Firing order HELP

[orttauq]

Boat is a 1976 American Boat Company Eagle. HIN says it was delivered with a 351W-233 Mercruiser. Motor has for sure been removed and serviced before I got it.
It now has an aftermarket Edlebrock intake manifold that is stamped Performer 351W, I have installed a new Edlebrock Marine carb and new Pertronix dist. I can't get it to start after the distributor and wires install.
Looking down on distributor it rotates CCW
Looking at crank pulley (facing aft) it rotates CW
I have a picture of the old distributor that has cyl 1 marked that lines up with rotor at TDC ( I confirmed this both before and after replacement). I did not, however, note the wires going to the cylinders since I have both the service manuals and Google.
I have found 3 firing orders for this motor:
13726548 listed as marine LH Standard Rotation
18456273 listed as marine RH Counter Rotation
(These are what are in the Mecruiser service manuals)
and I found 15426378 some 60-70s Fords.
With 13726548 I get backfiring and nothing close to a start
With 18456273 it almost starts but then will fire back up carb.
I have not tried 15426378 since it is not listed as marine applications.
In the picture I can only trace what bank the wires head to: Cyl 1 is marked and the next wire goes to the opposite bank so this indicates 1 then 8 not 1 then 3 BUT then the 3rd wire goes to same bank as 2nd wire...not matching either marine firing order.
2nd and 3rd wires go to the same bank but no firing order matches that.

I am lost on this

 

[orttauq]

Some more of what I have looked at:
#1 first wire is marked and goes to left bank based on picture orientation
Second wire goes to right bank
3rd goes to right
4th left
5th right
6th left
7th left
8th right
With 1-4 on left and 5-8 on right not one of these orders will match up.

 

[Scott Danforth]

First, make sure the dizzy is stabbed correctly

1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8

 

[orttauq]

Here is a picture I found of a 77 American with 351W. Looks fairly original. Although I can't for sure know which is #1 I marked it based on the routing on my boat of 1L-2R-3R-4L-5R-6L-7L-8R

 

[Scott Danforth]

See the first line of post #3

 

[orttauq]

First, make sure the dizzy is stabbed correctly

1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8

Yep! That was to original wiring that does not even come close to starting. Also that order does not match the picture I took of my engine.
1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 would mean 1 goes left, 3 goes left, 7 goes right but as can be seen in the pic it is L-R-R....
I know and understand trying to sort this based on what way the wires go from the distributor is odd but that is all I have right now.
1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 it does NOT run.

 

[orttauq]

I have confirmed TDC. I marked #1 wire before disassembly.
Looking at the picture 1st and 2nd wires are clearly are not on the same bank but 1-3 are.

 

[kenny nunez]

Rotation is determined from the flywheel forward. Not the front. 1-4 starboard side 5-8 port side.
The picture you posted has the star on #2 wire. Counting clockwise from the star which is on #2 wire it is 7,3 then the #1
The firing order that Scott posted is correct.

 

[Bondo]

I have confirmed TDC. I marked #1 wire before disassembly.
Looking at the picture 1st and 2nd wires are clearly are not on the same bank but 1-3 are.

Ayuh,..... It's the rotor button that determines #1, not the plug wires,....

 

[orttauq]

Okay but in the pic of my boat (yellow wires) #1 is marked with the white grease pencil. Next wire is #3 that is on the same bank as #1 but you can see the wires go to opposite banks.
Maybe that is my whole issue...that mark is 180 off. I just assumed it was the #1 mark since even notes in service manual say the rotor is at #1 when pointing to the carb.

 

[orttauq]

All right! Thanks for the extra eyes. I am going to go set the motor to TDC based on the crank pulley and pointer, check that the distributor to pointing to #1 and then order the wires to 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 again and see if she'll start.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Okay but in the pic of my boat (yellow wires) #1 is marked with the white grease pencil. Next wire is #3 that is on the same bank as #1 but you can see the wires go to opposite banks.
Maybe that is my whole issue...that mark is 180 off. I just assumed it was the #1 mark since even notes in service manual say the rotor is at #1 when pointing to the carb.

Unless you removed the dizzy and stabbed it correctly when the motor is at TDC on #1. The rest doesn't matter. Start with the motor at TDC on the compression stroke and verify wiring from there

 

[orttauq]

SHE RUNS! My mistake was assuming the mark on the old cap in pic was #1. It was 180 out.

THANKS! for your help!

 

[Scott Danforth]

There you go