Hey everyone.  Been working on this project  for a long time, and I've
reached a plateau.

Engine will crank all day but not run for more than one second or so.  Did
KOEO test, getting codes 23 67 81 82 85 87.  Engine will crank and catch,
idle for about 2.5 seconds tops, but never really what I'd call 'running.'
Had quite a few puffs of white smoke, but I think that was from sitting for
a quite a while and and a bit of starting fluid residue from starting
attempts in the past.

One one crazy thing I'm seeing is when I crank the engine, it appears to
rotating one direction, and when it actually 'catches' and runs for a second
or two, it looks like it rotates the other direction, which just doesn't
sound right to me.  The starter is from a Mercury 5.0, different firing
order, but that shouldn't matter, right?

--I had thought about the timing being too far adjusted, but thought if that
was the case, the engine wouldn't start at all.

--Someone told me that I may have the wrong distributor in the engine.  I
know it came from a 5.0.  The vanes inside the distributor tells the system
when #1 is coming up, but it doesn't know the rest of the firing order, as
far as I know.

Thanks in advance.

Gary in GA.