VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 1928 chevrolet truck

The timing mark can't be relied on 100%. It is possible for the flywheel to be bolted on in several positions. In your case it appears to be installed correctly.

When the # 1 piston is fully up and timing mark at the pointer is the rotor pointed directly at the # 1 spark plug wire position? Are the points just beginning to open?

If all that checks okay then you may need to give a short squirt of carburetor cleaner (or starting fluid) into the carburetor air intake. If engine now fires for brief time then fueling is your problem. If still no fire then compression of spark intensity is the problem.

Another test to do if all above doesn't help is put hand over carburetor air intake and roll over engine. Does you hand get sucked tightly to the intake? If not then you might have an intake plug or valve problem. Of course testing the intake manifold with a vacuum gauge with spark plugs removed and engine cranking is a better test. Not all have the gauge so the hand method is a alternative.

Not familiar with this particular engine but have helped get some foreign to me engines running:

Ignition timing? Double check cylinder numbering and plug wire location and check rotor direction. Correct dist cap/rotor/plugs? Point gap correct/no slop in dist shaft? Fresh condenser?

I'd be tempted to do a quick compression or leakdown test if you haven't already to make sure valves are sealing and not adjusted wrong.

Fuel, Cam timing, Ignition timing, Compression and spark - if all are where they should be, it should run somewhat...

Is it cranking fast enough?

Frustrating indeed.
Is the valve timing correct, mention already being made of mismarked gears and are the valves opening fully. I have been caught with valves not opening fully on a side valve Hudson that had a reground cam fitted, ground so much that the valves were barely opening. Drove me nuts trying to work out why it just would not perform or start properly.
Spark plugs? are they correct and are they firing under compression?
Are the plugs the right reach? I have again been caught with a Hudson fitted with plugs of too short a reach such that the tip was effectively up inside the head and shielded from the fuel mixture. That also drove me nuts because everything checked out. We put longer reach plugs in and hey presto the motor started at the touch of the button.

My 28 project wouldn't fire for several reasons..1..Carb repair was done incorrectly twice 2 - old power cables were faulty--needed New 00 size with new ends.. 3--fully charged battery wasn.t.. Firing order of 1243 is correct...