So I changed my intake manifold gasket yesterday and when I went to start it it cranked and tried to run but was super rough and just stopped but it was like a hard stop, So I tried to start it again and it tried but it just died again and not as bad as the first try, I thought it might have been the distributer or something to do there so I put it in top dead center and made sure everything was good with that and went to try and start it again and it cranked then just made a poof and that was it, I tried about 3 times then went to look at the engine and saw smoke coming out of the throttle body, Any one have an idea? Thanks

 

Double check the spark plug wiring at the dizzy. It's not rare that the firing order is mistakenly off. #3 wire goes closest to the front of the truck on the driver's side, then #1, then #5.

 

So I looked at the sparkplugs and 1 and 5 were switched When I went to switch them the threaded part broke on the distributor and the screw was just hanging freely in the cap pretty much, But I used a C clamp to hold the cap down and it still didnt start. Also I dont know if it was plugged in wrong when I originally tried to start it, Also when I went to time it I noticed the distributor was unplugged (im 100% sure i plugged it in) and the cap was sitting kinda off... Maybe the first start broke the cap off or something? I have no idea and wouldnt it work if i held it with a C Clamp?

 

I dont' know what you mean by the "threaded part". Are you talking about for the cap mounting screw? I'd inspect the inside of the cap and the rotor very closely. You could have chewed up some contacts.

 

Definitely check your distributor cap and rotor/button! Its fairly cheap to buy them as a kit! Cap is outside and the button is below held down by two cheap self threading screws on the dist plate and shaft! My go to replacements are generic parts store torx bit screws! Make sure the rotor screw holes are clear for your screws to just drop in it with just a hint of bind. Too tight cracks them and they won't lay flat! Then lay cap over rotor and check for any interference at housing or contacts. Using some dielectric grease on the button in middle of rotor and contact will give a visual where it all is! Any misalignment within the dist cap will be corrected when you hit the starter needless to say that breaks those plastic pieces on and in it! The smoke out the intake is the ignition firing when the intake valves are still open! Firing too early but just readjust after you fix the cap and rotor!

 

You can put a zip tie around the base of the distributor and cap to hold the cap on.Mine's been this way for a couple years now.

 

 

Alright so I changed the distributor still didnt start, it sounds like it tries to start but it cant.

 

Set to #1 TDC. (pull a spark plug and make sure you are getting compression on your finger as this mark comes up). Stop with 1 timing mark on balancer pointed to the mark on timing cover. Other mark almost straight down. Distributor rotor should then be pointing to the "6" cast into the surface where the cap mounts.

 

So I should have pulled the spark plug out and checked like that, I took it to a mechanic and he said the timing was off and that the marks on the balancer were off, Has any one even heard of that before? (im 100% sure i matched up the lines to TDC) Well anyways it runs now and im a few hundred dollars more poor. Thanks for all the help