Thread: Help, engine just quit, no spark

Tweet

Hi everyone, I need some help from you Chevy gurus. From my other posts you know we just bought a street rod. Now we are proud owners of a non starting street rod.

Its got a crate 350, with HEI, Edelbrock 600 on it too. I was told about 2000 miles on it, but it sat for a bit.

The order of occurances up to now are.

Driving down the street, eveything ok, running fine, stopped at the store for 10 min or so, came out and started it, and it ran like crud. It hardly idled in drive, surged and shuddered, no backfiring though.

Well, since I was told it had sat for a bit, I went and got plugs and wires for it.

Replace said plugs and wires, the plugs were shot, porceline cracked and broke on a few, even being easy on them. Easiest plugs I ever replace though, just take the side panels off and had them done in 10 min, beats the 2:5 hrs it took to do my Super Bee with headers.

So I started it up and it ran the same, surging, idled like crap, rev it up and it was ok till you tried holding it steady, then it surged again.

Soooo. Hmmm looked at the carb, and there was no filter on the line, great, probably got crud in it. So rebuilt the carb. It was bad too.

Rust and corosion yuck. Rebuilt, put it back on, and it still ran the same. Still stumbled at idle and shook and shaked.

Thinking I may have got the firing order wrong, I checked it again, found TDC and looked at the rotor, seemed ok. Tried again, no start.

Checked the dist wires and tried again, no start. Checked for spark, no spark. Grrrr. Ok, so the coil. Replace the coil, still no spark, wtf, what else controls spark on a GM HEI coil in cap?

Don't know what else to look at

sounds like your distributor went south if you are not getting any spark or it is frying the plugs.

The module in the HEI went south.

Originally Posted by jyardgirl

sounds like your distributor went south if you are not getting any spark or it is frying the plugs.

No spark at all, Is the module the flat thing on the distributer base? Yes i am a uneducated GM guy, feel free to make fun of me now.

Yes, under the rotor and remember that the only dumb question is the one that isn't asked.

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

Yes, under the rotor and remember that the only dumb question is the one that isn't asked.

Hmm, I guess thats the only thing that hasnt been replaced. Gotta go get one and try it, are they specific, or the same, my son has a 79 Monte with a V6 with HEI,

I don't think anyone on this forum will make fun of you for not knowing something. It's not that kind of forum.
Yep, that would be it under the rotor. When I had a car or truck with an HEI, I always carried an extra module in the glove box, along with the proper tools and light to change it at 2:00 O'Clock A.M. on the side of the freeway. Don't ask what I was doing on the freeway at 2 AM.

If you want to get cozy with that HEI and blueprint it, here's a pretty good tutorial...
Ignition 2 HEI

Originally Posted by techinspector1

I don't think anyone on this forum will make fun of you for not knowing something. It's not that kind of forum.
Yep, that would be it under the rotor. When I had a car or truck with an HEI, I always carried an extra module in the glove box, along with the proper tools and light to change it at 2:00 O'Clock A.M. on the side of the freeway. Don't ask what I was doing on the freeway at 2 AM.

If you want to get cozy with that HEI and blueprint it, here's a pretty good tutorial...
Ignition 2 HEI

Thanks, just kinda being silly, well maybe not, been a Mopar guy for 30 +yrs, gotta learn some new stuff.

I hear ya though, a friend had a 73 Nova a while ago that ate starters. He carried one around too, i helped him change it on two seperate occasions both times at night, both times in the KMart parking lot

Owning a hot rod is like owning a boat........if you aren't a good mechanic when you get one, you will be much better after you own it for a while. Seems like there is always some issue to try to resolve.

My thoughts were the module too, and if you take yours to the auto parts store and tell them 70's-80's Chevy V8 and show them yours to compare, you might be able to find a match. Of course, if you get one of the store "experts" like they hire these days who only knows how to look up specific cars in the computer, you might be in trouble. We got one of those yesterday morning, trying to buy a slightly shorter v belt for my Son Dans rpu. I had to educate HIM about how the numbering system on v belts works because he was dragging every belt in the store out, just comparing length. After I showed him how the inches were in the part number he found the right one.

I have always thought modules in these GM distributors just go totally out with no warning like you got. Every one I have heard of failing worked one minute and then didn't work at all the next. But it is possible to have one fail and run crappy for a bit, then go, I guess. You might also check with a volt meter to see what kind of voltage you have coming into the module. Could be a bad ignition switch, wiring, ground, etc.

Don

Plenty of good advice here. I love this site.
Kurt

I have also seen the small wires that go into the module fail and cause alot of the symptoms you're describing. Not saying this is your issue but while the module is out, test for continuity across the small wires.

Welcome aboard. A common problem with these modules is the wire will break, , easy to check, very gently tug at it where it attaches to the module.
Don't be afraid to ask here, they are the greatest people with the most information you will ever find! brian

Originally Posted by Oldmanb

Welcome aboard. A common problem with these modules is the wire will break, , easy to check, very gently tug at it where it attaches to the module.
Don't be afraid to ask here, they are the greatest people with the most information you will ever find! brian

I am totally unfamiliar with the GM system. Where do i check voltage and everything.

On the cap there are three wire connectors, two in front, Tach and Bat, then the one behind them with the mulitple wires that goes down to the base of the distributer.

The coil i installed was a bit different, the one i took out had three wires, a black which looked as if it was a ground then the red and purple one, the new one had 4 wires, Black, purple, red and another black ground wire?

I just attached it to the other screw that held the coil in. Where is this modules that everyone is talking about?

It is usually either the rotor or the HEI module. When you buy a new module, there are a couple of tips that will make your life easier......first, there are several variations of modules, defined by the number of "pins" or leads. Go to Tech's link and figure out which module you need. Second, dont buy a cheap crap module....you'll only be doing the change out again. Third, put the thermal grease under the module to dissipate the heat.

Look at your rotor. At the center on the underside, look for a small, pin sized black spot where the spark is arcing thru to ground against the distributor shaft. Many times, a module gets changed when the problem is the rotor. Many garages charge for a module change and fix the problem with a new rotor. Again, dont buy the crap brands that the off brand parts houses sell (Checker, PBs, etc sell crap usually)

mike in tucson

Originally Posted by robot

Look at your rotor. At the center on the underside, look for a small, pin sized black spot where the spark is arcing thru to ground against the distributor shaft. Many times, a module gets changed when the problem is the rotor. Many garages charge for a module change and fix the problem with a new rotor. Again, dont buy the crap brands that the off brand parts houses sell (Checker, PBs, etc sell crap usually)

mike in tucson

excellent mention i hadn`t worked on anything gm for nearly a hunnert years and had forgotten how many burned rotors i`d replaced