Wont stay running. What to check?

[Ponyryd]

It’s pretty easy, #1 is at the rear, it’s marked on the cap, make a mark with a sharpie on the cap seating ring of where #1 is on the cap, turn the engine over by hand (I forget the size, 13/16 or 21mm I think) until the rotor points at #1and the crank pulley points at the 0 position on the timing pointer-left lower of front of engine, if it lines up with the distributor cranked balls-deep, then yea, it’s out a tooth or two. Remove and reset it in the correct position, hold down for the distributor is 1/2”.

[Bksrt8]

Oh awesome, ill check it out when its not -30 lol. Thanks! It will idle ok now. I had to rearrange my driveway due to a broken brake line on my rover and the car sat and idled nicely for probably 20 mins....then i stalled it cause my 5 speed game is weak and the battery is so shit that it wouldnt fire it back up. So a few things require improvements.....baby steps.

[Ponyryd]

^You sure its charging?

[Bksrt8]

Its not charging very well. It reads 13.6 when its running its just really weak and doesnt like to hold a charge

[Ponyryd]

13.6 is fine, just making sure it’s not running off the battery alone, low voltage can cause running problems.

[Bksrt8]

I think that was my main issue...that and the stupid air filter....looks more like a block off plate than a filter lol

[5.4MarkVIII]

Popping from the exhaust would also indicate not firing in the correct order. (Distributed as mentioned)

I have not delt with the old 5.0 for a few years but wasn’t there a common cam change that required a different firing order? HO vs non HO or something like that?

[Ponyryd]

Yes, 351 cams are used in the 302 H.O. engine which changes the firing order to the 351 order (obviously). I hate to admit it but I got caught with this one time last year, I was installing a comp cam, trick flow heads and Edelbrock intake on a buddy’s 85 Gt. It was running terrible during break-in, and after what seemed like racking my brain forever I figured I’d try the 302 non-h.o. firing order and it was all good.......well I took out a 351 cam, but the comp cam he got was a 302 firing order.
I doubt that’s the issue here though as any distributor massaging won’t change the firing order so it will always backfire.

[Bksrt8]

Its got a b cam but id imagine it would use the 302 firing order

[Intmdtr]

I don’t want to sound like an ass, but are you sure you know what is installed in the car? Or just going off what someone has told you? It’s going to be awfully hard to help you diagnose anything if the info you provide isn’t correct....

Just stating a point, going by your pro 5.0 post....