question about 318 firing order

[Faulkner]

John Middleton asks the question:

Hi Dan- I have a quick question - I just screwed up the spark plug wire order on my '59 318 and don't know what the firing order is from the engine. If I am sitting in the car facing forward and looking down on the engine is the plug order:

1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8

or is it:

1 5
2 6
3 7
4 8

I'm thinking it's the second -- in other words, one head is 1-4, the other is 5-8. Correct?

John also says:

I am still looking for a passenger side front fender Spear trim piece. They seem to be as rare as hens teeth.

Can anyone help John out? He has a SF -- I think it's the tip piece he's looking for.

So John, when are you sending pix to put in the Showcase?!

Dan

[Matthew Keij]

I looked it up in the Service Manual. It says this:

Cylinder numbering (From front of the engine)

Left bank 1-3-5-7
Right bank 2-4-6-8

Firing order 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2

It's for all V8 engines

[Faulkner]

Cylinder numbering (From front of the engine)

Left bank 1-3-5-7
Right bank 2-4-6-8

Matthew, does "from front off engine" mean, standing in front, facing engine? I always dislke the manual's use of left vs. right -- I think they should use driver's side or passenger's side...

Dan

[Matthew Keij]

Yeah they should use DS and PS.

Because it's a service manual i think they mean you should see it when you stand in front of the engine. So that would make left => PS and right => DS
There's nothing else about it in the manual

[Fins59]

I think you determine left side and right side as if sitting in drivers seat, not standing in front facing engine. I read this somewhere but of course can't remember where. But I've always thought this was the case.

[Matthew Keij]

I always thought that too but in this case I think they mean when you stand in front of it.
I guess the front of the engine is where that flywheel (or what is it?) is

[Fins59]

Ok, back to left vs right. I dug out my cardboard reference of wiring placement which I made when I detailed my engine. I had all wires laying on bench so wanted to make sure I put them back in correct order in which I removed them. (#1 wire going to #1@ distributor, etc) According to my chart - sitting in drivers seat - left bank (drivers side) of engine (front to rear) is 1 3 5 7 and right bank (pass side) front to rear is 2 4 6 8. I have an old "Motor" Manual and they describe it as - Cylinder numbering (font to rear): left bank 1-3-5-7 and right bank 2-4-6-8. This cylinder numbering, by the way, applies to the 361 engine also. I too see that the Ply Manual states "from front of engine" . Kinda confusing. After all this typing I just found a picture. Will try and send it.

[Faulkner]

That diagram's a keeper -- thanks, John.

Dan

[Nighthawk]

You always view a vehicle from the rear,so left is always drivers side and right is always passenger side!