HELP!

[69greenleaf]

I have a 69 satellite with a 440 bbl. At this point I think I am going insane trying to chase this problem down. I had an issue with no spark for a while I traced it to the ECM being bad. After I replace that the car has spark, compression, and plenty of fuel. I check ignition timing pickup gap mechanical timing and compression on the motor even then it still wouldn't run. I then drained the tank and added fresh fuel to it thiking that could be the problem. Still not starting! At this point I was fed up and put the car in "time out". Two weeks later I decide I want to try it again. So I go out and the car fires up and runs like there was never a problem. I ran it for four days in a row for 10 mins a piece just to make sure it wasn't a freak thing. I didn't run it the 5th day. But on the 6th day I had to move the car. And it turns over but won't crank up and only the #7 cylinder is firing while turning the engine. I check and all the others are getting spark and fuel but only #7 is firing. It has done this every time I have tried to run it since. What is going on!? I didn't touch the car for a day and now it won't run even though everything seems to be in order. Could it be that the pickup gap is off just enough that the spark isn't strong enough to fire in all but number 7? I need help I am thuroghly confused.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Hang in there brother. If I'm understanding you correctly, you wired in an electronic ignition into your '69 car, right?

I think we need A LOT more detail to help you, but just a shot in the dark..... you've got a wiring problem in your ignition.

How in the heck do you know that cylinder #7 is firing, but all the others are not???? Using an inductive tachometer? Grounding each plug?

 

[Ranger16]

And it turns over but won't crank up and only the #7 cylinder is firing while turning the engine. I check and all the others are getting spark and fuel but only #7 is firing.

I don't understand how all cylinders can be getting fuel and spark, but only one fires. Fuel + spark + compression = "fire".

 

[hangn0ut]

Make sure all grounds are good. Real clean and done right. Especially the ecm case. Fully charged battery too.

 

[moparwacko]

Ditto, ground, ground, ground. Make sure you have a good ground strap from engine to firewall, AND run a jumper to the ECM case from that. After you do all that, find a troubleshooting guide for electronic ignition online. Follow the sequence, check and SOLDER your connections! Then if all else fails, ballast, ignition switch, bulkhead connector, and so on. Don't give up, intermittent wiring problems are the worst.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

The other "slight" possibility I can think of is that the timing is actually WAY off..... like 180-degrees out or the timing chain jumped a tooth. You said you checked timing, but weren't real specific.

 

[oldbee]

I'll chime in,,,Connections,connections,etc.!!!!!

 

[WileE]

Check the rotor inside the dist cap, is it rotating ?

 

[69greenleaf]

Hang in there brother. If I'm understanding you correctly, you wired in an electronic ignition into your '69 car, right?

I think we need A LOT more detail to help you, but just a shot in the dark..... you've got a wiring problem in your ignition.

How in the heck do you know that cylinder #7 is firing, but all the others are not???? Using an inductive tachometer? Grounding each plug?

Yes it is an electric ignition. I grounded all the plugs to the block and they all are sparking. I know they are all getting fuel because after I tried turning it over a few time I pulled the plugs and they are all soaking wet. And I know #7 is firing because you can hear it firing while it is turning over and they only header pipe that is hot is #7. The way I checked mechanical timing was putting #1 at top dead and the valve were completely seated I did this for #2,7,and 8 as well but not sure of how accurate that method is. And ignition timing isn't dead on but it's close enough because it has run multiple times with the ignition timing in that same spot. The only thing thatakes sense is they the spark isn't strong enough to burn the fuel, #7 being a freak occurance.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Bad coil?

 

[dieseldazzle]

Had a problem with 70 cuda same issue had spark at plugs when cranked drove me crazy chasing it down ended up being the tachometer shorted internally. I forgot to hook it back up once swapping the 3 rd coil on it and found it that way

 

[moper]

Did you replace the pickup coil in the distributor? Sounds more like a pickup problem.

 

[Ranger16]

I know #7 is firing because you can hear it firing while it is turning over and they only header pipe that is hot is #7.

Still confused. That would lead me to believe that only #7 has fire (spark).

 

[69greenleaf]

Did you replace the pickup coil in the distributor? Sounds more like a pickup problem.

Sit rep. Just removed the distributor cap and sure enough the the pickup was laying on the reluctor ring. Fairly confident that now I am charging up the battery and will post again on if it fixed my problem.

 

[69greenleaf]

Sit rep. The beast lives! Nothing but a pickup gap problem this whole time. Glad that mess is finally over and that I get to drive it again. Thank all of you for your help and input.

 

[moper]

Nice work!

 

[69greenleaf]

Nice work!

Guess what!! It's doing the same thing. I tried resetting the coil again and again and it won't fire anything but number seven again. So it's looking like my pickup coil is just too weak right?

 

[Garys1969RR]

Those distributor shafts can get bent, then 1 will fire, because it's close and gets a signal, and the others don't. Take the distributor out and spin it while looking at it to see if it wobbles. If it's been hitting the reluctor ring then the pick up may be damaged.

 

[mopar 3 B]

You setting the airgap with a nonmagnetic guage?
Change the spark plugs. They are fuel fouled a sign they are not firing. Get out of the habit of checking spark using spark plug wire to block just not a good idea to shove 30000 volts threw an ECU or PCM by way of a ground wire.