Classic/Antique Car Repair: timing, spark plug wire, piston engine

Question
MY BAD I MEANT 318 CID DODGE V8 5.2L
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-----Question-----
i have a 1984 318 i removed the distributor to do some other work , while it was out the engine was turned over how to i re-install the dist. so that the timing is correct and the engine will start, right now it is so out of wack it wont even start , just lag and backfire. please help
-----Answer-----
Hi Karl,
I'm not a BMW tech but any piston engine can be timed close enough to start by the following method.
Pull #1 plug and put your thumb over the plug hole and rotate the crank until you feel pressure on your thumb. Then insert a coat hanger or piece of welding rod into the plug hole to feel the top of the piston as you slowly rotate the crank further. You will be able to feel when the piston reaches TDC (top dead center).
Now you have #1 piston at TDC of the compression stroke. Remove the distributor cap and look to see which way the rotor is pointing. See if you can ID #1 spark plug wire.
Is there a small gear on the bottom of the distributor? If so note if the gear teeth are angled so that when you install the dist. the gear will rotate slightly so take that into account. Some of the older BMWs triggered the ignition off of the flywheel with two pickups so you may not see any electronics in the dist. At this point you are only timing the plug wires. Turn the crank just enough to note which way the dist. rotor turns. Reset the crank back to TDC (with your coat hanger) and look to see that you have the rotor pointed to the lug in the cap that has #1 plug wire. Now go around the cap to see that each plug wire is in it's correct order. I'm not a BMW tech but I think the 318i is a inline 6 cylinder. ALL inline 6 cylinder engines fire in the same order, 1,5,3,6,2,4
Keep in mind the direction the crank turns when it runs. It should rotate clockwise as you face the front of the engine. Most car engines rotate clockwise except a few but the 318i should rotate clockwise as you face the front of the engine.
I hope this helps,
Howard
MG, Triumph & Jaguar

Answer
I'm not a Dodge tech either but I have built a couple of 318 Dodge engines. Left front cylinder is #1 which you still do as I described above to get #1 at TDC. Then check to see that the timing mark on the front balancer is lined up with the "0" pointer on the front cover. Now check to see that the slot in the dist drive gear (which should still be in the block)is pointed forward. Now turn the dist rotor to point toward #1 plug wire peg in the cap. this is usually toward the right front of the engine (providing no one has altered it) At this time the blade of the dist shaft should be aligned with the slot in the top of the dist gear in the block. The rotor rotation is clockwise and the firing order is 1,8,4,3,6,5,7 and the cylinder arrangement is the left front is #1 and all odd numbers on the left bank 1,3,5,7 and even cylinders on the right bank 2,4,6,8. Left bank being the drivers side in US versions. after it starts, set the timing with a timing light to the specs on the sticker under the hood. This should get it started unless the 318 has 70,000 miles on it, in which case it may have a Morris chain on a plastic sprocket on the camshaft and it has jumped cam timing. Don't know if the 84s still had plastic cam sprocket but the older ones use to eat up the sprocket every 60 to 70K. Good luck, let me know how you do.
Howard