1977 280z starting problem

[Grungnak]

Ok I've got another problem, I pulled my 280z motor and replaced the head gasket, and put it all back together, without moving the timing at all, and now I've got the engine back in the car and she wont doesn't want to fire at all. I can make the engine backfire but not start. It's really bugging me why I can't seem to get the car running perfectly. on a side note the engine ran rough before i pulled it to replace the head gasket.

[Pomorza]

Ok I've got another problem, I pulled my 280z motor and replaced the head gasket, and put it all back together, without moving the timing at all, and now I've got the engine back in the car and she wont doesn't want to fire at all. I can make the engine backfire but not start. It's really bugging me why I can't seem to get the car running perfectly. on a side note the engine ran rough before i pulled it to replace the head gasket.

Did you pull the distributor when you were rebuilding?

Jan

[Grungnak]

When I had the engine apart I cleaned the timing chain cover that has the distributor on it and I think I've found the problem, I believe the Distributor is 180 degrees off and I can't just turn the rotor to get it right because it wont lock down with it being any amount off. I'm wondering if I've got to take the pully and the timing chain cover back off to spin it around to set it right. I also tried moving the plug wires to where they should be to fire and I get a gnarly backfire, sounds like a shotgun going off, but it's going out the exhaust. I'm not exactly sure why.

[sblake01]

You don't have to remove the cover. You'll have to set the engine at TDC, remove the oil pump and position the distributor drive so that distributor is in the right position.