Ignition HELP! [solved]

[74 Shortbed]

WOW, been bustin my ass all day and missed this, almost 12hrs and the distributor is still not in??.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

Well... **** it for the night. Im tired of climbing up and down and I'd rather put another hole in my head before I even ask the wife to turn the key to verify if Im getting spark.

I put it at TDC and it looked close enough to where it should have been, but didnt start. So then I thought it was 180 off and asked her just to put her hand over the hole to make sure she felt pressure..................... I might as well as tape a balloon to the cylinder head, or called the dog over.

anyways, I did verify 12 volts at the coil. I put the timing gun on and verified the coil is sending a spark. I moved the spark plug wires over one place over both ways and still nothing.
I just need to get this som'bitch in time. **** me, wheres a FI engine, a drink, and a wife that isnt complaining?

God, that sounds just like me. At home, I'd be better off building a Rube Goldberg machine to help me or asking the dog. My mom works, but I have a seventeen year old brother who can rebuild carburetors, motors, and who knows what else... I had a girlfriend, who I loved to death mind you, and if I asked for help on one of my cars or even wanted to talk about them, I either got the cold shoulder or it was like a crucifixion was about to happen. **** that and the horse that attitude rode in on.

 

[spanky55amg]

Good luck with the wife part! When you get back to it try checking the timing while cranking it. If you have spark it should flash your light and give you an idea where you are.

You may also want to replace
Your wife with this.
https://m.summitracing.com/parts/li...co4MQC4HlS5qEVViDJ1EjtS48lmlrigEaAu-sEALw_wcB

I thought that I could save $15, but right now, that seems cheaper than the bullet I crave. hahahaha.

 

[spanky55amg]

WOW, been bustin my ass all day and missed this, almost 12hrs and the distributor is still not in??.

Oh no... its in, just not in time. You know what pisses me off the most? First stab and it fired right up. Now the timing was off a bit and I thought, "I should just move all the wires over +1 on the dist and call it a day...." NAW, instead I decided that I needed to be perfect and that I can restab the dist and get this thing timed correctly. Thats the OCD perfectionist I am. I dont like doing jobs half asses or even remotely not correct, especially with all the other incorrect BS on this truck. Serves me right.

On the good side, Ive only spent about 4 hours the last two nights trying to get it correct. Its just pissing me off and playing with me now.

 

[74 Shortbed]

Oh no... its in, just not in time. You know what pisses me off the most? First stab and it fired right up. Now the timing was off a bit and I thought, "I should just move all the wires over +1 on the dist and call it a day...." NAW, instead I decided that I needed to be perfect and that I can restab the dist and get this thing timed correctly. Thats the OCD perfectionist I am. I dont like doing jobs half asses or even remotely not correct, especially with all the other incorrect BS on this truck. Serves me right.

On the good side, Ive only spent about 4 hours the last two nights trying to get it correct. Its just pissing me off and playing with me now.

Gotcha, in that case just start over, quicker than guessing.

 

[spanky55amg]

God, that sounds just like me. At home, I'd be better off building a Rube Goldberg machine to help me or asking the dog. My mom works, but I have a seventeen year old brother who can rebuild carburetors, motors, and who knows what else... I had a girlfriend, who I loved to death mind you, and if I asked for help on one of my cars or even wanted to talk about them, I either got the cold shoulder or it was like a crucifixion was about to happen. **** that and the horse that attitude rode in on.

The funny thing is that my wife is very mechanically inclined. She refinishes furniture and her home toolbox was a surprise to me when I met her. If she could, she would probably have a tool box as big as mine. That said... being a technician for 14 years (professionally) has lead me to be short with her because I believe her to be smarter about mechanics/physics. So moving things like a fridge is a total nightmare. She wants everything planed out including the time it should take. And all I wanna do is yell, "Move the damn fridge." You get the picture. I didnt have the time to give her a proper lesson on engine timing last night and all I wanted her to do was tell me when I was TDC. "What yellow line?"

 

[chengny]

Sometimes, when all of your assistants have lost interest (or never had any to begin with) and you are left pretty much on your own to find TDC compression, it's easier to just pull the LH valve cover and watch the #1 valves. As soon as they both close, you know the #1 piston has begun it's compression stroke. If you have pulled all the plugs, it's easy and safe to use a 7/8" socket on the balancer bolt to smoothly bring the piston to the top of it's stroke. Also, with the plugs out, you can usually go backwards if you overshoot TDC.

Another method: A few years ago, I got sick of hunting down one of the kids (my wife - fugget about it, no way) to help me - and then having to explain what we were doing. I had an old tea kettle (the kind with a whistle in the spout). I salvaged the whistle and spliced it onto a 3' length of 3/8" IIRC rubber hose - the other end of the hose fits nicely into a spark plug hole. After that, whenever I had to find TDC by myself, the hose went into the #1 plug hole and the engine was jacked over. As soon as the piston started up, the whistle would start...whistling. As soon as TDC is passed, the whistling stops. It is remarkably accurate. Now I trust my whistle thing way more than any of my kids.

 

[spanky55amg]

I thought about using two pieces of thick blue painters tape and trying to make a whistle like a blade of grass between thumbs. One way or another I'd hear something, whistle or tape popping off.

Or I could get rid of the wife and buy another dog... it would be cheaper and less of a headache. HAhahahaha

 

[spanky55amg]

F it, this has to be a bad coil. I spun the engine around to TDC and to EVERYONE's suprise, the mark I put on the vacuum hose that pointed where the rotor pointed, lined up. I put the wires back on but this time one spot more clockwise, like I should have done in the beginning, verified 12 volts to the coil, cranked the engine and still didnt start. **** this, Im contacting the seller, this has to be a bad coil.

 

[spanky55amg]

Im not even getting a back fire. Im not trying to judge my firing order, but I should get something. I dont, not on one cylinder. Something is up. I mean.... even 180 causes a backfire.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

I will tell you like I tell my grandson if something aggravates you or hurts you go break something you will feel better......

 

[OkieFishMan]

I will tell you like I tell my grandson if something aggravates you or hurts you go break something you will feel better......

Well said @Honky Kong jr !!!!!!! lol

 

[chengny]

Or you could step back, take a deep breath and then run down these simple diagnostics:

To test the ignition coil:

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TEST 1:Remove and invert the cap, Measure between the "TACH" and "BAT" terminals , using your DVOM, Set to OHMS scale, RX1 and be sure the scale reads zero ( 0.00) It should read less than an ohm, typically around 0.5 to 0.6 ohms. Anything less or more, replace the coil.

TEST 2: Set your DVOM scale to RX10k or higher. Touch the probes between the "BAT" and the carbon pickup for the coil. This reading should read between 6000 and 30,000 OHMS. Outside of that range the coil is bad, replace.

Also using test 2 as a reference, check for shorted to ground connections, by probing the "BAT" connection and the center terminal with your DVOM leads. There should be infinity resistance or OL on your meter. You can also check the "TACH" connection as well. Either way, if the reading is anything less than OL, replace the coil.


Further tests for HEI system (some you have already checked):


1. Test for power at the pink BAT terminal. You should have battery voltage w/ the key in the start and RUN positions.


2. Connect the ground side of your test lamp to the battery POSITIVE cable. Probe the TACH terminal on the dist. cap while a helper attempts to start the engine. The test lamp should blink repeatedly as the engine cranks. No blink= bad module or pickup coil. Further testing is required to pinpoint the problem. Blink but no spark = bad ignition coil.


3. Remove the cap & rotor. Remove the green & white leads from the module. Connect your ohmmeter to the green & white leads. You should have approx. 800-1500 ohms depending on the ambient temperature. Open circuit (infinite ohms) = bad pickup coil.


Wiggle the green & white leads as you test. Ohm reading should remain constant if the leads are good. If the reading varies as the leads are wiggled, the pickup coil is bad. You'll often find broken pickup coil leads this way.


4. DVOM (meter) still connected to green & white leads. Set your DVOM to AC VOLTS. Have a helper crank the engine as you watch the AC VOLTS reading. A good pickup coil will produce about 3V AC when cranking. Less than approx. 2V AC indicates a bad pickup coil.


I guess if everything above checks out okay...it's likely the ignition control module that's bad.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

Breaking stuff is so much fun though @chengny .lol

 

[spanky55amg]

I will tell you like I tell my grandson if something aggravates you or hurts you go break something you will feel better......

I usually do. Im a retired technician. The wife and dogs dont appreciate that though. Ha