Boat 302 different firing order?

[joshua]

I’m at top dead center. Just had the timing cover off and was lined up. I bought a duraspark distributor and it’s being shipped. I’m sure I could copy this firing order. But this isn’t normal right? I can’t find this firing order either. The rotor is pointing at the scratched in number one. So I’m assuming the engine builder knew of this.

This is fresh rebuild that I had nothing to do with. I know very little about this engine. What I know is in this post.

https://classicbroncos.com/forums/threads/boat-motor.316757/

 

[Quick & Dirty]

I didn't open the video to see what the marked numbers were, but previous owner may have been a chevy guy, or maybe just made up his own cylinder numbering scheme. Pull the valve covers and rotate by hand while watching the rocker sequence to figure out the cam order.

 

[DirtDonk]

That’s a standard 302 firing order. Pre-H0 5.0 before approximately 81/82 when they changed to the 351 firing order.
You need to remember the rotor turns counterclockwise when the engine crank is turning clockwise. So you were reading it backwards.
The order is 15426378 as noted on the cap.

 

[DirtDonk]

On the other hand, if the rotor is turning clockwise when you turn the crank clockwise, that could indicate that it’s a reverse rotation engine.
If such an animal exists?

 

[pcf_mark]

Take the valve covers off to the be sure. Pull the coil wire and just start at Ford #1 intake opening then keep taping the key and watch for the next intake valve to open on another cylinder. That is the next one in the firing order. After 3 cylinders you will see the pattern your cam has ground into it. Comp Cams did some funky stuff where they used the later firing order on early cams and the cams came with a card letting you know. If it is reverse rotation that will also be obvious. I have seen reverse rotation in boats but never on a small Ford.

 

[joshua]

That’s a standard 302 firing order. Pre-H0 5.0 before approximately 81/82 when they changed to the 351 firing order.
You need to remember the rotor turns counterclockwise when the engine crank is turning clockwise. So you were reading it backwards.
The order is 15426378 as noted on the ca

I thought I may have it backwards. I’m just afraid to turn the motor over until it’s full of oil

 

[Broncobowsher]

A reverse rotation small block ford has a reversed helix on the distributor gear, so the oil pump turns the right way. You can't fit a regular distributor in, gears can't mesh.

 

[jamesroney]

I didn't open the video to see what the marked numbers were, but previous owner may have been a chevy guy, or maybe just made up his own cylinder numbering scheme. Pull the valve covers and rotate by hand while watching the rocker sequence to figure out the cam order.

I trust that you already know that the small block chevy and the ford 302 use EXACTLY the same firing order. Most people think the firing order is different. But it isn't. Just draw it for yourself on paper, and you will see that they are identical. So 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 is identical to 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8. (1R, 1L, 4R, 2R, 2L. 3R, 3L, 4L).

You just have to time the Ford using the right front cylinder...which is named #2 on a Chevy.

You don't have to pull both covers to determine the cam order. It's either (302) 1-5-4... or it's (351) 1-3-7... So you can bring it up on #1, then rotate 90 crankshaft degrees and see if #3 is at TDC compression. So you only need to pull one cover.

But none of that is important here. That mallory distributor cap is labeled 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8. Rotate the crankshaft clockwise on the damper bolt...and watch the distributor. There is a 99% chance that it will turn counter-clockwise.

Then time it like every other non-Windsor small block Ford built from 1962-1985. (Note that this is why I hate it when people call a 302 a Windsor.)

 

[Boss Hugg]

On the other hand, if the rotor is turning clockwise when you turn the crank clockwise, that could indicate that it’s a reverse rotation engine.
If such an animal exists?

I've seen where boats that run dual engines will run one in the opposite direction to balance the torquing as it throttles up. You wouldn't want to turn the boat over when taking off!

I learned this somehow while studying up on dirt tracking. I was noticing that the engine throttling up will lean the car the wrong direction theoretically coming out of the turns. Where you need left rear traction the engine is torquing the chassis and pulling that weight off that corner. So I read thru the rule book again, and AT THE TIME, for the class I was looking into, it said NO REVERSE ROTATION ENGINES. Hmm... Who do we need to name that rule after???

 

[Yeller]

rumor is it came from a track in Wichita, late model guy winning every week needed help rolling his alternator belt on and got figured out, next week in the rule book.

 

[Boss Hugg]

rumor is it came from a track in Wichita, late model guy winning every week needed help rolling his alternator belt on and got figured out, next week in the rule book.

I guess that's what he gets for running an alternator on a race car...?? (yeah, i know, they don't draw enough power to..., but...)

 

[Broncobowsher]

And that's why you run the alternator off the drive shaft...

 

[jamesroney]

And that's why you run the alternator off the drive shaft...

Drive shaft turns backwards too...

 

[DirtDonk]

But then you could just flip it around, swapping it end for end.
Of course mounting it thusly on a bronco would be awkward either way!