Help! Where is #1 cylinder

[Daniel B.]

I have just purchased a '64 327 300 HP roadster. It ran OK but needs a lot of attention under the hood. The speedo cable was laced in with the driver side spark plug wires and was preventing the ignition insulator from fitting properly. I had to remove some of the wires from the distributor to untangle the mess. I used the shop manual to reposition the wires in the cap. The engine refused to run and started backfiring. I have traced all 8 wires over and over and I can't find one out of place. I have been using the passenger front cylinder as #1.

Nothing else in the engine compartment has been changed except the ignition insulator is still off the car.

If I have the right cylinder for #1 were else should I look.

[Harry S.]

Re: Help! Where is #1 cylinder




Take a peek!

[Terry M.]

Re: Help! Where is #1 cylinder

I have just purchased a '64 327 300 HP roadster. It ran OK but needs a lot of attention under the hood. The speedo cable was laced in with the driver side spark plug wires and was preventing the ignition insulator from fitting properly. I had to remove some of the wires from the distributor to untangle the mess. I used the shop manual to reposition the wires in the cap. The engine refused to run and started backfiring. I have traced all 8 wires over and over and I can't find one out of place. I have been using the passenger front cylinder as #1.

Nothing else in the engine compartment has been changed except the ignition insulator is still off the car.

If I have the right cylinder for #1 were else should I look.

Dan
You do NOT have the correct #1 cylinder

See this link, which Mr Google found for me:

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080926201803AANjiPp

I would encourage you to spend the money at the NCRS store (link at the top of the page in the drop-down on SERVICES) for the 1964 Corvette Service Manual. I am sure you will find it helpful.

[Daniel B.]

Re: Help! Where is #1 cylinder

I do have the shop manual and the only picture for the location of #1 is in the section for wiring the plug wires to the distributer cap. I'll switch the wire to use the driver side as #1.
Thanks
Dan

[Frank D.]

Re: Help! Where is #1 cylinder

Between Harry's pic and this one you should be able to sort out the firing order and distributor locations of the wires.

[Daniel B.]

Re: Help! Where is #1 cylinder

I switched the wires to make the #1 cylinder the left front cylinder. Cranked the engine and got nothing. No cylinder fired nor backfired. Checked the coil to make sure it didn't get disconnected during the switch. It was OK.

I am going to hook up my timing light and see which of the two front cylinders is set to the timing mark.

I have all new ignition parts coming so in the mean time I'll solve which cylinder the distributer is assigning #1 and go from there.

I haven't worked on a GM 8 cylinder since I had my '64 Impala when I was in college. Guess I have a lot of relearning to do.

[Stephen L.]

Re: Help! Where is #1 cylinder

Daniel, take a deep breath and start over. The engine ran fine before you messed with the wires. You need to reposition all the wires into the correct distributor towers, not just reposition #1. Note that the driver side of the engine cylinders are #1, #3, #5, #7 Starting at the front. #2, #4, #6, and #8 are on the right side, #2 being toward the front.
Locate the position of the #1 tower on the distributor cap. (If you are not sure of the location, Google Chev 327 distributor wiring positions)
Now install #1 wire followed by #8 in a clockwise direction etc. The order should be 1,8,4,3,6,5,7,2, clockwise! Don't mess with the timing mark. Once you do this then try to start the engine. It should run as before you started trying to fix it

[Patrick H.]

Re: Help! Where is #1 cylinder

You can also run a Google picture search for Corvette spark plug wire routing:

https://www.google.com/search?q=corvette+spark+plug+wire+routing&client=firefox-b-1&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiClI_I6uLXAhXMwiYKHUrnC1EQsAQIJw&biw=2300&bih=1279#imgrc=_

According to my 22 year old son, any car can be fixed with Google and YouTube.
The more I test his theory, the more I realize he's likely correct.

[Michael F.]

Re: Help! Where is #1 cylinder

go to local shop and ask to have them show you how to get it right or better get someone with knowledge to help you, the way I see it that will help you the most to get it right, good luck.