Please help...more starting issues!

[mkaenel]

So the new engine is in and both coolant leaks are fixed.

After the intake manifold coolant leak we realized that a ton of coolant got down in the pan and was mixed together with the oil during start up! The s**t luck I have sometimes. So I start flushing out the engine with 5 oil changes and now it is all clean and ready to go.

Keep in mind during the oil changes it would fire up no problem and go straight to idle no problem for about two minutes. I repeated this process 4 more times with zero start up issues.

So then I fill her up with oil and hit the ignition and it will crank...it just won't light up. So I throw a battery charger on it and same problem.

After a ton of cranking she would fire up but out of no where she would just shut off. Even with throttle being applied she would still just turn off. I know she is getting fuel to the carb. We checked to see if the coil is sending out a spark and when crank it would send a spark for about 2 seconds and then just quit. It is a brand new coil.

So this leads me to believe one of two things could be the gremlin. The MSD box or the Ignitor 2 in the distributor.

This is were I need help trouble shooting this issue. Below is what I have on the truck

1. Flame thrower distributor
2. MSD box
3. New coil
4. Centech wiring harness
5. New plugs/cap

Any help or ideas would be appreciated.

 

[itsabronco]

Maybe you have a grounding issue, loose connection somewhere, faulty ign. switch. Timing is right on and the vac advance is hooked to secondary vacuum? A pinched wire between cap and distr. ? Maybe throw and old coil on it and see what happens. No bare wiring touching anything anywhere causing an intermittent short while engine is vibrating. May sound silly but try this. Wait until it is dark, or make sure garage is pitch black, open the hood and have someone crank it over and look out for any electrical arcing or sparking around all elect. components and wiring while it is being cranked. YOu might see a loose conn. or a ground out by the flashes in the dark. You never know. Its just some suggestions I would check.

 

[mkaenel]

I was also told by Petronix to make sure the contact area around the base of the distributor is touching bare metal of the block to get a proper ground.

It is painted so I will be scraping the paint off in this area.

 

[mkaenel]

So just now I go and try to fire it up and it starts and runs fine! It is only when the electronics have a chance to warm do they start failing and not working.

Any thoughts?

Also grounding. My battery is grounded to the block. Should I have an additional ground wire from the engine to the frame?

Thanks,

Matt

 

[DirtDonk]

Any time you're running electronic stuff (and even when you're not), it's a good idea to have all major compnents grounded as a system. So, battery to engine and body, engine to body, body and/or engine to frame.
Overkill? Maybe, but anything that can avoid electrical headaches in the future is good by me.

Have you verified the gap with your Pertronix setup? Did the distributor come with that little plastic gauge (gapping tool)? If so, make sure nothing has shifted and you're still within tolerances.
And I'd do what the tech-rep said. Make sure that the distributor housing is getting a good connection to the engine block. It can be as simple as through the clamp, I would think.
Good luck.

Paul

 

[itsabronco]

So just now I go and try to fire it up and it starts and runs fine! It is only when the electronics have a chance to warm do they start failing and not working.

Any thoughts?

Also grounding. My battery is grounded to the block. Should I have an additional ground wire from the engine to the frame?

Thanks,

Matt

I have had a coil do that before. get hot and work intermittently. let us know your progress with your troubleshooting.

 

[mkaenel]

One of the first things I did was replace the coil. It was still doing it.

I have had a coil do that before. get hot and work intermittently. let us know your progress with your troubleshooting.

 

[DirtDonk]

With the key ON, measure voltage at the passenger side plug (3-wire I think?) with the Blue and White ignition wires in it. Make sure that one has a full 12 volts (Blue?). The other should have 12 volts only when the starter is cranking (White?).
Jiggle the wires while you're checking.

Paul

 

[Socal Tom]

You know, almost everytime someone posts one of these issues they have an MSD box. I would try running without it.
Tom

 

[mkaenel]

Good point. How to you wire it up with out the MSD box? I have a pertronix distributer.

You know, almost everytime someone posts one of these issues they have an MSD box. I would try running without it.
Tom