1968 Other Chevrolet Models No fire

68CHEVYC10

MEMBER
1968 CHEVROLET

Engine Mechanical problem
1968 Other Chevrolet Models Two Wheel Drive Automatic

No fire! 350 small block in a 1968 Chevy C10 pick up. It has a HEI distributor & all components of the distrub are brand new & I had them all checked to be sure I didn't blow them somehow. There is defiantly fire (current) going into the distrib I checked it with a test light. There are new plugs & wires as well. The rotor turns while cranking and the metal piece under it is making contact with the nipple on the bottom of the distrib cap. I have the block grounded to the frame. I have done this next part two ways #1 piston up with rotor pointing to #1 plug and at 180 out with #1 piston up and rotor pointing to # 6. I also switched all the plugs around the distrib, for the 180 out method. I have hand turned the engine to TDC at 0 and 4 and in between. I should say, I just did a complete overhaul of the engine BUT! I must add, that prior to the overhaul, just all of the sudden I had NO fire! So no fire before I tore into it & no fire after I tore into it. I lined the dots up on crank. Help

1 Reply

HMAC300

MECHANIC
48,601 POSTS

If you have checked all your components and it's all good then see if your wires going to your pickup coil have broken. If you have a vacuum advance some of these broke the wieres to the pickup. That's the one that sits under the reluctor. Check it for ohms and if it's around 1000 get another. Also the wire leading to the distributor should be at least a 12 guage wire and have a direct 12 volts going to it. IF you have the original wires like the pink wire it's not big enough and it's on ly 9 volts. Make sure to wiggle the sires to the pickup coil to see if they are bad as well. Also make sure that the carbon piece between the coil and rotor is not broken. If it is it won't run. If all this fails then just reply and give meyour email address and I can send you some copies of how to check it out completely.