Ok , so I’m missing something here , please put me right 
i changed the cams back , set the valve timing , all ok , spins over nicely . Set tdc , no 6 firing with both arrows aligned rotor arm pointing foreward and set all the leads from there , anti clockwise in the correct order, from 6 it should be 24153 is that correct ?. After endless cranking and several squirts of easy start , it seemed to be thinking about starting , a slight speeding up was discerned . But no , nothing more . I removed the plugs , set no. 6 to firing again and removed the dizzy cap . The rotor arm now points back toward no . 4 . So what is going on ? What am I missing ?
1 Like
Awww, I wish I could be of more help, I know how that feels.
1-5-3-6-2-4 is the right firing order. I always double check the spark plug wires and time it on the cyl nr. 6, IIRC the dizzy rotates counter clock wise, the crank runs clock wise.
Pls correct me if I remembered something wrong.
Cheers!
You could be off 1 wire on the dizzy cap.
Try moving them all around 1 spot clockwise, or 1 spot counter clockwise.
Rob
I’ll give that a try , thanks for responding Robert .
But what I don’t understand is , I set it up on tdc with no. 6 firing , and when I aligned the arrows again , and removed the dizzy cap , the rotor was pointing away from no. 6 . How can that be ?
Just try putting #6 lead in the cap where the rotor is pointing to, then do the 624153
It may be that the offset on the drive dog on the dizzy has been misassembled 180 degrees out. Easy to do if you don’t mark it prior to disassembly.
So although you have the engine right the dizzy is wrong.
As suggested above Just try putting #6 lead in the cap where the rotor is pointing to, then do the 624153.
Also, make sure that you’re not double confusing yourself with the cylinder nomenclature.
Ken,
Good suggestions from Andrew. Don’t forget that the piston can also be at TDC for the exhaust stroke. Make sure the aux carb is wired up and functioning.
a few “easy” things to try
I will say that everything must be setup correctly as per Service Manual, if not something is wrong and must be figured out.
If everything is aligned, try this;
*rotate dizzy the most you can in both directions after loosening hold down bolt and try to start
- do not discount the possibility you have the timing 180 degrees out. Try rewiring the plug wires 180* degrees and see if it starts
( I know its too late now, but whenever I remove a distributor, I make a white mark on the centreline of the rotor button, and using a long ruler, on the engine block)
its remarkably easy to put a dizzy back in one tooth out on some cars
Ok guys , back to basics ! Is it possible to set the valve timing wrong without suffering valve to piston contact ?
The distributor turns half the speed of the crankshaft. So when you randomly align the TDC arrows at the flywheel “window”, you have a 50 percent chance that the distributor rotor arm will not be pointing to the #6 spark plug.
When that occurs, rotate the crankshaft 360 degrees and align the flywheel arrows again to get the rotor arm back to pointing at the #6 spark plug. Then make sure the wire from #6 on the distributor cap is really going to the front spark plug. If not, then reinstall all the plug wires in the correct firing order.
Make sure your contact points are opening to 015”. Follow the static timing instructions on page B.52 of the Service Manual, which requires advancing the crankshaft two flywheel teeth from the TDC arrows in the “window” at the bell housing.
I’ve done all of the above , and double checked . Rotated the diz this way and that , put a goodly amount of petrol into the cylinders , replaced the plugs , not even a cough . All plugs sparking but they remain wet ! Ether has no effect . The diz can only go in the block one way , yes ! I haven’t taken it apart. Can somebody answer my question above about valve timing. I thought the timing instructions called for 5 degrees btdc , ie shouldn’t the arrow on the flywheel be two teeth before the one on the crankcase ?
A long shot here - starter motor running in wrong direction ?
Not if the plugs are now wet with fuel.
Kenny;
Make sure the front cam lobes are pointing away from the valley of the head, now ensure the #6 plug wire is located in the cap adjacent to where the rotor is pointing. Now with the ignition on turn the distributor until you see the points just spark. That’s as good a position as any to try to start.
The plugs are only wet because I introduced fuel into the plug holes , completely dry despite cranking .
That still doesn’t explain why there isn’t some kick when you turn it over.
Could I have got the valve timing wrong , would it still turn over ?
Yes it would turn over but the possibility of bent valves is there. When you turn it over is there definitely compression events?
It seems so , but I will do a compression test this morning . Would that account for the complete lack of response from the engine ?
Calm down Ken. First things first 
Forget about your ignition for a minute if you haven’t got petrol going into the cylinders (apart from when you introduce it yourself).
If the engine doesn’t draw petrol in there’s something wrong with the petrol side of the engine or the relationship between the pistons and the valves and if it’s the timing it won’t run, even of your spark is right and you’ve got petrol in until you fix it
Fix that, then if it still doesn’t run you can start worrying whether your spark is right.