Ignition problems

Started by midnight sun, December 10, 2005, 02:08:34 PM

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midnight sun

I have about 2000 miles on my 327.  Ignition system is a GM HEI unit.  When I was in Louisville this summer I came out one morning and it wouldnt start.  Pulled a plug and connected it to the plug wire and turned it over...no spark.  Went into one of the vendors and purchased a distributor cap, coil and rotor.  Installed them and it fired right off. The old rotor had a lot of carbon on top of it.  Have put around 200 miles on it since then.

The car has been sitting since around the first of October.  Went out yesterday to fire it off to get ready for a Christmas toy benefit for one of the local hospitals.  It wouldnt start.  Pulled a couple of plugs and gas ran out of them so I figured I had just flooded it.  Went and got a new set of plugs and also bought a new rotor since I hadnt bought a spare since Louisville.  Put in the new plugs and it fired right off.  Put the new rotor in the tool box.  Went out this morning to go to the rod run and it wouldnt start.  Yanked off the cap and installed the new rotor and it fired right off.  Went on the rod run and had no problems.  Probably started and stopped  4 or 5 times with no problem.  Put about 20 miles on it.

The rotor I took out looks just like the one did in Louisville.  Carbon all over the top.  Im stumped.  Not running a resistor or anything like that.  Just the stock dizzy.

Any ideas???
How can there be "self help" groups :?:

rooster

If the HEI is a older one I would check the pickup coil in the bottem of dizzy!

How does it run?

Stock cap ?

midnight sun

Quote from: "rooster"If the HEI is a older one I would check the pickup coil in the bottem of dizzy!

How does it run?

Stock cap ?

This is the second cap and it is stock, same as the first one.  I put it on in Louisville.  It came with a new coil.  The only thing I havent replaced yet is the control module.  When it runs it runs great.
How can there be "self help" groups :?:

1FATGMC

Quote from: "midnight sun"The only thing I haven't replaced yet is the control module.  When it runs it runs great.

That is what I would look at replacing.  I had one that would work intermittently.  I always have a spare with me along with a cap and coil.  

I was real happy I do when the coil went out just inside Texas last spring.  No fun working on your vehicle with semi's going by at 80 mph.

c ya, Sum

enjenjo

This is going to sound strange, check your engine grounds. If not grounded well, strange things can happen to an HEI.
Welcome to hell. Here's your accordion.

Bruce Dorsi

Quote from: "midnight sun"

Any ideas???



Is the carbon "button" in the cap wearing down?

If so, there may be too much end play in the distributor.
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If being smart means knowing what I am dumb at,  I must be a genius!

midnight sun

Quote from: "enjenjo"This is going to sound strange, check your engine grounds. If not grounded well, strange things can happen to an HEI.

Actually thats one my list of things to check.  Just read some info somewhere else that mentions engine grounds.  Also another interesting one is that a plug wire may be shorting out which can cause the cap/rotor to ground out.  Process of elimination I guess.
How can there be "self help" groups :?:

Charlie Chops 1940

When one of my boys was in high school he had a Buick 350 that wouldn't start 3 or 4 different days. Of course when I drove over there it always fired right up. The last thing I replaced was the pickup coil...the feed wire was broken inside the insulation. Just another thought.

Charlie
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying. "Wow...that was fun!"

Poster geezer for retirement....

A Hooligan!

tomslik

Quote from: "Charlie Chops 1940"When one of my boys was in high school he had a Buick 350 that wouldn't start 3 or 4 different days. Of course when I drove over there it always fired right up. The last thing I replaced was the pickup coil...the feed wire was broken inside the insulation. Just another thought.

Charlie


...and most likly on a vac advance HEI.
i got a Tommy Johnson special that'll leave ya walking......

new parts are not nessassarily GOOD parts....
pulled the POS and grabbed a used one out of the attic and has been fine ever since, even after we sold the car.


oh yeah, WELLS rebuilt stuff is even worse.....
watch what ya buy.
The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it\'s still on my list