# Chevy 350 V8 not firing on all 8 cylinders



## The1965Ghost (Feb 25, 2010)

Can anyone give me diagnostic ideas to figure out why my Chevy 350 V8 Small Block isn't firing on all 8 cylinders and why it differs from which ones that do decide to fire?
It has a points type distributor.
Spark plug gap is at .035.
New spark wires are installed.
The dwell gap in the distributor has been set right.
Spark plugs are new.
First it ran on 5 cylinders, before wires were new.
Now its gotten to only one cylinder firing on one side each, and it continues to differ.
What am I missing? Distributor cap be bad? Something else?
Thanks


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## whatup (May 22, 2011)

how about your rotor button?


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

Also yes, the cap being bad and not making a good contact can cause that. Check inside the cap for moisture too.


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## The1965Ghost (Feb 25, 2010)

Everything looks fine with the rotor and the cap. I dont understand it :sigh:


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## mack1 (Nov 27, 2007)

The1965Ghost said:


> Everything looks fine with the rotor and the cap. I dont understand it :sigh:


Did you replace the points and condensor? You might want to take another look at the gap at the points. With the cap off, turn the engine and make sure the rotor button is rotating and the points are opening and closing on each lobe of its cam. 

Very best regards,
Mack1


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## The1965Ghost (Feb 25, 2010)

mack1 said:


> Did you replace the points and condensor?


I don't believe that we replaced the points.



> make sure the rotor button is rotating and the points are opening and closing on each lobe of its cam.


Ill check this out, though it should be working just fine. I'll reply when I get the chance to check this out.
To be sure though, the points and cam of the distributor is the thing on the center of the dist. with lobes for pushing up and letting down the point as it spins?


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

35 is good make sure the point surfaces touch ALL the way, change them if they don;t change the condenser make sure theres no burns marks on the cap or rotor, make sure theres no crud on any contact surface, wire ends included, and use dielectric grease on both ends of the wires. Make sure the wires are rated for a 350 too, 350's are kinda like 327's they only like certain wire types. I don;t know about teh older 350's but older 327's hate graphite wires


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## The1965Ghost (Feb 25, 2010)

Oh well, I swapped to HEI anyway. Maybe once I get more knowledge of the points distributor, I can set one up to run real nice and also do proper wiring to the resistor (which wasn't done)


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

HEI is an good system, I only had one problem with it in 10 years, but its personal pref too, I'm not a fuel injection guy, give me either the old fuel injection that came BEFORE carbs, or a carb with points ad condenser any day.


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