Have fuel and spark, won't start

[mojavered]

I am having trouble starting.  I have spark and have fuel.  Still will not start.  What to do next?  What do you check?  We had a couple back fires, checked TDC of number one cylinder and may have been off 180*.  Rotated 180 and tried to start, not even trying to fire.  I do have spark though.  Any suggestions?

[Cooter]

Why would you assume it's 180 out?
Is it a fresh engine rebuild?

I'd start all over on the Ignition Timing and re-static Time the engine by bringing up #1 cyl. and reinstalling Distributor...

Firing Order is 18436572

[mojavered]

It was actually more than 180 out.  We double checked and had to rotate the wires 1 cc after turning it 180.  We had to abandon break in after 8 minutes.  Bad fuel leak at the fuel gauge.  We are waiting for it to cool down to finish break in.  Thanks!

[tommyg29]

yep,
how does it go?
fuel, then spark, then timing, and then compression.
If you reach #4, youre screwed!

[72cudamaan]

I wonder if maybe the valve lash is a little tight? Is it an adjustable valve train? I'm just thinking that maybe after the engine warms up the clearances are a bit tight and causing the backfiring.                                                                                                                                                           

And I agree with Cooter,   start over with static timing at #1 to make sure everything is accurate.

[mojavered]

It was just the timing was 180 out, then we put it back and I was off by one.  This was the first engine I ever timed on my own, and I was just not paying as much attention as I should have been.  Anyway, break in finished.  Changed out the headers to some ceramic TTI's (could not believe the crap I had to go through at the shifter linkage to make them work, POS) then fired it for the kids.  It starts immediately and idles beautifully!  Revs quick and sounds mean.  Time to get the exhaust put on and then to the alignment shop.  Few more things here and there and ready to roll!

[BB73Challenger]

Changed out the headers to some ceramic TTI's (could not believe the crap I had to go through at the shifter linkage to make them work, POS)

POS as in the break in headers or the TTI's?

PS - nothing like firing a motor for the first time, congrats 

[Topcat]

Congrats on the break in. Any Youtube or photobucket video of it?

[mojavered]

Congrats on the break in. Any Youtube or photobucket video of it?

No video. I was thinking the same thing, afterward.

POS as in the break in headers or the TTI's?

PS - nothing like firing a motor for the first time, congrats 

The TTI's are what I was referring to.  They are pretty nice actually.  There is just a huge design flaw, at least for my application.  They went in fairly easy.  But when I went to fasten them up on the drivers side, they were hitting the shifter linkage.  Per TTI's instructions, I had to pull the shifter support bracket, cut it, reweld it and put it back in.  It is still tight, but it will work.  Could not believe I had to do that.  All they had to do was move the collector over 1/2" or so and they would have been sweet!   I am sure that each header has an issue, but that was ridiculous!  I do not recommend at $800.00+.  http://www.ttiexhaust.com/PDF/Sheet3703-TSlever.pdf