firing order

[dvaugh]

I just replaced all the ignition components on a 1987 Z28 305 TPI camaro I bought. The firing order I used to install new plug wires is the one chevrolet has used for ever 1,8,4,3,6,5,7,2 and cylinders numbered 1,3,5,7,right bank facing from front and 2,4,6,8, left bank. The car ran previously but now it wont.
I find references to chevy using different firing orders around this time, can someone advise.
thanks
duane

[89IROC&RS]

what all components did you replace??? are you sure your timing is correct?

[dvaugh]

just tune up, cap, rotor, plugs, wires, pcv valve,
the condition of the previous parts was bad...
and the car has been sitting off and on for almost a year, but it crancked and ran with no
hesitation (it just ran bad and failed a emmisions test) the spark control module was pretty nasty so I cleaned it up real good and put on new dialectric compound. But now it doesnt fire like the wires are in the correct sequence or like there are crossed wires. we havent moved the distributor yet but we checked the position of the rotor when the timing mark is at (approx.) TDC and I installed the wires on the cap based on the rotor turning clockwise. any ideas?
duane

[Lotus49]

ok here is what you do... try and turn the engine over so the timing thingy is like this..http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kri...&.dnm=4e02.jpg

then once its like that.. open up your cap.. and see where the rotor is pointing... http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kri...&.dnm=88ed.jpg
i had the exact same problem you did... it turns out that the rotor was one off... and it was just delayed to far... once you see where the rotor is pointed.. thats where your #1 cylnder is... mark that on the engine and put the cap back on..sometimes people advance and retard things and they screw it up.. or the cap was just customised to their liking.. and forgot to tell you it was changed
oh and 1,3,5,7 are the DRIVERS SIDE CYLNDERS

[GMMerlin]

Originally Posted by dvaugh

I just replaced all the ignition components on a 1987 Z28 305 TPI camaro I bought. The firing order I used to install new plug wires is the one chevrolet has used for ever 1,8,4,3,6,5,7,2 and cylinders numbered 1,3,5,7,right bank facing from front and 2,4,6,8, left bank. The car ran previously but now it wont.
I find references to chevy using different firing orders around this time, can someone advise.
thanks
duane

First we need to get our directions correct. When dealing with an automobile, Right and Left are dealt with from looking at the car from the rear..So the Left would be considered the drivers side, right the passenger.
On most GM models with distibutors, #1 on the cap is usually pointing at #1 cylinder (so if you have #1 on TDC, the rotor should point to #1 cylinder also)
Plug wires are installed in a clockwise direction. 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2
Did you remove the dist. for any reason?

[89IROC&RS]

yeah, that is a good point, driver side is the left side, from the driver seat. passenger side is the right side. the #1 spark plug is the cylender nearest the front of the car, towards the radiator on the driver side. #2 is the farthest forward on the passenger side, #3 is driver side, next one back, #4 is passenger side next one back, so on and so forth. for the distributor the number one spark plug should be on the driver side of the cap, closest to the front, then clockwise aruond in the firing order as you have already done. ill see about drawing out a sketch for ya tomorrow and scanning it in and posting it for ya.

[dvaugh]

Thanx guys.. you were exactlly right on all points, it turns out that someone has pulled the distributor (before I got the car) and re-installed it with the rotor pointing at approx. 3:00 oclock when the motor is at TDC. I have over the years come to expect the rotor position to be more or less pointing at the front of the car when at TDC. I suspected all along that the distributor was moved and in fact I shifted all the wires one position in each direction, but it didnt dawn on me that the rotor woulb be off as far as it was. When I started at the basics and actually verified TDC I found my mistake.
duane

[89IROC&RS]

your more than welcome man, well done.

[Genopsyde]

glad I could help