The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop engine problems

I have a 216 in my '46 2ton and I have been having some difficulty.
I had the engine running momentarily using some thrust starter and creative wiring and jumped it with my dad's truck. It ran fairly well for a few seconds till the starter fluid ran out (without the carberator installed).

I moved the truck inside and tore the sheet metal off it and cleaned while taking out the old wiring and rewired the coil distributer and starter. I tried to start it and it just back fired, I fiddled with it and found the distribiter rotated 180 deg opposite what it needed to be so I fixed it, still just back fired. I took off most of the new parts I had installed (distribiter cap, plug wires, coil) installed the old ones and it is still just backfiring ( two pops quickly then turns a little and two more pops)

I have no Idea and am stumped as to what is wrong I'm going to take out the new points I had bought also and see if it does anything but I figured on posting and seeing if anyone would know what could be wrong?

I changed the points back to the original and its still backfiring, can I just be so out of time its backfiring?

I'd take out the number 1 spark plug and turn the motor over and get #1 on TDC of the compression stroke. Take the distributor cap off and make sure that the rotor is pointing at the #1 position on the distributor cap. Then make sure you have 6 volts at the + terminal on the coil.
Are you still trying to run it with starting fluid and the carburetor off? If so get that stuff on and make sure its right, your asking for trouble spraying starting fluid into the intake without a carburetor installed.

I can sense this is a learning project so I'm going to let you learn some basics before telling you how to find the proper place for the distributor and wire the cap in the proper sequence.
In the first place we can't run the engine without a carburetor unless you want a good hair raising time and possibly put a rod out the side of the block.There is no good control of the engine speed.
Search on this board to find how to locate top center of #1 cylinder and how to tell if it is on the firing stroke or the exhaust stroke--then search to learn how to put the wires in proper sequence in the cap.
What about getting a good carb on it and feeding from a elevated can by gravity for a short run.Be careful to not allow spilled gasoline--it can provide an exciting experience if not destructive.
Good luck and keep us posted-someone will fill in the blanks and you will come out of it with a better understanding of not just this engine but most engines.

Your shop manual, salvation lies within.

Like engine nut said, you can't run the engine without a carb, its something that you really need.