non starter after tappet adjustment

Hi All need some help, recently had tappets sized correctley and now I've refitted them and put the cam back as I took it out refitted it all and now the car turns over but refuses to start! at no stage did I take the dizzi out and there is a spark at the plugs I could have the leads in the wrong order but when I lined up 4th cylinder tdc the rotor arm in the dizzi I think lines up with the fourth plug lead [nearest to the front of the car] I was wondering if I have not put the cam wheel back exactly as it came out, would it stop the car from starting and with the 4th cylinder at tdc what position would the cam lobes for that cylinder be in ?? any help would be gratefully recieved :?:
 
The TDC mark denotes that position on cyls 1 & 4, so you could have the leads 180 degrees out. Normally it's pretty obvious which lead goes where but if you are 180 degrees out they tend to spit back through the carb as you crank them. If that's the case, or you just want to eliminate the possibility, swap over all 4 leads, interchanging the opposite leads on the cap and try again. FYI the cam lobes will be upper most on the cylinder that's firing.
 
Cheers Harvey for the reply, I think I've chopped and changed the leads without success but will do so again, sorry to sound a bit thick so No4 cylinder is at TDC means the cam lobe for the inlet valve is pointing up?? :?
forgot to say obviously had the twin carbs off but petrol if getting through so it's not that
 
kevinchown said:
so No4 cylinder is at TDC means the cam lobe for the inlet valve is pointing up?? :?

If that cylinder is at TDC on the power stroke then the lobes for both valves will be pointing upwards. From TDC on down to just before BDC both valves need to be closed. If it's TDC at the end of the exhaust stroke then the exhaust valve will be just closing and the inlet just opening, so the lobes will be pointing downwards.
 
hi just an update, it fired up yesterday once I jumped started it from my 30 year old saab! I think there was oil in the bores preventing it starting so assume that the cam is set correctly or surely it would run? thanks for the help Harvey any other advice always appreciated.
 
kevinchown said:
so assume that the cam is set correctly or surely it would run?

Setting the valve clearances shouldn't alter either the cam or ignition timing, other than if you put the leads back on in the wrong order. So now it's running you can check the ignition timing if you want, but unless you slackened the distributor the timing should be at the same setting as it was before you started.
 
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