180 Out

[MikeIIDC@domain.elided]

Okay-

I have been tinkering with my '63 T'all all morning-rebuilt the carb,
put it back on, disconnected the fuel pump and ran a gravity line
directly to the carb and siphoned the gas to get it started.

I did this because the thing has not been stared since 1977, and I don't
have a lot of confidence in the liquid in the tank being gas any more!

Anyway, I can get it to fire, and can get it to catch with starter
fluid, but it does not continue to run after the starting fluid burns
out, and will not start on its own gas supply.  I can pump the carb by
hand and see that it is indeed spraying gas into the barrel, so I know
the gas is getting there.  And it does totally run on its own for a few
seconds after I spray the starting fluid in-well, I wouldn't say "run"
but continues to fire much more heartily!  At first I was getting a
little bit of backfire through the carb.  I decided to check the line-up
of the rotor and the spark plugs.  I took off the distributor cap, and
took out the foreward most spark plug (this is a BG220/straight six
cylinder).  I tried turning the engine by hand with one hand and feeling
for air compression-not real successful at this.  So I figured, "Well,
I'll try it this way, and if it doesn't work, I'll turn until the rotor
and lead from this wire are in line again, then try it.

So my main question is this:  Will the engine still "fire" if it is 180
out?  With starter fluid being more concentrated I am wondering if it
will cause some sort of firing even when not in sync.

Granted, I have not been able to check the alignment of the cylinder and
the rotor yet, as I am doing this single-handedly and don't know a good
way to do this.  I am having to play hit and miss.  Anyone got a better
way to do this?

Thanks!

Michael