1971 Chevy 366

[Don Anderson]

Ok, I have now replaced the points, condensor, rotor, distributor cap and coil. Still no fire from the coil,impute into the coil is 5.8 volts. Tried hooking a wire from the positive terminal of the battery to the + terminal ofthe coil and still nothing. When I hookup the uumper wire from the battery to the coil I get the buzzer for low air forth air brakes and tag axle so I assume that I have a complete circuit. Still no fire from the coil. What is my problem? Sorry about being so dumb but really need to get the truck running this weekend. Thanks for any input. Oh by the way when trying to start the truck you can smell fuel so I am sure this is not what the problem is. I checked and the distributor is turning. Thanks.

 

[CharlieNJ]

Don, make sure your points are closing. By closing, I mean electrically the contacts are closing. Make sure you have good spring pressure so they close tight enough. Clean the points, set them a little tighter, maybe .016, and try it.
Also dry your spark plugs.

 

[Jiles]

The quickest--simplest way to test for bad coil is to disconnect the negative (distributor) wire from the coil and apply jumper wire from the positive battery terminal to the Positive side of coil.
Now install a jumper wire to the negative terminal of coil and make provisions to touch the other jumper end to a good ground at the proper time.
Remove the center coil wire (high tension wire), from the distributor and have someone (carfully) hold it app. 1/4" from a good ground.
Each time you touch the negative jumper wire to a ground you should get a spark. If not --you have a bad coil. If you have spark, the problem is within the distributor.
Temporary grounding of the negative terminal is the job of the points---and this test will tell you if the problem is with the distributor or the coil.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Maybe the timing chain has slipped. You could rotate #1 up on compression and check the rotor location to the #1 plug wire. Or as much as I hate to, sometimes it easier to take it to a mechanic. He may find something you overlooked.

 

[trucker 40]

Still no fire?How did you check it? Sounds like your points arent set right yet.I believe a 366 has timing gears instead of a chain,so the chance of it jumping time is small.If Im wrong,Im sure somebody will say so.It should have started when you jumped from the battery to the coil if the points were set right.Like somebody else said it doesnt sound like the points are closing.

 

[mike in mo]

ok ill start with this stick i plug in a wire ground the plug to the block stick a flat in the points gap and wiggle if it arcs and fires you need to set the points gap off the top of my head i dont remember the starting gap as most of them you set running with a dwell meter but i think paper is about right its what i use to start from not you set the gap with the points open not that you done playing around with them turn till the points are closed pry open with a flat stick $1 in the gap let close and drag the bill out to clean oil off points . best way to deal with them is to get a hei out of a 1974 and up tall deck bigblock put it in run a new wire out from the key and never look back.

 

[old]

With the point open remove the point side wire off the coil then with the key on or hot wired touch the wire back to the coil. If you get a spark when yu di that then you have a short in the distributor and I will bet it is the past threw bolt that to wires hook up to. Seen that insulator go bad many time on many things

 

[guido]

Hello Don Anderson,
You said that in 3 miles in gear did not start.
It is possible that without oil pressure you have pumped all the oil out of the lifters.
You can try priming the oil system through the distributor. While the pump is running get someone to turn the engine and see if the oil will get into the lifters, if that is the problem. You really should take a compression test at this point, to verify that the engine has the proper compression.
If the lifters are dry, taking a valve cover off will verify that.
Guido.

 

[guido]

Hello Maark,
The only way that this engine will slip timing is if the gears are stipped, or one of the geear's keys are sheared.
This model engine does not have a timimg chain
Cam and Crank gears are meshed to-gether.
Guido

 

[scotc]

If it was drug in gear, it would have oil pressure.

 

[redtom]

I have had new points many times that are oily or whatever on the point tips. Run some fine sand paper through the points to clean them. You should be able to turn key on, hold coil wire from coil above ground and open points (or close) with screwdriver and get spark.

 

[RWT]

Just a though but I have had a distributor not ground properly.

It was an aluminum housing on a tractor. I took the base clamp off and scraped the surfaces. But I tried a jumper to the points grounded leg first.

RT

 

[Bob]

After about 1968 the BBC's used a timing chain setup, necessitating an opposite-rotation cam.

 

[yallardeere]

get later distributor with everything together, just hookup wire

 

[Greenday]

Like we asked before have you made sure the distributor is turning?

 

[david - or]

If you have 5.8 volts at the input of the coil then the points are closed and current is flowing through the coil. The ballast resistor or resistor wire in the harness is causing the voltage to drop from 12 volts at the battery. You should be able to bump the engine around with the starter until the points upen. When the points open, you should see 12 volts at both terminals of the coil. If you don"t, then the wire to the points is shorted to ground somewhere.

You can bump the engine with the starter until the points are close to being open, then you can wiggle the rotor to cause them to open and close (the advance weights allow 10 degrees or so of rotary motion). As the points open, you should see them spark. This is a very quick go/no go test for the primary ignition system, as it validates voltage to coil, current flow to points, and ability of points to both open and close electrically.

 

[ILLEFTY]

Have you checked the fuseable link to make sure it's good?