Is the engine turning over any faster than prior to the Head R&R? Check your compression. If you have fuel and spark is triggering at the right time the only thing missing is compression. Are you 100% sure that you arent 180 degrees out on the distributor? Very common and easy mistake to make. Gotta remember that the #1 piston is up twice in the cycle and both times that nifty crank pulley timing mark will be pointing at Zero...Compression and top of exhuast stroke.

~Darin <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/baby.gif" alt="" />

Darin meant to divide that into two causes.

If no compression, cam is outta time with crank.

If distrib is 180 out, you would still have great compression, but no spark at correct instant.

And to make matters more confusing, it's possible to have both the cam and distrib out of time..... then, you would have no compression and also no spark at correct instant.

Set crank pulley notch at 0 (TDC) and see if the front cylinder valves are shut and the rocker arms loose enuff to rattle when you wiggle then up n down....if not, then turn crank one full revolution till pulley notch is once again at 0 (TDC), then wiggle the rocker arms for the front cylinder again.

If they are now loose, then pull the distributor cap and see if rotor is pointing at Number One on the cap.

If rotor is not pointing at #1, pull distrib and reinstall so that it is, then fire it up once you reinstall the valve cover.

If you can't rattle the front cylinder valve rockers no matter how many times you go around to 0 (TDC), then your cam and chain are not installed properly....and if that's the case you may have bent some valves attempting to start it.....If valves are bent, you won't get compression even if the cam timing is later corrected.

Hang in there....leave claw marks before you give up.

hey, i checked it out,,,,,the #1 piston was always up and the degree mark was always right on... as for the head and crank beeing off together.. i didnt move it from previous runs.... i didnt pull the timing either, just let it sit in there on the guides an it never moved.. it was a bitc& to put on but i got it.... but nothing moved from before... maybe my torque is wrong... i read 53-69 is that right? i didn then at 65.... does that sound decent???? someone said 80, thats making me wonder... well im not sure. its trouble shooting i hate doing.. thanks for the relpies..... keep em kumin...... thanks

80 ft/lbs is for ARP studs, not stock head bolts. Bolts are much less.

So....you never turned the crank or rotated the cam, and the cam chain and upper sprocket rested on the chain guides while you replaced the head gasket.....Then all you did was pick up on the cam sprocket and pry it back in place on the end of the cam, right?

Then unless you let a little slack get in the chain down on the crank gear and then it skipped, it would onlt be maybe one or two links off. But let's say it didn't skip even one tooth and it is installed correctly.....then you only need to check that the distrib is installed correctly and plug wires are run right.

If you have a timing light, hook it to any plug wire and see if it lights when you crank it over. If it doesn't, you ain't getting any spark to the plugs, so timing is a secondary issue. Check that first, then we can finish beating this to death. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Hope you don't need to drive it to work in the morning. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif" alt="" />

thanks,, i checked more into it and the chain has allloottttt of slop in it..... im wondering if it skiped another time or something.... but im going to replace it..... but i dunno.. all this for overheating..... damn...it sux alot... get this....___ i can put a wrench on the crank and spin it about 1 inch b4 the cam turns...... doesnt that sound fishy to you???? so i have to take that new hg off that i just put on and get a new one correct.? never been started. but i think i should bc its been smashed already,.,,,,,, well tomorrow ill start the destruction of timing....thanks

Hang on a minute.....Calm down or you'll get yer panties all sucked up in yer crack. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

If you turn the crank(lower pulley backwards and then forwards, there will be lots of slop and the crank will turn before the cam moves.

Turn the crank in normal direction of rotation one full rev and then stop as it hits 0 (TDC), DON'T go past it and then back it up....now see if your #1 valves are shut and the cam lobes are pointing down....If not, go around one more time and slowly sneak up on the mark like the first time....once again, don't go past it and back up.

Normal direction of crank rotation is clockwise if you are looking at the pulley while standing in front of it.

Turning the crank in that direction pulls down on the timing chain driver's side and makes it tight there....all slack is then on the passenger side where the tensioner is located....so if you were to then turn the crank backwards, the passenger side would tighten and collapse the tensioner before the cam sprocket would turn....and all slack would be then on the drivers side....and then if you turned the crank back the other direction, once again, it would move before the cam gear because of the slack being taken back from the driver's side.

So do like I described above and see if the valves are in correct time.....and shine a flash light down in the chain space and make sure things look ok down there.

hey there. yeah everything looks good timing wise, but te tensioner on the pass. side doesnt even touch the chain..... i dont want to take off the head again either. has anyone replaced the timing w/o taking the head off,,,,???? would this be a good cause of it not starting??? im going to put in a new dampner and see if it takes up the slop... im taking it down right now to see if an ne thing is wrong on the bottom..... thanks.. i have a feeling we'll get this going... then ill owe you some---------> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

You gotta get in there fersure if tensioner isn't touching chain.

You can replace chain and all that without pulling the head.

4Crawler and others have great tech write-ups on their sites that will walk you thru it.

Might wanna go ahead and get one of EB's chain sets and a new oil pump first.

alright dude.. im in there and i moved the crank by hand about .5 inch and the tensioner just calapsted.... i think it maybe bad..... ummmmm.. im checking the chain out right now.. but id like to get by with the cheapest ever.... bc only 3 more months left on this motor,,,,, but thanks for the extra links man you are awsome......

ok cheech.. i got it all done... everything works great.. but. yes there is a but....... it was leaking oil fron front gasket,.,,,,, i took it back off to put form-a-gasket on there and fixed it.. then another one.,... this gasket sux ass.... but its all said and done....works great,,,, as for over heating dont know yet. itll drive prob tomorrow......