New engine trouble

[Tahoedawg]

Ok...much ti my dismay I have delicately place a new 302 into the comfortable bonnet of my 77.. I had it running like shit fir a minute. Decided to dbl check the timing. TDC. Check. Distributor pnting at #1. Check. Fuel. Check. Spark. Check.
Nothing...can the harmonic balancer move?... Or can the key slip out?
Thanks

 

[SHX669]

Ah - I think I understand.
Have you checked to see if you have the plug wires installed for/in the correct firing order?
SHX

 

[DJs74]

Ok...much ti my dismay I have delicately place a new 302 into the comfortable bonnet of my 77.. I had it running like shit fir a minute. Decided to dbl check the timing. TDC. Check. Distributor pnting at #1. Check. Fuel. Check. Spark. Check.
Nothing...can the harmonic balancer move?... Or can the key slip out?
Thanks

Just to verify, when you say "Distributor pnting at #1. Check", do you mean rotor button pointing at the #1 spark plug location or do you mean the rotor is underneath of the #1 contact in the distributor cap? Of course, the correct way is the latter.
Some folks may laugh at the question, but I ran into this one time. A guy ask me to help him get his BBF running and he had installed the distributor so that the rotor button was literally pointing at the #1 spark plug because that's what he had always heard to do "point the rotor at #1"

As stated, the harmonic balancer can slip on the rubber spacer and cause false readings when using a timing light - probably not possible for the keyway to come out but I guess it could shear off (unlikely but possible)

Can you offer some specific symptoms you are experiencing with the motor - running like sh*t is pretty broad and difficult to diagnose and offer suggestions

DJs74

 

[AZ73]

Went through this problem a little while ago. There are 2 different firing orders for a 302. 13726548 or 18456273. Figure out which one you have by looking at the valve movements. Then remember that Ford numbers their cylinders 1234 passenger side starting at front, then 5678 drivers side starting at front. Then make sure your wires are set up to go COUNTER clockwise. My new engine was a different firing order from my old one and that solved the problem.

 

[TN1776]

Double check the firing order for sure.
Timing a new engine can be tricky. When I swapped to EFI, I unknowingly had the new distributor stabbed one tooth off. Timing was WAY advanced and I could barely keep it running. Thinking the worst I feared something was wrong with the EFI.
A stranger happened to be walking his dog past, heard it, and immediately diagnosed it as a mis-stabbed distributor. I moved it one tooth over and it fired up and ran perfectly.

But a little more description of "running like shit" would be helpful.

 

[gr8scott]

There are 2 different firing orders for a 302. 13726548 or 18456273.

There's actually three: 15426378

 

[AZ73]

There's actually three: 15426378

Ah yes, that is correct!

 

[Broncobowsher]

Back to two firing orders. The standard 289/302 15426378 and the 351W/5.0 HO 13726548

The third you will never see in a Bronco. You will only find it in older twin engine marine applications. The 18456273 is for reverse rotation marine engines. Pretty rare and pretty worthless unless you happen to have a 40+ year old twin engine boat that needs a reverse rotation engine.

There are also multiple timing pointer locations on a small block ford. I can think of 3 off the top of my head, and probably more than that. Change a damper or a timing cover can mix up the parts and put the timing marks off.

The only sure way I know a small block ford engine is at TDC (and this could be compression or exhaust stroke) is the keyway on the end of the crank is straight up.

 

[Tahoedawg]

BAD ASS!! I did it and it runs great! thanks for the help....Remember Ford 302 goes COUNTER CLOCKWISE....I will post a picture of the motor soon.