Engine swap diary

[Stewart G Griffin]

i got power going to the distributor(red wire) verified thru test light.  When i put the test light on the tach side, it lights up.  When i crank it gets  a little dimmer but doesn't blink.

The only thing i did with the distributor since i got this engine is bypass the ESC function by connecting the black and green wires from the ESC pigtail.

[jaredts]

You did connect the black and green wires on the distributor side, right?  Just for testing's sake, you might try running a wire from the positive side of your battery directly to your distributor bat connection.  You very well could have a bad ignition control module.

[Stewart G Griffin]

OK, we're running;   i got a new BWD module from pepboys, plopped it in and it started right up.  So it was either the module OR i'm strongly suspecting that i did not plug the pickup coil plug all the way into the module.

Because i saw this engine run with this exact distributor just before i bought it.  Then the engine sat for months and the only thing i did was do the ESC bypass AND i took the module out to put some heat sink under it.   So, how could a module "fail" just like that?   When i have time i'd like to try the old module just to see.


So anyways, it's not that loud at idle without any mufflers---even with 9.5 compression.  i'll drive it to the exhaust shop like this.

[Stewart G Griffin]

Next crisis:

The engine starts fairly easily but immediately stops after a split second to 1 second.

Thoughts?

[Stewart G Griffin]

EXTREME EMERGENCY:

Still dealing with the above crisis:   

What i've just done is to loosen the distributor hold down bolt completely and move the distributor a lot by hand with the key in the run position and with an inline spark tester in place.

No spark.

[Irish_Alley]

See if you can keep then engine running on some sort of starting fluid.

[zieg85]

Pick up coil wires

[Stewart G Griffin]

i think we can rule out ignition---finally because when the engine sputters and stalls out, i can still see the inline spark tester show spark---even when the engine stalls.


i haven't worked with quadrajets in a while, so are there any tips to starting the engine/keeping it running.   i have bumped up the curb idle screw a little.

[jaredts]

Personally, I wouldn't worry about the idle screw just yet.  I wouldn't plug in the electric choke just yet.  Loosen the screws and turn the choke adjustment until the choke plate is 1/8" away from fully closed.  You may have to snap the throttle a few times to make sure you have it.  At this point the throttle linkage should be on the fast idle screw and not touching the idle screw.  You can turn the fast idle screw up a little just to make sure you have a good high idle to get going off of.  Once you get it going you can adjust the fast idle, plug in the choke, and then adjust the idle screw once the choke opens up.

[Irish_Alley]

how do you not have spark one post then have it the next, youre going back and forth. make sure you can keep it running on starting fluid before you go any farther. if you can then we can trouble shoot the carb if it wont we can go back to the distributor

[Stewart G Griffin]

how do you not have spark one post then have it the next, youre going back and forth. make sure you can keep it running on starting fluid before you go any farther. if you can then we can trouble shoot the carb if it wont we can go back to the distributor

Because i can see the inline tester as the engine runs and stalls.

Turning the distributor by hand with the key on apparently doesn't produces spark because it's not fast enough. (?)

[Irish_Alley]

you have power/spark with the key in the "start" position but you might now have it when the key is in the "run"

[Stewart G Griffin]

you have power/spark with the key in the "start" position but you might now have it when the key is in the "run"

i think i do have power/spark on "run" because i see the inline spark tester showing spark while the engine runs and stalls out.  Then engine is now turning 4-5 revolutions before stalling vs. before when it stalled out immediately after starting.

[Irish_Alley]

DONT THINK, KNOW. if it stays running on starting fluid you know its a fuel problem. if it cuts out its a spark problem

[Stewart G Griffin]

UPDATE:
i was able to keep the engine running by repeatedly pumping the throttle. Engine did not run smoothly, of course. But it did continue to run.

What would this tend to indicate?