ok this is my first post!

i have a 1966 chevy chevelle with a 283 small block V8. the engine has a 2 barrel carb.

i have replaced the following, starter, fuel pump, fuel lines, fuel filter, distributor cap, coil, spark plugs, and spark plug wires. i have also spaced the points to .018", thats what my manual said to. the engine is still not getting spark. my dad said it could be the vacuum control on the distributor. would that help? the inside of the distributor looks good, no coroded parts or burn marks.

the car is getting gas, the engine turns over good too. any help would be great!!

dale

Check the ballast resistor to see if there is voltage on both sides 12 V from ign . and less on resistor side.

The vacum canister isnt going to keep the plugs from sparking all it does is advance the timeing when running

Disconnect the lead from the coil to the dist, put a piece of paper(match book) between the points, put an ohm meter on lead and see if it's grounded out, it's not to hard to have grounded it out when attaching the condenser lead and the coil lead to the points, If that checks out good, while the dist lead is disconnected check the coil (-)term and make sure you have voltage thru the coil, if you have voltage pull the coil lead from the dist put a pig tail on the (-) term on the coil and tap it to the manifold and you should get a spark out of the coil wire.

hot wire it & see if it starts. If it does, its probably your resistor wire. Also check the point gap again, some times if they weren't tight they'll close up on you & finally try replacing condensor, you'd be surprised how many times these go bad.

ok guys. thanks soo much for the help! i will try these sugestions and see what happens! thanks!

dale

PS. i know i sound dumb but can yal tell me were the resistor is in this car? thanks

For my 2.5 cents. When you changed the starter did you happen to swap or not hook up the two small gauge wires to the solniod. Purple wire on one side and one on the inside towards engine?(Can't remember wire color)that is if stock type starter

For my 2.5 cents. When you changed the starter did you happen to swap or not hook up the two small gauge wires to the solniod. Purple wire on one side and one on the inside towards engine?(Can't remember wire color)that is if stock type starter


i just looked. the pruple wire is closer to the engine than the other ( its orange). should i swap them? why would this stop the engine from starting? thaks

dale

Dale
one wire is from the ignition switch(to energize the solenoid) the second wire provides voltage to the coil for starting, until the key is back in the run position. if you have the wires crossed the starter shouldn't engage when you have the key in the start position.

If the starter works as advertised when you turn the key to the start position, check the (+) side of the coil with a volt meter while trying to start it, you should have voltage when the key is in the run position, when you turn it to the start position the voltage should drop off until the starter engages, at this point the starter solenoid provides the power to the coil when you release the key to the run position the ignition switch takes over the power supply to the coil.

ok before i swaped the wires the starter was working, the engine turned over just fine. i swaped the wires today but could not try to start it ( the battery was dead its charging). you are telling me that sence i swaped the wires that the starter wont work now?! grrrrr...... i have to take off the header to get to the starter ( cant fit my hand in there with the header on) so know i have to redo the wires again??? or im i reading something wrong? thanks

dale

I'm sorry you went to the trouble to change the wires around. My intent was to make you check the wiring. The purple wire energizes the starter to turn over. which you had right, but may have missed putting on the other wire which gives the coil 12volts to start when cranking as mentioned in above post by Beaverdriver. Sorry again

I'm sorry you went to the trouble to change the wires around. My intent was to make you check the wiring. The purple wire energizes the starter to turn over. which you had right, but may have missed putting on the other wire which gives the coil 12volts to start when cranking as mentioned in above post by Beaverdriver. Sorry again


lol ol well! lol both wires were on.... now i have to change them again! :D LMAO not upset or anything man! i could have sworn they were wrong. learn something everyday! esp with this car! lol thanks guys again for all the help!

dale

What he is trying to say above is the purple wire on the starter connects to the "S" terminal on the starter solenoid.

lol ol well! lol both wires were on.... now i have to change them again! :D LMAO not upset or anything man! i could have sworn they were wrong. learn something everyday! esp with this car! lol thanks guys again for all the help!

dale

Luke, you gotta get your mind right. What's your dirt doing in the bossman's hole?:D

ok another question to make sure i get this right. if the wires to the starter soleonoid are not in the right place on the soleonoid the engine will not turn at all right? or will the engine turn but get no spark? thanks

dale

Purple wire to the "S" terminal, yellow wire to "R" terminal which goes up to the coil wire. The purple engages the starter. The yellow provides 12 V to start the engine ewhen the key is turned to start. If the solenoid is bad you may get the start but not ignition. Check for 12 V on the + side of the coil when cranking the engine.

ok will do thanks!!

dale

ok the starter is wired right. i tried swaping the wires but the engine would not turn over, so thats not the problem. the coil is getting power ( its a brand new coil). so whats next?? i replaced the ballisc resistor but the car still would not start. do i replace the points? the cap and rotor? the condencer has been replaced too.... im so lost, im not sure what else to try. thanks

dale

Hi Dale.

Basics first.

Do you have fuel at the carb. Does it spray into the carb when you move the accelerator? You also may have flooded the engine if you have been pumping the accelerator and dumping fuel into the motor.

Do you have spark at the plugs? Pull a plug and connect it to the wire/ ground it and crank the motor to see if there is spark. You may have power to the coil but the points are not opening/closing at the right time or the right duration. The rotor could be broken or the timing way off.

If you have never done these basics, maybe get some help from an "older" mechanic who can remember these items.

the engine is getting gas, the carb is spiting out gas when you pull the throtal. the spark plugs are not sparking. the gap for the points is .018". i will check the rotor. the "old timer" is my dad! lol he has been helping but he works third shift so he is normaly sleeping when im working on the car. thanks! i will see what i can see when it stops raining! thanks again!

dale

Dale,

I'm 2.5 hrs away, I can shoot down there 1 weekend and I will be in Charlotte for the weekend of April 16th let me know and we will have it running before I leave!!! lol

i had a car car do the same thing to me and it turned out to be a bad ignition.

A quick way to hot wire an old car is to bypass the ignition switch. Connect a 12 ga. wire from the positive side of the battery to the positive side of the coil. Use your key to turn the starter. If the engine fires, you have a wiring problem or an ignition switch problem. If it does start, the only way to turn it off is to disconnect the wire. Do not let it run long using this method, it will burn out your points. If it does not start, most likely you have a bad coil, condencer, points, cap, rotor or points. Keep us posted. Jerry

A quick way to hot wire an old car is to bypass the ignition switch. Connect a 12 ga. wire from the positive side of the battery to the positive side of the coil. Use your key to turn the starter. If the engine fires, you have a wiring problem or an ignition switch problem. If it does start, the only way to turn it off is to disconnect the wire. Do not let it run long using this method, it will burn out your points. If it does not start, most likely you have a bad coil, condencer, points, cap, rotor or points. Keep us posted. Jerry


ok thanks! i will try this today. waiting on freind to get here with battery.... LOL

dale

A quick way to hot wire an old car is to bypass the ignition switch. Connect a 12 ga. wire from the positive side of the battery to the positive side of the coil. Use your key to turn the starter. If the engine fires, you have a wiring problem or an ignition switch problem. If it does start, the only way to turn it off is to disconnect the wire. Do not let it run long using this method, it will burn out your points. If it does not start, most likely you have a bad coil, condencer, points, cap, rotor or points. Keep us posted. Jerry


ok tried this. it did not start. i have replaced pretty much everything( spark plugs, pulg wires, coil, cap, rotor, capacitor) so i got a new set of points tonight. im going to try and get them installed monday. i have to leave tommorw and i wont be back till late sunday night. thanks!

dale

check for spark at the coil wire going into the distributor. also when you set the points were they on the opening portion of the dist cam

Dale,

I'm 2.5 hrs away, I can shoot down there 1 weekend and I will be in Charlotte for the weekend of April 16th let me know and we will have it running before I leave!!! lol

WOW, offer to help a guy out and he doesn't even respond!!!!
Takes all kinds I guess

WOW, offer to help a guy out and he doesn't even respond!!!!
Takes all kinds I guess


sorry about that.didnt mean to offend. im good tho. a freind of mine is helping and this has become a project for us. thanks for the offer!

dale

First thing, crank the engine with the cap off and verify that the rotor is turning. If it is not, then you have a timing chain issue. If it is turning, next take a test light and check the negative side of the coil while cranking. The test light should flash while cranking, indicating the points are doing there job. No pulse equates to a points or condenser issue.

well guys........................... she is a runner! lol turned out to be the points and the timing. i got new points from auto zone but they did not work at all. took a set off my 69 c10 ( the engine is blown) and she started right up! had to mess with the timing to get her running right. still got some tunning to do but she is running!!!! wanted to thank you all for all the help and advice! thanks guys!

dale