1977 new Carb/Intake, won’t start

[chewymangoes]

Hi all! Thanks for reading my thread.
I am the proud owner of a 1977 Tbird with a 351w. I recently decided that the factory 2-barrel carb just wasn’t doing it for me, so I went for a Weiand Stealth intake and a 600 CFM Holley Street Warrior carb. I removed original intake/carb, cleaned gasket surfaces, put RTV all over the little squiggly guys that the intake sits on between the two heads and replaced intake gaskets, put everything back together with no serious holdups. I filled up float bowls, got gas going thru the carb, double and triple checked everything in my ignition, and I’m having a crank no start condition. I have spark, I can see fuel being shot down into intake when pumping gas pedal, and I’m 99% sure all my timing/ignition is set up correctly. When I crank without pumping gas, it just cleanly and continuously cranks with no signs of starting. When I pump the gas while cranking, it begins to get harder to crank and backfires gas and fireballs out the carb. I’ve tried everything I know and it’s all to no avail. I’m stumped.
Perhaps one of you guys may have some insight or wisdom on this problem? I’m fairly inexperienced. Thank you!

 

[chewymangoes]

Hi all! Thanks for reading my thread.
I am the proud owner of a 1977 Tbird with a 351w. I recently decided that the factory 2-barrel carb just wasn’t doing it for me, so I went for a Weiand Stealth intake and a 600 CFM Holley Street Warrior carb. I removed original intake/carb, cleaned gasket surfaces, put RTV all over the little squiggly guys that the intake sits on between the two heads and replaced intake gaskets, put everything back together with no serious holdups. I filled up float bowls, got gas going thru the carb, double and triple checked everything in my ignition, and I’m having a crank no start condition. I have spark, I can see fuel being shot down into intake when pumping gas pedal, and I’m 99% sure all my timing/ignition is set up correctly. When I crank without pumping gas, it just cleanly and continuously cranks with no signs of starting. When I pump the gas while cranking, it begins to get harder to crank and backfires gas and fireballs out the carb. I’ve tried everything I know and it’s all to no avail. I’m stumped.
Perhaps one of you guys may have some insight or wisdom on this problem? I’m fairly inexperienced. Thank you!

Also I believe this engine has some sort of performance cam in it.

 

[ak7an]

Did you have to remove the distributor to do the change? If so, it sounds like you might have a timing issue. If you can see the accelerator pump squirt fuel the you know the carb has fuel in it, and if you know that the spark plugs are firing, then it has to be a timing issue. Find the TDC mark on the vibration damper and bring it up even with the timing indicator, pop the top off of the distributor and the rotor should be indexed to the #1 cylinder plug wire. if not you need to pull the distributor out and set it so it is indexed to the #1 cylinder plug wire. Then set the timing back to factory specs with a timing light.
Hope this helps
Ed

 

[chewymangoes]

Did you have to remove the distributor to do the change? If so, it sounds like you might have a timing issue. If you can see the accelerator pump squirt fuel the you know the carb has fuel in it, and if you know that the spark plugs are firing, then it has to be a timing issue. Find the TDC mark on the vibration damper and bring it up even with the timing indicator, pop the top off of the distributor and the rotor should be indexed to the #1 cylinder plug wire. if not you need to pull the distributor out and set it so it is indexed to the #1 cylinder plug wire. Then set the timing back to factory specs with a timing light.
Hope this helps
Ed

Yes! Thank you! After further research, I found that I had set my timing with cylinder one at TDC like I was supposed to, but on the exhaust stroke instead of the compression stroke, so everything was 180 off. A quick flip of the distributor and I was running.