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#49957 09/09/2005 9:17 PM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,144 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,144 | I have a 54 235 that is failing to start or keep running at times. It was doing fine then decided to quit I checked and no fire to plugs. so I went whole hog and replaced coil, condenser, points,rotor and distributor cap. Fired right up let it run about 20 minutes shut it off and it wouldn't restart. Checked every thing again it fired up. cut it off it wouldn't restart this time I checked the coil by pulling wire from cap and putting it near ground plenty of fire. put a test lead on - side of coil fire when points move consistent. took spark plug wire to groung no fire. Rechecked coil fire plenty again. checked spark plug wire none. checked distributor cap seat seems to be in place correctly. Why would the rotor not transfer spark to cap and wires part of the time and be fine part of the time? | | |
#49958 09/09/2005 9:36 PM | Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 8,597 Riding in the Passing Lane | | Riding in the Passing Lane Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 8,597 | Srange! What about the plug wires? Are they new or checked with an ohmeter. Maybe the ignition switch is intermitant. :confused:
They say money can't buy happiness. It can buy old Chevy trucks though. Same thing. 1972 Chevy c10 Cheyenne SuperIn the Gallery Forum | | |
#49959 09/09/2005 11:07 PM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,144 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,144 | New wires wre installed when I first started working on it. The fire from ignition switch to + coil seems to be consistant. the negative side shows fire on and off as points open and shut. I did not check wires with an ohmmeter but I would suppose one may fail but not several at the same time. I've heard of distributors developing a short but I don't see how that would cause this as the rotor doesn't make metal contact to the distributor itself. will try the ohm meter tomorrow just to be sure. | | |
#49960 09/11/2005 1:53 PM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,144 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,144 | spark plug wires checked out fine | | |
#49961 09/11/2005 11:03 PM | Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 8,597 Riding in the Passing Lane | | Riding in the Passing Lane Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 8,597 | Check the connection at the points. Sometimes a terminal may touch the breaker plate. Check the wire going to the points. It can be broken inside the insulation. Is the spring term. still on the rotor.
They say money can't buy happiness. It can buy old Chevy trucks though. Same thing. 1972 Chevy c10 Cheyenne SuperIn the Gallery Forum | | |
#49962 09/12/2005 12:25 AM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,144 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,144 | By spring terminal I'm guess is the proper name for the raised portion that contacts the center conductor from coil, it is in place I also checked to see if there was a solid connection from that point to the end that contacts the spark plug terminals insde the distributor cap.
When I manuelly open the points I see a spark. When I put test light to the - (distributor) coil terminal and crank engine the fire pulses as the engine turns which I figure means the points are opening and closing. I bypassed the ignition switch by running a wire direct from battery to the + (ignition) side of the coil. I will check the conection where the points tie to the condenser and terminal coming from the coil. I will replace the coil- to points wire to be sure. It will proably be next weekend before I get back to it. Thanks for your suggestions. I'm getting a bit frustrated as it was running fine. | | |
#49963 09/12/2005 5:23 AM | Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 23 Junior Member | | Junior Member Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 23 | When I suspect secondary loss of spark I hold the coil wire right over the rotor with the ignition hot and break the contacts with a remote switch on the starter solenoid...Rotors can bleed to ground...not very often but...........being new doesn't mean the part is good...I use nothing but Standard Blue Streak Plus ignition parts...Not the Standard in the OEM red box....Only the blue packages...They have a great web site with an application chart...No south of the border or off shore crap from Standard Blue Streak..Still made in New York by Americans.....Al..
If all the cylinders ain't in a line it ain't cuttin it..
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#49964 09/12/2005 6:04 AM | Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 5,337 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 5,337 | I had a similar problem on a 1954 PU.
Some one had put a 216 distributor it the truck with 235 cap and rotor.
The 216 shaft does not stick up enough to lock in the 235 rotor key well so the rotor would slip out of time.
In this case it always started as the rotor droped back in the key when cranking with the starter but jumped out on the road.
See the USA in your vintage Chevrolet! My Blog | | |
#49965 09/12/2005 7:18 AM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,144 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,144 | Interesting I had a 216 distributor there so I took and compared it and noticed the shorter shaft and cap. The rotor is made by sorenson didn't notice if it was US made or not | | |
#49966 10/01/2005 12:29 PM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,144 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,144 | up date. last wekend I finally got a chance to get back to it. I pulled the distributor and took it out in the sunlight so I could get a better look. Found the condenser wire had a small cut in the insulation on the downside against the plate. Bent the rotor contact upwards so it would contact center post in cap better and regapped the points to be sure. don't know which of these solved the problem but it's running fine now. Thanks for all your suggestions | | |
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