Okay, so I messed with my Chevy small-block the other day, and I totally screwed up the firing order. The engine was running rougher than a badger in a burlap sack. Let me tell you how I fixed it, so you don’t make the same dumb mistake.
Figuring Out the Firing Order
First things first, you gotta know the firing order for your engine. For most Chevy small-block V8s (and most GM V8s, in general), the firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. Remember that! Write it down, tattoo it on your arm, whatever it takes.
Finding Top Dead Center (TDC) for Cylinder #1
Next, you need to find Top Dead Center (TDC) for cylinder number 1. I did this:
- Pulled the spark plug out of cylinder #1 (that’s the front one on the driver’s side, usually).
- Put my thumb over the spark plug hole. It has to be a really tight seal, you can also use a tool but my fingers were already dirty.
- Got a buddy to slowly crank the engine (you can do it yourself, but it’s easier with two people). Use a wrench on the crankshaft bolt.
- Felt for the pressure. When you feel a strong puff of air pushing against your thumb, that means cylinder #1 is coming up on the compression stroke.
- Looked at the timing mark. I kept cranking slowly until the timing mark on the harmonic balancer lined up with the 0-degree mark on the timing tab. Boom, TDC for cylinder #1.
Distributor Cap Shenanigans
Now, on to the distributor:
- Popped the distributor cap off. Be sure to remember which way it was installed.
- Checked the rotor. The rotor should be pointing towards the terminal on the distributor cap that corresponds to cylinder #1.
- Start Wirring. Starting with the terminal that cylinder 1 points to, go around, attach the spark plug wires according to the firing order: * distributor caps even have a little “1” molded into them to help you out. The direction that a distributor rotates is clockwise.
Double-Checking and Firing It Up
I triple-checked all my wires, making sure each one was going to the right spark plug. Then I put the distributor cap back on, tightened everything up, and crossed my fingers.
I turned the key, and she purred like a kitten! No more rough idle, no more backfiring. It felt good to get that sorted.
So, the moral of the story is: pay attention to the firing order! And if you mess it up, don’t panic. It’s a pretty easy fix, as long as you take your time and follow the steps. Good luck!
