Are you trying to start the engine with gas that's been sitting in the tank for a year? If so, you're swimming upstream. Catch a couple of ounces of gas from the fuel line in a bottle, pour it on the ground in a safe place, and toss a lit match at it. I've seen many situations where stale gas wouldn't burn with a match, let alone a spark.
Assuming the gas is good, do a static timing procedure. Hold your thumb over the #1 cylinder spark plug hole and have a helper tap the starter repeatedly until you feel a rush of compression. Then put the truck in high gear and gently roll it forward until the BB on the flywheel lines up with the pointer. Don't forget to put the trans back in neutral!
Turn the ignition switch on. With an ice pick type voltage test light attached to a good ground, touch the pointer to the terminal on the side of the distributor with the points closed, then turn the distributor housing counterclockwise slowly until the light comes on. Lock the distributor down- - - -the timing is set close enough to start.
If the distributor rotor is pointing toward #6 cylinder instead of #1 when you get the compression pulse, you're 180 degrees out of time with the distributor. Either remove the distributor and turn it to #1, or just rearrange the spark plug wires to make the distributor cap tower the rotor is pointing toward the #1 cylinder. Follow around clockwise with the other wires, 5-3-6-2-4.
Jerry
I followed these instructions to a T (except rolling the truck to line up the BB.. i turned the engine by hand in neutral instead.. so i could be more precise with the line-up).
Still no start. I know the fuel is good because i can ignite it every single time with a lighter. I also know fuel is getting into the cylinders because when i put my hand over the plug hole and had the engine cranked, fuel rushed out with the air.
So i have compression and fuel, all signs still point to spark. This is confounding because i verified spark at the plug Visually last week.
When i line up the rotor to #1 with the BB, i can crank all day and the rotor will STILL be lined up to #1 according to the BB. so i'm not 180* out at the distributor..
I DO have a spare coil from the parts store,(it looks exactly like the current coil) but it's labelled "no resistor required" and i don't know if i can just cut out the installed resistor and wiring to use it.
UPDATE:
i replaced the resistor with a 12v resistor from a 67 dart 225ci.
Still no start. :/
