Hey guys, I am helping my dad put a new 5.7 long block in his 89 chevy. We have the engine all together, and tried to start it, but it just cranks over without firing:mad:. I have checked all the obvious stuff. We know it has fuel, and spark, the timing is set. all the electrical connections are made and the vacuum lines are all hooked up. I am stumped.:confused: I am just a hobby mechanic, so I am no expert. if any of you have Ideas as to what could be our problem please let me know.

Thanks

Did you try starting it with the throttle slightly aplied. It may have gotten flooded. Does it even try to start? Are you sure the firing order is correct? Your timing mark is right? Just throwing some ideas out there for ya.

it just cranks and cranks, but doesnt even try to start. I cant hear it firing at all. I know that the firing order is correct, as well as the timing mark. We are runing it set at 0 deg. BTDC. as per the sticker on the radiator support. thanks for the reply, keep the ideas coming!

Are the fuel injectors spraying fuel into the throttle body when you turn it over? Are the injectors plugged in?

Sounds like the ignition module in the distributor either crapped out or has a bad ground. Check for fire at one of the plugs.

feel kinda lame, but we set the dist. with the #1 piston at the top of it's exhaust stroke, not the compression stroke, so the dist. was 180 deg. off.
fixed it and now it runs great. thanks for the help.:o:

It happens... Glad you got it running! :)

feel kinda lame, but we set the dist. with the #1 piston at the top of it's exhaust stroke, not the compression stroke, so the dist. was 180 deg. off.
fixed it and now it runs great. thanks for the help.:o:

That's what I figured, but I didn't want to insult your intelegence:o: I did that the last time I did a rebuild, too. It happens.:)

We've all been there. All that matters is that you got it running.

The last one I did drove me nuts trying to set the base timing to start it. Took me almost an hour to get it to the point I could start it.