rebuilt 5.7 won't start

[Halstead666]

Recently rebuild engine (rebored block, new pistons/rings, new heads) and at initial start up got a lot of kick back/backfire in carb but no start. Discovered my distributor/rotor was not in correct position....redid per the owners manual for a disturbed engine...TDC on #1, positioned rotor to #1 on cap moved 1/8th counterclockwise which put it on #2 .....etc.. When starting it feels better and seems to almost fire up completely but just doesn't get there. Engine rotates fine, compression was checked all 8 were pretty much 165 or better, old gas was drained/new marine gas was added to tank, getting good spark, tested batteries (6 yrs old) and each was getting 12 v but tested border line weak on the load test. Any suggestions?

 

[NHGuy]

What year, drive, ignition? Serial #?.
Recheck top dead center, get a puff of air from #1 hole as the mark on your balancer comes to tdc. That's where to put the #1 distributor cap tower, then a couple of degrees counter clockwise. (Remember the distributor goes half the speed of the crank)
Install your plugs, recheck your wires, hook up the muffs, give it a squirt of fuel. Turn the key it will start.
Then depending on your ignition system we can tell you how to time it.

 

[Halstead666]

1995, Alpha drive, thunderbolt 5 , serial number 0f774712. I've check TDC 3 times .....hand cranked till #1 it has a puff of air (tissue pluged in hole shots out) then I continue till the TDC scale is aligned with timing cover notch

 

[Bt Doctur]

(tissue pluged in hole shots out) then I continue till the TDC scale is aligned with timing cover notch
Close but no cigar. You need to establish TDC compression using the piston. the harmoninc balancer can shift and not have the line in the correct spot.

 

[Halstead666]

ok....so what should I do to establish TDC?

 

[Bt Doctur]

A piston stop tool but this works too.
find the compression stroke then CAREFULLY using a plastic straw in the spark plug hole turn the motor by tapping the slave relay untill you "feel" the straw at its highest point. dont worry if it just go down a tad , that just means you a bit past TDC.The line on the balancer should be lined up or just past the indicator , if not paint a temporary whit line for initial timing purposes.Install the dist with the rotor pointing to #1 in the cap.
rotor turns CW ,install the plug wires 1,8,4,3,6,5,7,2

 

[Halstead666]

ok I finally got it.....turns out I was on TDC and aligned with the zero mark on the scale found on the balancer. I could not do the straw method as I was alone and the plug holes are turned down so I used a ballon trick by removing the valve on my compression tester tube and placing a ballon on the other end where the compression guage would normal go......with it inserted in #1 as it hit the compression stroke the ballon blew up and stopped at TDC just when It started to deflate.....seems like most of the problem was getting the distributor/rotor in the correct spot to hit #1 plug on the cap............after several attempts I did it and now the engine starts right up......also did the timing and I was only a couple degrees off from where it needed to be. Thanks for all the input......

 

[NHGuy]

I knew it! Good!