American V8 Firing Orders


V8 Firing DiagramThere’s nothing more frustrating than finishing up a build late at night and not remembering the firing order so you can install the plug wires and fire that baby up. Most of us naturally know the firing order for engines we are familiar with, but that doesn’t make much difference if you’re a Chevy guy and you’re helping a buddy finish his ’57 Caddy build and you’re hoping to hear it run before your wife makes you come in from the garage at 1:00 am. This handy chart should help you out so feel free to copy it and tape it in the top of your tool box. 

Click here to download PDF for print

 

ENGINE

Distributor Rotation

Firing
Order

Cylinder Banks, FRONT TO BACK
Left = Driver's Side
Right = Passenger Side

AMC V8
(all)

Clockwise

18436572

Left: 1-3-5-7, Right 2-4-6-8

Buick V8
Most V8s except HEI

Clockwise

18436572

Left:1-3-5-7, Right: 2-4-6-8

Cadillac
up to ‘67

Clockwise

18726543

Left:1-3-5-7, Right: 2-4-6-8

Cadillac
’68-74

Clockwise

15634278

Left: 2-4-6-8, Right: 1-3-5-7

Chevrolet V8
(all)

Clockwise

18436572

Left: 1-3-5-7, Right 2-4-6-8

Chevrolet V8
Gen V, VI

No Distributor

18436572

Left: 1-3-5-7, Right 2-4-6-8

GM LS V8 

No Distributor

18726543

Left: 1-3-5-7, Right 2-4-6-8

Chrysler V8
(small blocks) 

Clockwise

18436572

Left: 1-3-5-7, Right 2-4-6-8

Chrysler V8
(big blocks & Hemi)

Counter-
Clockwise

18436572

Left: 1-3-5-7, Right 2-4-6-8

Chrysler
5.7L Hemi V8 

No Distributor

18436572

Left: 1-3-5-7, Right 2-4-6-8

Desoto V8

Counter-
Clockwise

18436572

Left: 1-3-5-7, Right 2-4-6-8

Early Ford V8
272,292,312

Counter-
Clockwise

15486372

Left: 5-6-7-8, Right 1-2-3-4

Most Ford V8

Counter-
Clockwise

15426378

Left: 5-6-7-8, Right 1-2-3-4

Ford 5.0L
HO, 351W, 351M, 351C, 400

Counter-
Clockwise

13726548

Left: 1-2-3-4, Right 5-6-7-8

Most Ford Modular V8 4.6/5.4L

No Distributor

13726548

Left: 1-2-3-4, Right 5-6-7-8

Ford 5.0L
Coyote

No Distributor

15486372

Left: 1-2-3-4, Right 5-6-7-8

Ford Flathead V8
1932-53

Clockwise

15486372

Left: 5-6-7-8, Right 1-2-3-4

Hudson V8
1955-57

Clockwise

184436572

Left: 1-2-3-4, Right 5-6-7-8

Lincoln V8
1949-51

Clockwise

15486372

Left: 5-6-7-8, Right 1-2-3-4

Lincoln V8
1952-76

Counter-
Clockwise

15486372

Left: 5-6-7-8, Right 1-2-3-4

Oldsmobile V8
1949-64

Counter-
Clockwise

18736542

Left: 1-3-5-7, Right 2-4-6-8

Oldsmobile V8
1961-64
F85

Counter-
Clockwise

 

18436572

Left: 1-3-5-7, Right 2-4-6-8

Oldsmobile V8
1965-76

Counter-
Clockwise

18436572

Left: 1-3-5-7, Right 2-4-6-8

Pontiac V8*
1955-81

Counter-
Clockwise

18436572

Left: 1-3-5-7, Right 2-4-6-8

Pontiac 307
(Chevrolet engine)

Clockwise

18436572

Left: 1-3-5-7, Right 2-4-6-8

Packard
V8 (all)

Clockwise

18436572

Left: 1-3-5-7, Right 2-4-6-8

Studebaker
V8 (all)

Counter-
Clockwise

18436572

Left: 1-3-5-7, Right 2-4-6-8

 

Note:

All American V8s have offset cylinder banks to accommodate side-by-side rod pairing on the crank throws. In the absence of published information, the number one cylinder will almost always be the one that is farthest forward regardless of which bank it is on.

* The exception to this rule is the Pontiac V8 where the forward most cylinder is on the passenger side. The number one cylinder is still on the front left side, but it is not the most forward cylinder on the block.