distributor

Okay, my car wont start. Checked all wires and connections, they all passed. Finally narrowed it down to the distributor. There is power going to the distributor but no sparks leaving the distributor, what does this mean, is the coil fried, do I need a new cap or what. I know next to nothing about this subject. Please help me!

thanks Jon

I assume it's HEI?

Sounds like the ignition module or the coil. Do you have an ohm meter?

id put my money on the spark condenser if its HEI, even if its not i say get a brand new one anyways! they are really cheap, and a brand new one is always better

If it's HEI, pull the coil and module and have them checked at Autozone for free. A cap will have some carbon tracking internally if it's killing the spark. Same for rotor. Also check the button that passes juice to rotor.

If it's points type, closed or burnt points, bad condenser, carbon tracking.

Okay guys, I bought a new coil, cap, and rotor, installed all of it. Still wont start. Checked all wires leading to the dist they all had juice. Turned the key wont start, so we pulled a plug then started it and there were no sparks. What is wrong with my car?

Oreillys has a spark condenser, ordered it will be in tuesday. What the heck does a spark condenser do?

I had the same problem that turned out to be bad grounds. I replaced the existing ground and added two additional; FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!

Now I have replaced cap,coil,rotor,ignition module,spark condenser, and the pickup coil. Still the camaro will not start. I dont have any sparks coming out of the dist. Could this be bad grounds or?

You have checked for 12V at the the distributor, right? What about when you are cranking it over? Some of the older cars got a feed back from the starter solenoid, since there wasn't any power from the IGN terminal when cranking the starter. Just a thought...
And I would verify that there is a good ground from the motor to the body, you just never know.

Take off the ground wires from the Battery to the body and wire brush them, then use some elect. grease when you hook them back up. I also had to add two additional grounds from the engine to the frame, if you do this try to use 10 ga. or biggeer. Then check to see if you get blue flame at the plug. HEI also uses a little bigger plug gap (around .045) but that won't fix your current problem. Good Luck!!!

If you have a digital ohm meter, ensure you are getting a full 12v to the BATT Wire with the ign in the run position. Then call the local auto zone or advance auto and get the specs for the coil test, they should give you the reading between the two out side wires then the one for the center wire too the center post under the cap. Ensure you take the second reading in the 20K ohm range.

Have you bench tested it? pull it out, hook up 12v and a ground and turn the drive gear (keep the sparks away from the battery). If it sparks on the bench you probably dont have power while cranking. My 80 camaro did that to me when I stuck a new engine in it... turns out it needed to see oil pressure before it would fire and I had to connect my oil pressure dummy light sender. Try hooking up a wire from the + battery to the BATT terminal on the hei then crank it over. I had to do that once when the cranking voltage wire melted and wouldnt start.
Good Luck.
CoryM

If 12v feed, grounds, etc, are good, then you have to look at the more unusual possible causes. First, there is a possibility the timing chain or cam is broken. Can you see the rotor turn when the cap is off and you crank the engine?

Second, there is a pickup coil at the base of the distributor. My brothers business partner had his HEI die and it turned out the distributor housing where the pickup coil was cracked and it fubared the pickup coil.

I do have power to the dist. I've also replaced the pickup coil. The negative side of the battery had a cable that goes to the alt bracket, and the then positive side of the battery has a cable that goes to the starter, they both look fine. Yes, the rotor does rotate when I try to start it. I dont know what to do.

Did you check for power at the wire WHILE cranking? My car made power except while it was cranking. You still get no spark at all? Did you rebuild the distributor? What were you doing last on the car? Again Ill suggest to hook a 12v + wire directly from the battery to the BATT terminal on the distributor (do not leave it hooked up for a long time while car is not running). If you are now getting spark is the distibutor 180degrees off? or engine flooded? How are you checking for spark?
CoryM

The last thing I was doing before the car stopped starting, had to do with the speedo cable. I unhooked from behind the dash, and started pulling out of firewall. Then I tried to disconnect from transmission, but could'nt get to it. So I decided to start the car, and put it on ramps to get more room underneath, but it would'nt start. The rubber boot that holds the speedo cable through the firewall also has a wire that goes to the battery side of the cap. That wire goes from fuse box to the dist, that wire has juice in it.

Did you check for power at the wire WHILE cranking? My car made power except while it was cranking. You still get no spark at all? I didnt write that out the first time because I enjoy typing, its a valid question ;) .
CoryM

sorry about that man. Now I have checked for power while it was cranking. I ran a cable straight to the battery side of the dist cap,from the battery still wont start. Every time I try to start it, I can smell gas very strongly. When putting the dist back in we had some trouble, so we made sure piston uno, was TDC, then we stuck it in. Still it would'nt go in, so I got inside the car and cranked it. My friend, lifted the dist up and down till it sat nicely into place. While cranking the engine the oil pressure will rise, but nothing registers to the tach. Now somebody is telling me it is the ignition switch?

Have you checked for spark now that you have replaced all this stuff? Or just assumed that because it didnt start right away there was still no spark? Either way by now the engine will likely have been badly flooded and you will have to hold foot to floor to get it to fire. If there truly is still no spark Im gonna toss out some new ideas. My way of thinking is you were fiddling around under the dash, and now it doesnt start. You have power to the distributor at ALL times except while key off which rules out any underdash problems. I think maybe you fried the module by leaving the key on for a long time or spiking it with the speedo cable while pulling it out. And that you have fixed the problem, except possibly you missed something on reasembly? THere is a ground that goes under one of the screws that holds coil on, is that connected? also check the pickup wires, everytime the distibutor advances itself the wires flex, and sometimes crack (usually while engine it at WOT though ). How are you testing for spark anyway? You did say the rotor turns while cranking right? Your SURE you have the battery hooked up to the BATT and not the TACH terminal on the cap? Also I have to suggest you use either Delco or Standard ignition parts... otherwise you may have defective parts. IF you have a 12v lead directly from the + terminal on the battery to the BATT terminal on the cap, It doesnt matter what else is going on with the ign switch, it will make sparks even if your ign switch is toast. Also make sure that the little contact in the centre of the cap is there and touching the rotor. Let me know, Im trying my hardest to help man ;) . no offense but I get the feeling that if you pulled out the distibutor and had a mechanic bench test it or look at it the problem would be found very quickly..... possibly the best bet If we dont figure it out after you answer my Qs and check my suggestions.
Good Luck .
CoryM

Now this may be over something that is or has been over looked
but with you doing things under the dash is it possiable that the neutral saftey switch was unplugged? Or if your car had a colum shifter and you installed a floor shifter did the colum get moved so that the neutral saftey switch is preventing power for the spark? My brother inlaw had the same thing on his 70 RS. Just some thing to check and does not cost anything.
Cory M is giving you some very solid ideas to try also. :bow:
Good Luck

okay guys,
I was getting very angry at my car, so I had it hauled to a mechanic downtown to fix it. He told me that he checked everything, and it was all okay, so he started taking apart the dist, to see if the parts I put on were all akay. While he was doing that he thought he would check to see if there was power to the dist while the engine was cranking. It didnt, so he traced where the wire from the dist went, and it went straight to the fuse box. He took that out, and found the original wire, tucked in the corner of the fender, and hooked that straight to the dist, and it started. So, I appreciate all of ya'lls suggestions, and your patience on trying to help me. Thanks

I had to do that once when the cranking voltage wire melted and wouldnt start
Did you check for power at the wire WHILE cranking? My car made power except while it was cranking.
Did you check for power at the wire WHILE cranking? My car made power except while it was cranking. You still get no spark at all?
I tried my hardest to help you ;)
All in good fun man ;) Glad to hear you got it figured out.
CoryM

make a ground from the neg. bat terminal to the body.