Cant catch a break

Se7en thanks! That's the article I'd printed out last week, with ref to Pertronix II

Doug Lawson's article on static timing with Pertronix info at the end: http://home.mindspring.com/~purlawson/files/StaticTiming.pdf

SE7EN

Basics about timing lights: If it is a conventional induction type, it will need 12V supply (from battery terminals etc., not the coil) plus the induction clip on the No.1 spark plug wire. Note the clip must be on the right way around; if it it backwards, the gun won't fire. Even if the engine doesn't start, you should get a flash on cranking. The type of electronic ignition shouldn't matter, since no matter what it is, it still has to generate a high voltage pulse in the spark plug wire, and all you are doing is trying to get that pulse to the spark plug at the right time. You should see the flash light up an area of the engine bay (unless your garage is too bright) where it is pointed (and not at your eyes!). If you have a fancy gun that comenstates for advance, turn that feature off. If it has a built-in dwell meter, try using the gun without that too. ( Could be what geo0 is thinking about.)

To further what zpi-tph says, check to see that the drive spindle/gear for the dizzy is oriented correctly. In my car it was out a tooth or two, so the rotor pointed to 12 rather than 2 o'clock. (I fixed it.) I suspect removal of the dizzy at some point pulled the shaft out and it settled back in the wrong position. And recheck the spark plug wire sequence. If retarding the dizzy causes back-firing but advancing it won't get the car started, the order isn't right.

With any timing light and any distributor, if the engine runs fast enough to advance the timing (by the counter-weights and/or the vaccuum advance) the mark on the pully will immmediately be off the pointer scale where you can't see it. The spec for your engine probably calls for the vaccuum advance to be disconnected and plugged and a specific rpm so that the weights are just at the point of advance. Your electronic ignition system should have similar instructions. 

 

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

Just recently, I read somewhere (MM tech article, I thought, but can't find it) that there was an EXCEPTION in regard to timing lights for the Pertronix II - different from the previous model, which I have. Anyone else know where to find that article? I have it printed out, at home in the garage, but can't find it online.

The good news is that, if it's backfiring, you've got sparkies.
Go for the low hanging fruit first. Firing order is 1,3,4,2 anti-clockwise as you're looking at the distributor. Hopefully, you have the 1/4 timing marks on the flywheel. (Visable when you take off the inspection cover. Helps to use a flashlight and mirror.) When that is at the pointer and both number one cylinder's valves are closed, the rotor should be point at 2 O'clock or so... if no one has messed things up before you...
Again, hopefully, you might have just put the plug wires on incorrectly. Do you by any chance happen to have any pictures of your engine bay before you installed the pertronix? That might help on the plug wires even if someone's messed it up....

 

So I bought a timing light after having problems after installing a ignitor II, and looks to be defective right out of the box.  Arrrggh!  Cant catch a break.  Picked it up last night at sears, so looks like I'm going back to exchange it.  Wont light up at all.  Power is going to the gun, but no strobe effect.  Had the wife spin the engine by popping the starter, has the bracket for the timinig marks, but cant find anything on the pulley.  So looks like I'm either going ALL the way back to step one, or swapping the points back in, and leaving it.  Tried manually turning the distributor to see if its just slightly off, and its backfiring through the carb.