'80 442 Vortec swap won't run...

[HotRods442]

As title says, swapped a 5.7 Vortec into my 442, now it won't run... Got rid of efi & ecm, installed a cheap Chinese clone of Edelbrock's Vortec Etec spreadbore intake, and a Chinese Quadrajet, as well..
New HEI Distributor, (Accel performance), adding Accel HEI Supercoil, and performance module... China struck twice more, with a Vortec mini starter, and a chrome one wire 140amp Alternator, bought a standard rebuild kit to return it to 3 wire, and replace the parts that typically fail, with that particular listing, according to reviews...
Got a Carter rotary external fuel pump, (since Vortec doesn't support mechanical pump, unless you get a roller cam that includes the eccentric)...
Given all the parts thrown at it, under normal circumstances, the Vortec should have fired right up... But for reasons yet undiscovered, refuses to run... One very odd thing, timing set static, Timing mark lined up, point rotor at #1, cap #1 plug wire lined up with rotor, etc. Checked cranking with timing light, fires 90 degrees advanced...
Replaced ignition switch, hoping a contact was culprit, nope... I have checked, and/or replaced everything I could think of, that might cause this no start issue... So far, nothing has made a difference...
I had an '82 Blazer 4 bolt 350 in it, which ended up having a cracked block, discovered cracks in valley, just below deck, on both sides, when I pulled heads, prepping for vortec head swap... It ran fine, prior to that...

Anyone have a similar issue? Seems far deeper than the typical reasons for a no start condition... Thanks in advance, for any assistance given...

 

[86LK]

so it does turn over? what happens if you spray Startnig Fluid down the throat? does it catch and die? then I would say fuel system. otherwise, start going over the ignition system one by one; plugs, wires, coil, distributor, etc.

 

[HotRods442]

so it does turn over? what happens if you spray Startnig Fluid down the throat? does it catch and die? then I would say fuel system. otherwise, start going over the ignition system one by one; plugs, wires, coil, distributor, etc.

Yep, turns over... Funny story, the pump didn't act like it was doing anything, so pulled line, to see flow, shot 15 feet over drivers fender... yep getting fuel, pump shot works... but acts like it isn't getting any... Spark happens, but so far haven't found where it fires, turning distributor... Don't have starting fluid on hand, so haven't tried that... need to edit post, I installed a Cloyes single roller timing set, to make sure cam timing is correct... Also, first attempt bolting up intake, I went 10lbs over spec for Edelbrock's Vortec Etec, had a viscious vacuum leak, got thicker felpro set, no audible leak, after 11lb torqued... It tried to run when it had the vacuum leak... Plugs, wires, cap & rotor, module, coil, distributor, are all new...

 

[UC645]

Yep, turns over... Funny story, the pump didn't act like it was doing anything, so pulled line, to see flow, shot 15 feet over drivers fender... yep getting fuel, pump shot works... but acts like it isn't getting any... Spark happens, but so far haven't found where it fires, turning distributor... Don't have starting fluid on hand, so haven't tried that... need to edit post, I installed a Cloyes single roller timing set, to make sure cam timing is correct... Also, first attempt bolting up intake, I went 10lbs over spec for Edelbrock's Vortec Etec, had a viscious vacuum leak, got thicker felpro set, no audible leak, after 11lb torqued... It tried to run when it had the vacuum leak... Plugs, wires, cap & rotor, module, coil, distributor, are all new...

As much as I’ve fought ignition with the chinesum MSD knockoffs in the past, I’d point my finger at the Chinese quadrajet.
If it tried to run with a massive vacuum leak, but won’t with the leak sealed, it sounds like an air issue.

 

[HotRods442]

As much as I’ve fought ignition with the chinesum MSD knockoffs in the past, I’d point my finger at the Chinese quadrajet.
If it tried to run with a massive vacuum leak, but won’t with the leak sealed, it sounds like an air issue.

Carb was decent on last sbc, might clean it, if bowl looks like the filter... I have 2 Chinese qjets, the first sucked out of the box, second is far better quality, and it's been good on both my Dodge van, and the 442... Given the pump's flow rate, it'll take it, no problem... Gotta agree about knockoffs, it has been bad as of late... I did notice Accel may have altered the Supercoil/module, bet they had to, to get CARB EO numbers for them..

 

[ssn696]

No chance that the distributor is 180 degrees out of phase? That has bitten me before. I've also run into adjusting the valves too tight, before the lifters were fully pumped up, so that I had no compression.

 

[HotRods442]

No chance that the distributor is 180 degrees out of phase? That has bitten me before. I've also run into adjusting the valves too tight, before the lifters were fully pumped up, so that I had no compression.

Another good answer... Well, it's possble, but I had thought of that, and flipped rotor/shaft 180 degrees, and hunted for the spark through 120 degree rotation... No difference... Oddly, one would think it'd backfire, when spark event happens while a valve is open... Not a peep, through the 240 degrees, I was able to check... Which would indicate no fire, normally... But using a screwdriver to test #1, it does fire, regularly. Not intermittently... I just got a remote start switch, so I can test compression, set timing with light, and dive a bit deeper down this rabbit hole... If that don't do it, I'm going to put my old distributor in, long enough to test it... Valves are a possibility as well, given it hasn't fully pumped them up yet... A compression test will reflect that, or if any valves are stuck open... I don't believe any are, as cranking is even, giving no indication of loss...
On a side note, I've been an ASE certified mechanic, since '91, and I've never had this much trouble getting a car to run...

 

[HotRods442]

Update, checked compression, it has none, to very little...
Sure wish I'd torn this engine down, and cleaned it thoroughly, before installing it...

 

[08Malibu]

Well that sucks. All cylinders low?

 

[383_StealthRam]

Wow after all that?

With little to no compression it couldn't have sounded very normal when cranking?

Any improvement with some oil squirted in the holes?

That's really unfortunate. 🙁