haulnazz15
Captain
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2009
- Messages
- 3,720
Re: 1971 ford inboard starting and backfiring problem
The rotor can be pointing anywhere when you installed the distributor as long as the points match up with the #1 cylinder. This isn't specific to Fords I don't believe. The distributor has no way of knowing what cylinder is where, so you just have to give it a starting point and arrange your wires accordingly. It sounds like you have that figured out, but the only thing you left out is whether or not you verified that you are on the compression stroke and not the exhaust stroke. Being 180-degree out (on the exhaust stroke) will cause backfiring as well. Just put your finger over the spark plug hole while rotating the engine by hand so see what stroke you are on.
The float sticking open is the only reason for all of the gas that I can think of, and the #4 cylinder may just be the easiest way for the gas to flow out of the intake manifold due to the angle the engine sits in the boat.
The rotor can be pointing anywhere when you installed the distributor as long as the points match up with the #1 cylinder. This isn't specific to Fords I don't believe. The distributor has no way of knowing what cylinder is where, so you just have to give it a starting point and arrange your wires accordingly. It sounds like you have that figured out, but the only thing you left out is whether or not you verified that you are on the compression stroke and not the exhaust stroke. Being 180-degree out (on the exhaust stroke) will cause backfiring as well. Just put your finger over the spark plug hole while rotating the engine by hand so see what stroke you are on.
The float sticking open is the only reason for all of the gas that I can think of, and the #4 cylinder may just be the easiest way for the gas to flow out of the intake manifold due to the angle the engine sits in the boat.