1997 k2500 350 Vortec will not start after head gasket replacement

[Chevkid]

Alright guys I have been spending the last 6 months trying to get this k2500 done and it has been ups and downs the whole way.

This being my first vehicle and being 16 I have DIY’d everything. About two months ago I found coolant in the oil after replacing water pump that had gone and I knew head gasket may be an issue. Fast forward a couple weeks the heads are out, I find a crack in a coolant line in one head of course. I bought a new 906 head and had both good heads magnafluxxed and resurfaced.

I have now got everything back together with new gaskets, but have one problem. The damn thing won’t start, it cranks and sputters and backfires but just sounds like timing is off. I had no clue how this could be but I took the distributor out as that is the only thing I touched that would effect timing and put it back in top dead center compression and installed it making sure the cam sensor was facing towards number 1 cylinder tower all like I did the first time.

Go to start it, same thing but maybe a little closer to starting. I moved the distributor in every which way I could, but still nothing, just backfires more or less. Thinking possibly faulty distributor somehow? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated as I get my licence in a week and want to get the thing on the road. Thanks.

 

[Vikingdude]

You didn't say it was a 96-99, but you mentioned 906 heads, which are for the 5.7 vortec so I'll leap to some conclusions.

Your issue sounds a lot like what I had when I did intake gaskets. I had misunderstood the directions I read about lining up the cam sensor/distributor. I thought once it was seated, the window was supposed to be lined up with the dot. You actually want to line the window and the dot up with each other out of the truck, THEN seat the distributor. Once the housing is seated all the way, they wont be synced up anymore. The cam sensor trigger wheel will rotate with the curvature of the cam gear.

To get it "in the ballpark" the flat part of the distributor can be roughly lined up with the flat part of the rear of the intake manifold. It should start like this, but you will need to set the CMP Retard with a scanner, or a bluetooth OBD connector and an app like dash command. I was never able to get torque pro to work.

Make sure your plug wires are on correctly, that's an easy one to get wrong.

 

[Chevkid]

Your assumption is right it’s a 97 5.7 vortec. So what your saying is make sure the cam sensor is lined up with #1 tower outside. THEN install and let it rotate clockwise?

 

[Vikingdude]

That's correct.

 

[Chevkid]

You didn't say it was a 96-99, but you mentioned 906 heads, which are for the 5.7 vortec so I'll leap to some conclusions.

Your issue sounds a lot like what I had when I did intake gaskets. I had misunderstood the directions I read about lining up the cam sensor/distributor. I thought once it was seated, the window was supposed to be lined up with the dot. You actually want to line the window and the dot up with each other out of the truck, THEN seat the distributor. Once the housing is seated all the way, they wont be synced up anymore. The cam sensor trigger wheel will rotate with the curvature of the cam gear.

To get it "in the ballpark" the flat part of the distributor can be roughly lined up with the flat part of the rear of the intake manifold. It should start like this, but you will need to set the CMP Retard with a scanner, or a bluetooth OBD connector and an app like dash command. I was never able to get torque pro to work.

Make sure your plug wires are on correctly, that's an easy one to get wrong.

I never checked to make sure the windows under the rotor were lined up that is probably it.

 

[skylark]

If it isn't a distributor problem, check the ground at the back of the passenger side head and rerun the valves.

 

[Erik the Awful]

Distributor 180* out? Remember, there's TDC on the compression stroke and TDC on the exhaust stroke. You can tell if you're on the compression stroke by pulling the valve cover and ensuring both valves are closed.

 

[Schurkey]

You can tell if you're on the compression stroke by pulling the valve cover and ensuring both valves are closed.

True. However, TDC-Exhaust will have both valves very slightly open on overlap. Easy to mistake overlap for "closed" valves, especially if the lifters bleed down.