong from what your saying?. i can understand that when i turn it off and then try to start it 5 mins later would be tough on it and yes i think theres too much gas going in. im running a holley 80453 which ive been told that its an economic carb from like 80s mustangs so theres alot of extra stuff on there which just makes its more confusing.