I have a 69 firebird with a 400ci, recently rebuilt from bottom up. Assembled engine but cannot get it to start. Its getting spark and fuel but won't start, not even coughing or farting.

Removed the distributor and re-positioned a couple of times but no luck. I am starting to think that the timing chain was installed incorrectly. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks,

Christian

removing the timing cover would certainly be a pain.
Why not pull the driver's side valve cover, and turn the engine by hand?
The #1 cylinder should have both valves closed at top dead center.
If its not even farting, that's a bad sign- are you sure you are getting a strong enough spark? If you are using points it could be your dwell is off too far to make a strong enough spark to fire.

I have removed the valve cover and have notice that #1 cylinder with both values closed it off from tdc. Additionally, i am using an electronic ignition. Im thinking that the chain was installed in an exhaust stroke phase.

Both valves are closed prior to TDC. Not knowing much about your particular engine build it's hard to say what's going going on. Who built it? I would suspect a few other things before the timing chain. For example, how are the valves adjusted?

I believe the values are self-adjusting for that year, but i could be wrong. I loosened them up hoping that it would remedy something. But no such luck. The lower portion of the motor was assembled prior to me purhasing it.

What other items would you consider checking before looking at the timing chain. Why would you not think it is the timing chain?

Thanks, I appreciate your time.

Christian

The valves have to be initially adjusted upon firing the motor the first time. However if you put the cylinder heads on, how much did you tighten the rockers initially. Too much and you won't have any compression. The camshaft timing could also be 180 degrees out, this would cause your problem as well. I'd go back to the beginning. Bring no. 1 to tdc on compression and make sure the distributor rotor is pointing to no. 1 cylinder, put it all back together and try again. Check the plugs too, they may be fuel fouled by now with all the cranking and no firing.

Jeff,

I will do exactly that. I'll let you know how things go.

Thanks,

Chrisian

Make sure you're getting spark while cranking, not just when the key is on. I had a problem with that after I changed my harness.

By the way, the cam gear can be 180 deg off and it's OK. The dot on the cam gear can be up or down when the crank dot is up.

Excluding RA engines, Pontiac did not use adjustable valves. Index marks on the cam and crank sprockets should be facing each other..crank index up...cam index down. If everything is in "time" and you have spark, fuel, and compression you should have something..pop..fart or fireball through the carb, or a engine that runs....something.
Have you replaced the wire to the distributor? The original wire I believe was a resistor type...which would lead to a weak spark.
Have you checked your compression???
Dito what Bob S. said

According to Pontiac service manuals both gear dots should both be at the 12 oclock postion.
Facing each other "should" work also, but i've never tried it.

I'll try and remember to bring in my valve lash cheat sheet tomarrow.
That way you can pull a valve cover to make sure the gears are in the correct position.

Place both in the 12 o'clock position and rotate the crank one turn...thus crank at 12 and cam at 6. The last time I looked in my service manual it indicated to use the 12/6 positions...I would bring shame upon myself to indicate what product that manual was for, but the 12/12 positions would work for that product as well.