El Camino Cranks but won’t start!

[SDMAN1981]

I have a problem believed to be a no spark issue, I hooked up my spark tester and did not get a spark… it is a 1969 el camino 350/th-350 with a Accel pro-billet distributor. It ran fine last time I drove it which was last Saturday, and get in it to drive it today and no start.

The distributor is only a year old with less than 3000 miles on it, popped off dizzy cap and everything looked fine including the rotor and also the spark plug wires are only a year old (changed them when I replaced distributor) What could it be?

Also, I might just hook up a vacuum gauge and check fuel pressure out put… isn’t it 4-6 psi for a stock mechanical fuel pump?

Topic

[619DioFan]

are you running an electronic ignition setup or points ? what coil ? check for voltage at coil.

[Lorrin Barth]

I don’t know what would change between Saturday and now.

I used to have an old Ford Station Wagon – near the last of the big ones. One day it wouldn’t start and no spark. Well, I thought with my luck I’d better check fuel. No fuel either. So, good idea, check fuel too – 5 psi maybe a little less depending on the pump.

[Rob megee]

I am not totally familiar with the Accel distributor but I am assuming it is an electronic replacement for the stock distributor. I am assuming it has a coil. Does this engine have a carburetor? If it truly has no sparK, I would check for +12v on the positive side of the coil with the key on and in the run position. If the distributor had points I would say to check the dwell. The electronic probably still does something like that to collapse the magnetic field of the coil. I would take the cap off and turn the key to start and see if the rotor is turning. (Checking for a bad timing chain or loose or broken distributor gear). You can check for spark out of the coil directly by holding the wire with insulated pliers near ground and turning the engine over. You can measure the resistance of the wires with an ohm meter. They should show some resistance and be close to each other. Checking with a vacuum gauge is a great way to see if the engine is sealing properly. The needle should show a steady reading without a lot of bounce on a v8 engine. The timing chain could have slipped a tooth so you could check to make sure the distributor is pointing at the number one wire when the number one cylinder is a top dead center on the compression stroke. There is a good video on this web site on how to find tdc with a vacuum/pressure gauge. If it has a carburetor you could spray a little starting fluid in the top and see if it runs. Just making sure this is a no spark issue and not a fuel issue.

[SDMAN1981]

It is a HEI Pro-Billet breakerless distributor with an old school coil. I have reason to believe it is the coil, I also did a resistance test with a multi-meter and it was fluctuating between 00.7 – 00.9 on + and -.

Here is the photo of the coil… the main cap looks dry with corrosion also….

Attachments:

• coil1.jpg
• coil2.jpg

[Rob megee]

I found these specs on the coil on another web site.

Attachments:

• image.jpg

[Lorrin Barth]

Looking down into the secondary terminal it looks like that might be your problem. Try some sand paper wrapped around a small stick. Hit the coil wire with the sandpaper too. Maybe some water lived there after an engine wash.

[SDMAN1981]

Alright guys, i’ll keep you posted.

Thanks. I’ll do more tests tomorrow.

[619DioFan]

If you have 12 volts to the coil and no spark then most likely the coil. I have run those accel super stock coils in the past. kind of low end in my opinion ( especialy for a HEI dizzy )

[John Hugon]

This is a good place to start:
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-no-start-problems

In my opinion a quick check, if you have fuel ,the engine mechanical and all connections are ok in general on that type of ignition the diagnosis is this:

Attach a 12 volt test light to the positive side of coil, turn ignition switch on; if test light illuminates you have primary voltage to coil. attach a spark plug tester to the coil wire going to the distributor. Crank engine; if no spark, try a known good coil wire and retry test. If spark…replace coil wire. If still no start, attach a 12 volt test light to the negative side of the coil and crank engine. If light blinks ignition module is ok. If light does not blink, check coil, if ok, check ignition module.

Note: If you have spark at the distributor coil wire to distributor and still no start, check distributor rotor, if ok, check distributor cap where rotor interferer’s with distributor cap.

[SDMAN1981]

Found the problem… it was NOT the coil, although I did clean it up and put dialectic grease in it. The problem was the distributor cap carbon button underneath it, it is either pushed in or burned, I don’t see how it could be burned though. Have they been known to get pushed in and stuck? The dizzy, cap and rotor are 14 months old and less than 3000 miles on it.

[Rob megee]

I’m glad you figured it out.

[Lorrin Barth]

There’s a spring behind the button. It can get stuck.

[Author]

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