No spark! Tried a new coil, still no spark

[buddy84GMC]

You have spark but the coil is grounded?  Very confused as to what it's doing.

Maybe I can take a video and post it on youtube.  I have never had this happen before, but I will try the old rubber cushion that the coil button goes through since the new one seems to not let the spring through all the way...but it seems to still make contact to me.  Let me know if you want a video and I can try to post that tomorrow night if I can. 

[Blue 82]

Did you replace the button under the coil?

back on page 1, I recomended one of these...
you may want to take a look
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SBC-BBC-CHEVY-HEI-DISTRIBUTOR-RED-8908-R_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33690QQihZ015QQitemZ250241458008

I did replace it last year, but if it was bad would I be getting spark?  The spring on it is good and it makes contact from what I can tell.  If I bought that distributor you mentioned, then I would have to take the whole ESC system off and drain he antifreeze due to some valve or switch near he starter and I would be out $40 on my new coil and pick up.  I will get to the bottom of this hopefully without buying a new distributor since I have to take the ESC completely out to install the one you recommended.  Thanks a lot though and I will not pitch that idea, I just know it can run without that for now...just need to find time to figure it out.  thanks again

You don't have to remove/plug/unwire anything

this is how easy it is:
Remove old unit
install new unit
hook up one wire (the red one plugs right in)
start truck
drive away happy

[buddy84GMC]

lol!  I hear you!  I am stubborn I guess, but I will get it running.  Just got to get it running soon since I am blocking my fathers Buick in from cruising!  If I get fed up, I will probably give in and try to sell the parts I bought on ebay or somethin.  I actually do have a used distributor I can throw in it from a good engine its just at someone elses house.  I might try that and if it runs, I will buy that one you told me about.

[HAULIN IT]

Buddy, I quickly read through this post. I saw in the first one that you said "it shut off when it went to shift" (so you have personally had this running), later you said "the distributor was 180* out". This is not adding up, In working with the distributor did you install it 180* out or have you never pulled it since it quit running? Explain this in more detail & maybe we can get to the bottom of it all. Is the truck coughing, chugging, spiting up the carb or anything? I just noticed your other post, I hadn't realized this was the same truck. Are you sure that someone didn't put a timing chain in wrong, put the distributor in wrong to "fix" it & now you have "unfixed" it? Was it EXACTLY 180* out or maybe the timing chain jumped as was mentioned?  Lorne

[buddy84GMC]

Buddy, I quickly read through this post. I saw in the first one that you said "it shut off when it went to shift" (so you have personally had this running), later you said "the distributor was 180* out". This is not adding up, In working with the distributor did you install it 180* out or have you never pulled it since it quit running? Explain this in more detail & maybe we can get to the bottom of it all. Is the truck coughing, chugging, spiting up the carb or anything? I just noticed your other post, I hadn't realized this was the same truck. Are you sure that someone didn't put a timing chain in wrong, put the distributor in wrong to "fix" it & now you have "unfixed" it? Was it EXACTLY 180* out or maybe the timing chain jumped as was mentioned?  Lorne

Thanks!  To clear things up..the truck is 180 degrees out and I never knew it.  It was running and then just shut down as I was shifting, but then I found out I had no spark, so I guess the shifting part has nothing to do with it.  I never had the dist. off and found out it was 180 off when it pointed to 6 at TDCC on cylinder 1.  That would make it 180 degrees off and the timing chain is ok and so is the marker on the balancer.  Since it was 180 off it did not match up so I was on here asking questions and I checked it after I was told how to check for 180 off...everythings ok now.  I had no spark and found the pick up coil to be no good so I replaced it and want to now put the dist in the correct way with the rotor pointing to cylinder 1.  I did that, and still no start chug or anything, just a solid crank.  I checked for spark with the screwdriver on the intake and held it close to the dist and it did arc so I have spark...but when I had the wires all hooked up it seems like its grounding at the coil or back to the coil since there is a nice blue spark going over or through the BAT wire on the coil itself.  Its not sending the spark down the spark plug wire for some reason.  Kinda bizzare but I have never seen this before.  Wires checked out ok so I am stumped.  Still have not had time to get a good friend of mine to check it out.  I hope tomorrow (Tuesday)to have him come over and check it out for me.  I will post any thought he has or any questions.  Thanks

[VileZambonie]

I am totally lost here. If your distributor was 180° off you wouldn't have been driving in the 1st place. If you have spark blasting out of the top of the distributor I can't help but wonder if you put the coil in upside down somehow.

[buddy84GMC]

I am totally lost here. If your distributor was 180° off you wouldn't have been driving in the 1st place. If you have spark blasting out of the top of the distributor I can't help but wonder if you put the coil in upside down somehow.

A vehicle can run with the dist 180 off.  You just adjust the wires to make it run...and someone did.  Thats how I found out it was off.  Someone also posted that same statement on here somewhere.  the coil can only go in one way, its HEI.  The 3 wires on the coil would not let the coil lay in the dist if it were upside down.  I'll  hopefully get to the bottom of it tomorrow evening.  Thanks

[VileZambonie]

With a GM HEI it doesn't matter as long as it's in the proper firing order. When you say the distributor was 180° off that's making us believe you had the distributor installed on TDCE with the wires arranged correctly.

So are you saying you checked for spark at one of the cap terminals? I hope you realize that if you crank it with the wires off you are going to send the coil firing voltage to max and the path of least resistance is going to be a crossfire either through the coil or through the distributor base which will spike your ignition module and burn it up lickity split. Never crank it with the wires off. You should be checking for spark at the end of the wire boot one at a time.

[Captkaos]

Like Vile said, if it is 180 out, it is 180 out.  You can drop a distributor in a motor with the cannister on drivers side and as long at the #1 cylinder is fire at the correct post it doesn't matter where it is.  Ditto on the firing with no wires, not a good idea.

[buddy84GMC]

FINALLY!    Long story short...it was 180 out but only after I was told by someone to rotate to the next stroke.  I was right originally, but its fixed in that respect at this point.  Next, still no go and that lovely blue spark on the coil was the wires on BAT (red) side that has a crack in the insulation straight from the coil.  That arced and thats why I had a blue spark.  Exchanged the brand new coil and it fired right up.  Advanced the timing a little and its perfect.  No pinging or anything.  Had the carb adjusted after that so I took it for a run and it screams!  A little better than before, feels like more response when I give it gas.  Should run better now its all back where it was meant to be.  Word if advice from this...ALWAYS CHECK THOSE CHEAP WIRES ON A NEW COIL!  It literally broke where it comes right out of the coil; its filled with a shiny black substance that the wire was formed into so you have to be careful not to bend the wire at that point or it will crack, and like mine did, break off.  The wires on the coil are a one piece wire, not a bunch of small ones spun together so its not very flexible.  When I got my new coil it did not have those 3 wires placed into the holders that keep them in place.  May have been a returned one that made its way back to the shelf.  Anyways, I appreciate all the time and effort everyone put into helping me out!  Its been a long 3 and half weeks, but it running like old times again; just had to find time to get the help to sort it all out.  Hope this post helps someone out someday.  Take care!  Thanks again

John