Author Topic: Need some help from the Chevy Gurus  (Read 11547 times)

Offline Orange Pedeanaut

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Need some help from the Chevy Gurus
« on: March 16, 2006, 08:33:00 PM »
Hows everybody doing? This is my first post and probably not my last. I have a 1986 Chevrolet C-10 2wd pickup and a 1986 Chevrolet K-10 4x4 pickup with a 4" lift and some 35's. The problem I am having is this, the K-10 wont spark. The key stuck in the ignition after I replaced the ignition switch on the column. So I can turn over the motor with a screwdriver and that switch. No big deal, id like to put in a toggle and push button but dont know what wires to use. But the main problem is, I cant get it to spark at all. I have replaced the battery, distributor, coil, cap, rotor, etc. and nothing seems to work. I have ran a jumper wire straight from the battery to the distributor, still nothing. Any ideas? Im sure its something small missing or some wire I cant find thats burned in 2. I have vacuum advance, electric choke, a quadrajet carb, HEI ignition, etc. and a 305. Automatic transmission too. Any ideas? Suggestions? Thanks all, and if its easier to reply my email is nickmac14@hotmail.com  

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Offline Z28 c10

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Re: Need some help from the Chevy Gurus
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2006, 07:50:00 PM »
Did you replace the distibuter with new or used?? If you got power going to the coil you should get fire unless the gear on the dist. or the gam gear is stripped. If the gear on the distributer is good check it for shavings. If not you might want to try another dist.


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Offline Orange Pedeanaut

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Re: Need some help from the Chevy Gurus
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2006, 07:52:00 PM »
Brand new distributor, rotor spins and all and no signs of wear on the camgear from what I can see. The timing chain is intact and everything is getting power as far as I can tell with my multimeter, just nothings working LOL... Thanks for the reply.

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Offline Orange Pedeanaut

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Re: Need some help from the Chevy Gurus
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2006, 07:57:00 PM »
Another question, as you look at the distributor with the cap off, you have the ground, yellow and red wires. Which wire goes on the battery side of the distributor, which one on the tach side? Are they both as far forward as they can go or...? And one more, what wire in the harness that plugs into the distrutor is closest to the front of the truck? 3 wires, run from the modulator? to the cap. Thanks :)  

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Offline Z28 c10

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Re: Need some help from the Chevy Gurus
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2006, 07:58:00 PM »
Got me stumped, I'm sure that if he see's this, Roundedline could tell you exactly where to look.


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Offline Z28 c10

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Re: Need some help from the Chevy Gurus
« Reply #5 on: March 16, 2006, 09:01:00 PM »
Outside right is your power in, outside left is Tach. I can't remember what colors on the inboard teminal (dist harness). Mine only goes in one way.  

Edited by: Z28 c10 at: 3/16/06 9:02 pm

Offline Orange Pedeanaut

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Re: Need some help from the Chevy Gurus
« Reply #6 on: March 16, 2006, 08:08:00 PM »
I havent tried to see if it goes in the other way or not. But inside the cap, the red goes to battery, yellow to tach side? Thanks again :)  

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Offline Z28 c10

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Re: Need some help from the Chevy Gurus
« Reply #7 on: March 16, 2006, 08:14:00 PM »
No problem, keep your eyes on the post, I'm sure that Chris or someone else will tell you exactly what's wrong, but yes the red is power in (mine's so old its pink). By the way, your link isn't working, Page cannot be displayed.


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Offline Lt.Del

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> Re: Need some help from the Chevy Gurus
« Reply #8 on: March 16, 2006, 10:06:00 PM »
when posting a link, you may have to erase the letters that automatically pop up.  8tch tee tee pea colon slash slash.  I couldn't actually type the real letters due to it being the start of a markup language and wont accept it.  

Edited by: SgtDel at: 3/16/06 10:09 pm

Offline VileZambonie

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Re: > Re: Need some help from the Chevy Gurus
« Reply #9 on: March 17, 2006, 05:19:00 AM »
Make sure there is 12v at the B+ terminal on the cap. Make sure you have the ground wire on one of the corner bolts securing in the coil to the center terminal in the cap. The other lead is the negative tach ref. Make sure the pick up coil wires are securely attached to the ignition module and that the harness connecting the module to the cap has good integrity. Make sure the carbon button in the center of the cap underneath the coil is installed correctly. Do you happen to have a soldering gun handy? If so you can test fire the coil by holding it near the base of the distributor and energizing it. The electromagnetic field should trigger the module. If you measure the resistance of the pick up coil it should have approximately 800 ohms resistance. Spec is 500-1500 ohms I beilieve. Check the primary and secondary resistance of the coil also. If everything is ok and in spec then you must have a faulty module.

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Offline Orange Pedeanaut

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Re: > Re: Need some help from the Chevy Gurus
« Reply #10 on: March 18, 2006, 10:24:00 AM »
12 volts to both the yellow and red wires, grounds connected to the bolt on the B+ side of the distributor, power wire (pink or red) plugged into B+ side, etc. still nothing :(  

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Offline Lt.Del

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Re: Need some help from the Chevy Gurus
« Reply #11 on: March 18, 2006, 12:49:00 PM »
Ok, below is the pic of my 79, the wires that attach to the distributor.  There is only one way the wires will attach if all the plastic clips are still there.  The green wire is the aftermarket tach i attached. If, when you turn your key on, you get the 12 volts to the red wire, your problem is in the distributor.  You mention your rotor turns.  Are you sure.  Take cap off, hit the starter.  If your rotor turns, it has to be the button on the rotor, spring set, or the cap itself.  That way you know it is not your cam/ gear, timing chain, etc.  It is not a complicated system.  Ensure your coil ground wire inside the cap is around one of the screws for ground.  All you have left is the module.  You say you put a new distributor in it.  Do you still have the old one?  If not, I'd get an old one from the salvage yard...nearly any small block HEI will do, no matter vehicle.  Throw another distributor in it.  Hook up the wires, see what it'll do.  Just because it is a new distributor doesn't mean it is a good one. I put a brand new one in my new 383 engine.  I found out it was not a good one (from NAPA).  When the truck was hot, it would not restart until it cooled.  I think it was the module or something inside it.  I put my old one in it and she runs great.



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Edited by: SgtDel at: 3/18/06 12:58 pm

Offline Lt.Del

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Re: Need some help from the Chevy Gurus
« Reply #12 on: March 18, 2006, 12:17:00 PM »
There is only one way the wires can go inside the cap and the coil wires.  The red one shapes like an L.  It is on the back side when the cap notch points in the 3:00 o'clock position. The white in front.

These pics come from an old distributor I have in the garage.  the coil is a little corroded, but you get the idea.












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Offline Lt.Del

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> Re: Need some help from the Chevy Gurus
« Reply #13 on: March 18, 2006, 12:48:00 PM »
I've never tried this, but, theoritically, you could remove the cap off the distributor, keeping all the wires on it. Turn ignition on, check for voltage at the center button under the coil.  As I stated, I never tried this, but there may be a dangerous level of voltage from that after it goes thru the coil.  There may be a simpler test for the coil, but I bet, if everything else checks out, your coil may be bad.  They are cheap.  I am no electrician, but you may be able to check the ohms or something thru the coil as a test.  Chilton manual or haynes me explain it better.

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Offline Orange Pedeanaut

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Re: > Re: Need some help from the Chevy Gurus
« Reply #14 on: March 19, 2006, 08:13:00 AM »
Thanks for the reply guys, well, I got somewhere with the truck yesterday. I put in my new distributor, my accel coil off my other 86 which doesnt have the center ground wire on the coil. I dont know what it is I did but I hooked everything up and the truck started firing! Then, as soon as I tried to put the plastic cap back on the distributor and turned the key again, it stopped firing. The coil still works in my 2wd truck but for some reason it wouldnt work anymore in the 4wd. I have another distributor coming from Napa and bought a new cap and rotor for it. Any ideas? Sounds like something is loose but I cant find anything? Thanks again

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