Fuel pump gone bad?

[Click_It]

Fuel filter in, coil in. Got spark, got fuel! All parts = check!

Crank the car several times. Got fuel! Crank more and it just doesn't start, gets close a few times and backfires out the carb. At first I wonder if I installed the distributor wrong - I've heard they can go either way 180 degrees but this one appears to only want to go in 1 way. Correct me if I'm wrong. I certainly get spark.

So I believe it's a timing issue now (again correct me if you think I'm wrong). But I don't really know what I'm doing when it comes to adjusting that. Lost without my workshop manual which I'll probably trip over once the car is running again.

I've got a friend coming by Friday night, he's a 2nd year apprentice mechanic so between us it should be easy enough, he'll bring all his tools too. I figured if I have to adjust timing, new belts are cheap, I should just buy a new one and knock out a future service.

Any final thoughts or tips that I should be aware of? Fingers crossed the car is running by the weekend! I won't jinx myself this time

Oh, a guy dropped in today and reckoned my wires were not in right order. They were, but thanks to him now they're not. I know the distributor is 1-3-4-2, can anyone confirm the order on the block for me?

-- I took photos doing the fuel pump so I might make up a mini guide on that once this is all over. Very simple job, took me 20 minutes, should take anyone else 5-10

[FestYboy]

Looking at the engine from the front: left to right, 1 2 3 4. Looking at the dizzy from the passenger side: clockwise from the 11 o'clock position, 1 2 4 3. With cyl 1 at TDC, the rotor under the cap should point to 11 o'clock, and the cam gear notches are at 12 and 3 while looking at it from the driver side.

[Click_It]

Awesome. Well there was 1 mistake already, I had the wrong firing order on the dizzy on 1 3 4 2, it must have been correct beforehand obviously. Thanks once more for your help. Almost there!

I'd like to somehow summarize this thread when I'm back up and running, into 1 handy post with images and info so that it can help someone in the future without having to read this entire thing.

[Click_It]

Winnie the festiva is alive again!

Thanks Festyboy for all your help, car would still be dead without it!

The timing belt looked bad though so I'm p putting a new one in tomorrow, plus brake flush, machine the discs, new pads, rrplace some bushings etc. Should be a happy little car again.

[FestYboy]

Awesome