Fuel and spark no start

[cabenge]

Recently swapped to vortec heads and a carb from the TBI 1987 350 sbc system. I had it running when I first put it all back together but I wasn’t able to give enough advancement before vacuum advance hit edelbrock air gap intake was only able to get it too 12 degrees it needed more. I’ve since pulled the distributor and I’m trying to get it to tdc on the compression stroke so I feel for compression in the #1 spark plug hole and wait for intake to open and close and same with exhaust. I’ve been trying to put it in at 12 degrees already but no matter what I try I can’t get it to even cough. Any advice to for certain get it to tdc on the compression stroke. Or any other advice in general I have spark, fuel, but it seems the timing is just so far off. Any help would be very much appreciated this is my first engine I’m working on.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

You're probably 180 out on the rotor

So, I do this as simple as possible for myself.

I bring the engine around to TDC, plus 10-15, whatever is clever, it's all close enough.

I stab the distributor at #1, rotate oil pump drive as needed.

Shoot something flammable down the carb with the blades open, make sure the bowls have fuel in them as well.

And I crank it.

If it doesn't fire, pull the rotor, spin it 180, drop it back in, and it will run.

 

[YakkoWarner]

If you have the valve cover off its easy - rotate the engine in normal operating direction with a wrench and watch for both intake and exhaust valves to close on #1, then use a feeler in the plug hole (I like to use a chopstick from a Chinese takeout because its soft wood and won't scratch the inside of the cylinder) to monitor the piston's rise until it just starts to go down again, then alternate the rotation back and forth until you have it at the exact top. It SHOULD line up with the 0 degree mark on your crank pulley as well, but those can sometimes slip over time.

 

[Ricko1966]

Put your compression tester hose in cylinder #1 put a party noise maker or balloon on the end of the hose. Turn the motor by hand,when the noise maker starts blowing or the Ballon starts blowing up,watch your timing marks slowly rotate and line up 15* do not rotate backward if you pass. Now stab the distributor rotor pointed at 1 on the distributor cap look in the distributor line up the poles on the stator and reluctor in the distributor body. Snug up the distributor.You will be so close it's not funny.