did I fry my distributor?

[jpcjguy]

Hey everyone,

Still working on my CJ7. Got the timing cover on, and she cranks and backfires through the carb, but will not start.
I pulled the number 1 wire and held it about 1/2 from the oil filler tube and cranked to see if I got any arcing and nothing. I did see a small arc on the outside of the cap from the clamp near the number one plug. I have a picture(photoshoped) here:
http://joewatson.net/jeep/P1010062.jpg

and here are some random shots of the distributor and cap and rotor:
http://joewatson.net/jeep/P1010063.jpg
http://joewatson.net/jeep/P1010068.jpg
http://joewatson.net/jeep/P1010069.jpg
http://joewatson.net/jeep/P1010071.jpg

I must add that the distributor was filthy and I did use brake cleaner to clean the housing. Maybe some got in/on the distributor? If so, would that have killed it?

Thanks,
Joe

[runnamuck]

backfiring is almost always timing problem. pull the distributor back out and re-stab at no. 1 tdc.

the arc from the cap was a closer ground than anywere else. i would suggest an tfi upgrade at least. spark should jump at least a 1/2 inch and be blue. yellow is always back.

hth

[ironman_gq]

sounds like you put it in 180 degrees off. make sure #1 is a TDC on the compression stroke and that the rotor is pointing to the #1 terminal on the cap. Brake Kleen shouldnt hurt your dizzy unless it started to dissolve the cap or wires but that is very unlikely. When you get it to start put a timing gun on it and set it to whaterver your specs happen to be. :t:

[jeepsr4ever]

It looks like you are also at the edge of your timing. Move your plug wires over one hole and keep trying.

[73hornut]

On the cap,exchange the #1 and #6 plug wires, 8and5, 4and7, 3and2.