For those that only occasionally read this section, I’m the fool that forgot to put in my oil pump drive shaft, then tired to put it in from the distributor hole and ended up dropping it in the oil pan. So any help you can give needs to be very simple. My 455 will not start (this is the first start up after a rebuild), I’m using an HEI distributor and I think I have the motor on TDC. I have one of those cool tools that is installed in place of the spark plug; as the motor is rotated the piston forces out a brass rod. I rotate the engine until the rod stops coming out (I hope that is TDC) and then install the distributor so the rotor is pointed at cylinder 1 on the cap. Still no luck, I am getting a spark and also occasionally get a (or what appears to sound) backfire. I smell fuel so I figure that system is good as well. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

For those that only occasionally read this section, I’m the fool that forgot to put in my oil pump drive shaft, then tired to put it in from the distributor hole and ended up dropping it in the oil pan. So any help you can give needs to be very simple. My 455 will not start (this is the first start up after a rebuild), I’m using an HEI distributor and I think I have the motor on TDC. I have one of those cool tools that is installed in place of the spark plug; as the motor is rotated the piston forces out a brass rod. I rotate the engine until the rod stops coming out (I hope that is TDC) and then install the distributor so the rotor is pointed at cylinder 1 on the cap. Still no luck, I am getting a spark and also occasionally get a (or what appears to sound) backfire. I smell fuel so I figure that system is good as well. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Check compression with a tester. It is possible that you have no compression due to the valves not completely closing. If compression is very low, back the rocker arms off about 3-4 complete turns. Also check to make sure you have ignition spark.

Valves aren't closing, therefore no compression. I assume hyd. lifters?

Check the usual, such as firing order.
1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 going counter-clockwise on the cap.
#1 cylinder is driver front. 1-3-5-7
#2 is passenger side front. 2-4-6-8

sounds like your valves are staying open. but did you set it at tdc on the compression stroke

Don,t forget also dis. turns counterclockwise!!

Take the driver side valve cover off. Remove all of the plugs. Rotate the engine by hand using a 15/16 socket on the balancer. Watch the timing mark on the balancer. Somewhere around lining up 0 on the timing tab and the timing mark on the balancer, you should find that both rockers on the #1 cylinder are kinda loose. This should be TDC on #1.

Another little tip. #3 intake valve will be open when #1 is at TDC. -Jim

All good advise. But who set the valves Are they all set to 20 ft lbs like stock?
What rockers/nuts are you using the stock ones?
Well if you deck the block and take down the heads during a rebuild you must set/lash the valves.
They may be too tight try loosening the rockers.
I,ve seen this before.
Best of Luck!

When you are building your Pontiac engine and lining up the timing marks on the timing gears as shown in the engine manual, at that point the motor is accualy "up" on number 6.You can either install the distibutor with the rotor pointed at number 6,which works fine.Or just turn the motor over exactly one turn and install the distributor with the rotor pointed at number 1.

I picked up a compression tester today, but my wife will beat me if I spend too much of Easter under a hood. If it turns out that I have over tightened the rockers (by the all stock), what is the best proceedure for valve adjustment. I thought I followed the instructions, but I have been known to over tighten most things anyway.

The piston reaches TDC TWICE. On the compression stroke & on the exhaust stroke. You have to make sure you have the dist is firing on #1, on the compression stroke. The surest way to determine this is to remove the left valve cover. Rotate the engine in the normal direction [ CW ] & watch the rockers of #1 cyl. When the #1 intake closes, the piston is rising to TDC on the comopression stroke & the dist rotor should be pointing at #1.

Terry, Like Jeff said earlier, if you had the block decked and the heads milled during the rebuild process you can no longer use the stock method of setting your valve lash. You would need to buy some poly locks (I used Crane Cool Nuts) to replace your stock rocker nuts and then adjust your valve lash with each lifter on the base circle of cam to zero lash + a half turn.

If the block was not decked and heads milled, the stock torque setting for the rockers is only 20lbs. Get a torque wrench and see where they're at. If the block was decked, etc. then check out this excellent procedure for adjusting the rockers: Pontiac Rocker Arm Adjustment

Good luck and let us know how it goes... http://forums.performanceyears.com/g.../icon_cool.gif

Jim.