I put a new electronic distributor in & now when I try to start it, it will start but I get a lot of back firing. I can turn the Distributor a half of turn each way & it does not make much difference. It was not running good before because I had a intake manifold leak. Got that fixed. This on a 302 engine of 1976.

 

Are you sure the distributor isn’t one tooth off, may want to rotate engine to TDC and recheck rotor location. Also did you replace an electronic distributor or points and cond. if it was points you may need to change plugs and gap to be compatible with the electronic . Hope you figure it out, I have a 76 302 and an HEI distributor for my 67 , may need you info

 

if my memory is still intact, ford had two firing orders ,do you have the wiring set to the camshaft used?

The order for HO Ford 302 engine 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8, while the order for the non-HO is - 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8.

 

Thanks, I replaced the old distributor with a new electronic , I never gave a though to see if I needed to change the plugs. Thanks foe your help.

 

Backfire???? Thru the carb or out the exhaust?? Do you own and use a timing light?? Upon starting an engine that has had it's distributor removed and replaced, for Any Reason, the timing light should be hooked up and ready to set the timing to it's correct spec when the engine is first started.

If I recall in the past you once said this is a Stock Engine and all you wanted was for it to run good and be dependable. What was Your reason to buy and install this electronic distributor?? Cap

 

The old distributor was getting oil up on the points. I could have replaced the o ring & that may have fixied the oil problem, but I think the distributor was original from 1953. So I bought a electronic for $ 175. The distributor was not set right. That is fixed & it starts on first turn of the key. the engine sounds good but about every 15 sec it pops up thru the carburetor. I have adjusted the idle screws , but did not help. the jets size , the best I can tell with a drill bit is 3/64 or .0468. I have another Chinese carburetor & the the jets in that are marked 54F . Where do you suggest I start to fix this popping problem?

 

Did you change the plugs to be compatible with the electronic dist? It should require a different plug with a wider gap

 

You mentioned "distributor was original from 1953". I thought you have a later model engine. What is the engine in your truck? Does the new distributor have a vacuum advance on it?

 

Yes I have a 302 in my 53. I changed the distributor to a electronic with a build-in coil. I hate to admit the dumb mistake I made but maybe this help someone else. I was setting the timing for a 302HO. Once i changed the spark plugs wires around , it runs find now. I don't understand why the same size engine has two different firing orders. Is this common?
I am now struggling to install the Vintage Air evaporator under the dashboard. If any has any tips on how to do this please let me know.
Thanks ,

 

Thanks, You all have great help, thanks

 

Would you share the year model you are working with and the firing orders
I have a 302 that I will be installing soon, and am also using and HEI dist.
What plugs did you use?
Might save me some grief in the near future.
Thanks

 

The 302's with different firing orders is something I am not aware of. But now mentioned here, it will pop up in my mind.

On what 302 a person might have, with no knowledge or history of it, my thought would be the casting year on block or manifolds as best clue, being C-1960's, D-1970's and the following # as to the year. A look see for the available 302's for that year in Motors, Chilton or a repair manual you might have, as to the those available. Now I'm referencing what might be a stock or original engine. With 2 barrel carb, saying it a base 302, 4 barrel carb,it may be a higher performance engine. Tune spec I'd start with, what you determine it is most likely.

Except for a mechanical reason, consistent back fire thru carb is usually from crossed wires. Cap

 

I bought my 53 Ford F100, it had a 1975 302 engine in it. Ford made the 302 with a firing order of ( 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8 ). But also made a 302 HO with a firing order of ( 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 ) . I did not pay close attention & set the firing order for the 302 HO, High Output, which caused the engine to back fire. Once I changed the the firing order to the standard 302 the engine ran find. Hope this helps.
Gordon

 

My info is a little dated, however the 351 used a different firing order than the 289/302. In the 80s, a lot of performance cams used the 351 pattern, so some older hop ups will have a changed firing order, it doesn't surprise me that the HO used the 351 order. Really, there are only the two possible options.