I tried to start my 383 for the first time. Remind you I'm a rookie. I primed the oil, put gas in bowls, and gave it a shot. First time nothing, but this was a easy fix by swithing the nuetral start wires around since I went with a mega shifter instead of horseshoe.

Then it turned over and over and over. It huff and puffed and popped a few times then I noticed gas leaking from a few spots (line to carb and inline fuel filter). Both were tightened down after I found they were loose.

My wife was at the wheel and told me that the key was acting like it was stuck. For some reason when I turn the key to the second position (acc or run) not sure that is when the starter turns over (constantly).

So the fixes and answers I need are 1) how to I get the starter/ignition to work as they should? 2) Do I need to re prime before starting over? 3) Did I mess up my cam ( I only tried for a minute or two) 4) Any other ideas?

#1 Take out the #1 spark plug. hook up a remote starter button ( If you don't have one GO BUY ONE!) between the battery and the large purple "S" wire you are going to dig out of the harness that runs behind and above your brake master cylinder. Strip off just enough insulation so you see a bit of copper and place the alligator clip there. TURN YOUR IGNITION SWITCH OFF AND PUT THE KEYS IN YOUR POCKET. SAFETY FIRST.

#2 Stuff your index finger into the #1 spark plug hole. Make SURE that your starter button wires aren't going to get caught in the fan blades or anything else.

#3 invert the starter button such that the button is peeking out of the "bottom" of your fist. The one you make with the hand not involved with the #1 spark plug hole. :)

#4 while observing the timing tab AND watching for the timing mark on your harmonic dampner repeatedly tap that button, peeking out of the bottom of your fist, on the radiator core support OR if your car looks like mine the front fender is acceptable. This will engage and disengage your starter and "Bump" your engine over incrementally a few degrees at a time. This is what you want. :)

#5 when you feel air hissing out past your finger which you have stuffed into the #1 spark plug hole get REAL vigilant and with lite taps of that button bring the dampner mark up until it is right at the ZERO mark on the timing tab. Cease all engine turning activity at this time. If you are a couple degrees before or after the mark turn the engine by hand to line the marks up or start over with the button and try again.

#6 Carefully remove your distributor cap AFTER noting where you have placed the #1 plug wire on your distributor cap. LOOK to see if your distributor rotor is pointing at the cap tower where you have your #1 plug wire fastened.


YOUR firing order IS 18436572

As a "convention" all GM products that were V-8's and were in any "A" bodies had their #1 plug wire's connected to the first tower CW from the distributor point access door in the body of the distributor cap. Regardless of make.

Make yours to follow that "convention" forevermore and you'll avoid endless future heartache and confusion. DO NOT LISTEN TO THOSE NEER-DO-WELL types who say that you can put your plug wires anywhere you want on the distributor cap as long as you follow the firing order. THEY ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS. (Even tho they speaketh the truth. :) They serve to confuse all mechanics who look at your engine and are a pestilence.

Prepare to lift your distributor up and NOW ensure that you rotate your distributor such that when it is fully seated on the intake manifold is IS NOW pointing at the #1 position on the distributor cap. Be patient, do not use profanity...just work at it till you are 100% satisfied that everything is lined up to fire on #1.

Now that you distributor is properly aligned to your #1 cylinder, give it a bit of advance. IE; Turn the entire distributor such that the vacuum advance nozzle kinda points at the tip of the right front fender. (Thats a ball park adjustment that'll get your engine started NOT a final timing adjustment.)

NOW if all else is good your engine should start sir. Oh ya...put the plug back in the #1 hole. It makes a "startling" racket if you forget and start your engine without doing that. Of course I will neither confirm nor deny that I have ever done that!

You can believe this old man when I say that if you get that "one thing" right the first time you try AND you have done all the other stuff you mentioned your engine will start every time.

I will attempt this. I learned that my ignition switch problem can be resolved by moving the switch around. I just screwed it in and had no idea that it was adjustable. I should have mentioned that I have a Pertronix flame thrower HEI dizzy if that makes any difference in the directions you gave me. Is the purple wire the one that runs to my starter?

Nope. Firing order and distributor position are the same. The machine may look different but the assembly is the same as is the wire position. Granted there is no door in the HEI but the #1 Plug wire took approximately the same position.

Having said that since you have now informed me that you have an HEI, which I didn't know, I am prepared to allow as to how you might look to convenience for the location of your #1 plug wire. I converted my point system to a Crane Fireball system which goes into my origional distributor so my wiring is all origional as to position. HEI is different than breaker point systems in appearance but the #1 wire is approximately in the same position.

The critical thing is to get the rotor pointing to the #1 spot when the #1 piston is at TDC on the firing ( compression) stroke. Thats where the air squirts past your finger.

Technicly there are two TDC's per 4 strokes. TDC firing and TDC exhaust. You want TDC firing.

OK. Its 18 degrees out right now and hoping it will warm to at least 36 to try again

See now? Thats a little bit of info that would have been handy to know. Makes a big difference whether you are in a garage or out in the cold. You guys gotta be more forthcoming with details like that.

Frankly in that kinda weather I wouldn't even waste my time trying to start a new engine unless I had a method of warming up an engine first. Like an electric block heater or an electric dipstick heater or an electric lower radiator hose heater.

Common sense should apply here. New engines need a little help for the first few minutes. Just like a baby. Even the AA/FD's get started in the pits, after a between rounds overhaul, before they hit the strip and they don't race in weather as cold as yours.

charbilly2001 - i've had started a lot of properly built engines even in -32degrees without any kind of heaters... But that requires good timing and carb tune-up ;)

charbilly2001 - i've had started a lot of properly built engines even in -32degrees without any kind of heaters... But that requires good timing and carb tune-up ;)


Yes, so have I.( 45 years in Minneapolis Minnesota ) -32 was common.

That said, its my impression that this thread was started by a man who is somewhat experience "challenged" and I don't say that in a derogatory sense.

For him to attempt to get his brand new engine running, break in his cam etc. is already proving to be a challenge without the added pain of cold temperatures. I too am well skilled in dealing with sub zero temps. Thats why I moved to Southern California in 1987. I don't like working on cars in the cold.

I would recommend warmth.

For a noob its tough enough to do this stuff with out having to deal with issues of petroleum precipitation out of the incoming air stream due to low ambient temperatures.

Yeah, you are absolutely right, but all of some were "first timers" at some point ;)
So - i've just mentioned that everything is possible...
And as for me - i don't think that 18deg. is way to cold to start the engine - even slightly mis-adjusted...

P.S. I'm bored of sub-zero too :) I'm moving to Australia now - pretty warm place to live, work on cars, blah-blah-blah ;)