I decided to switch the 4bbl for my old 2bbl no leaks but still not getting it to crank. Set the timing but carb only smokes and any occasional fireball but no running brief start and that's it. Using msd 6A and points distributor. Need help once again.

All cylinders have spark and it's old gas

A large intake manifold leak will lean out the mixture and prevent the engine from starting. It sounds like you either have a very large intkae leak or, more likely, your timing is off. Usually the timing ends up being too far advanced. Put cylinder # 1 at TDC on the compression stroke and verify that the rotor is pointing at the #1 plug tower on the distributor cap.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

I have done that but don't remember which way to turn the distributor to decrease the advance

Turn the distributor body clockwise to retard the timing.

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Somehow I ended up owning three 1964 slant six A-bodies. I race one of them.
Escape Velocity Racing

The rotor turns clockwise. Rotate the distributor body clockwise to retard ting and counterclockwise to advance timing.

Which cylinder are you referring to as cylinder one? How did you determine that cylinder one is at tdc on the compression stroke and not the exhaust stroke?

I am not trying to be a jerk, but you are trying to run before you crawl. You need to understand basics like how to set and adjust the timing before you start modifying the engine.

Get a factory service manual, read it, and don't work on your car until you understand better how it works.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

# 1 is the cylinUnder closer to the alternator. I can determine that it's at tdc compression stroke from the air blowing out the #1 spark plug hole and check the balancer relative to the timing mark on it. And I have a Haynes manual read it Everyday. But still have the original service one as well.

Just using a common Felpro gasket will be easier to seal up than the old metal shim manifold gasket. And don't fear putting a thin amount of RTV on the intake ports, and even a bit of copper RTV on the exhaust ports.

Old gas is certainly a bad idea to use with all the other complicating factors. Can you set up some fresh gas in a jug to pull up into the pump?

How are you checking for spark? It needs to jump at least a 1/4" gap in open air; jumping a spark plug gap in open air is not an adequate check. It takes a lot more spark voltage to jump that small gap when in a cylinder filled with compressed fuel/air mixture.

Checked with screwdriver. Accidental shock

What we're saying is that you can see a spark jump on the plug electrode, but that doesn't mean the spark is strong enough to hold up in the compression of the cylinder. The fact that you have spark is a great sign, hopefully you didn't get shocked too bad. A spark tester has a 1/4" gap so if you get spark with a tester, or the spark had to jump 1/4 to shock you, then it's good enough spark.

How close to the #1 tower is the rotor; the #1 tower should be in the lower right quadrant of the cap. See this diagram:
http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki ... _order.jpg

brian

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https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

I usually check spark with a timing light. You need one anyway to set the timing properly. With the spark plug installed and the wire attached, hook the timing light to #1 spark plug wire and have someone crank the engine over. If you don't get a flash, you're not getting spark. Make sure all the cords are clear of rotating parts.

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Somehow I ended up owning three 1964 slant six A-bodies. I race one of them.
Escape Velocity Racing

This is a video of the current situation.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=you ... ToESNlCwto

If you've already verified that you have a good spark, and you're sure that the carb is getting fuel (can you see the squirt from the accelerator pump when you actuate the throttle?), and you're sure that the distributor is set to #1 TDC, then you might just be 180 degrees out. i.e. you're trying to spark at the top of the exhaust stroke. Remember that the crank rotates twice for every rotation of the camshaft and distributor. Check all the other stuff first, though.

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Somehow I ended up owning three 1964 slant six A-bodies. I race one of them.
Escape Velocity Racing

Spark check gas check. What do you mean by 180 degrees out?

Has this car been sitting for a while? And, when you say fireball, do mean a backfire up out of the carb? (If you would answer everyone's questions posed, that would be a big help; they're being asked for good reason.)

From the video, it sounds to be firing on a couple of cylinders. So spark is likely there. But take the wire from the coil to the distributor and lay where it has a 1/4" gap to metal and crank to see if it jumps the gap. Reconnect and repeat for 1 plug wire. This is all to make sure you have decent spark and get that possibility completely eliminated.

I would pour a small cap full of fresh gas straight down the carb throat and immediately crank it; if it fires up for a few seconds and then dies, you have a fuel problem. If it backfires, then the spark timing is all screwed up or the vales are somehow not in sync. Since you say you have had smoke and (maybe?) backfires, that is a sign of messed up timing or valves sticking/hanging open.