WELL, after getting stranded and towed home again yesterday, still not being able to start this dam car, I give up.
It's either up for sale or it can rot where it sits. I don't feel I can trust it anymore even IF, and it's a big if, I work on it and get it running again.

Not even sure I want to go to Carlisle at this point .

VERY tempted to call the guy that stopped while I was waiting for tow truck and tell him I'll take 5500 and he can have it.

 

You sound like your at your wits end. Take a break for a few weeks.
What exactly is the issue?

 

could it need a tune up?

 

Yep, good advice. Probably something simple. Tell us what's going on and we'll help get you get back on the road. Don't sell it when you're in this mood. You'll regret it later.

 

I feel your pain. My '34 street truck SBC would run like a champ one week.....then leave me on the side of the road the next week. I decided to keep a basic tool set and voltmeter with me at all times.

I finally worked out all the bugs and was able to drive it from the New Orleans area to east Texas and also to Panama City/spend a week and drive home problem free! I put 40,000 miles on it since it's last breakdown.

But it was no fun getting to that point. It was also my daily driver.

Now I'm gradually working out the problems with my '68 basketcase Vette. I remind myself of the struggle with my '34 whenever I get aggravated/stalled out in the Vette.

If your car is not a daily driver you have time to solve the problems....all you (and I) need to do is find a warehouse full of patience.

 

Completely agree. I bought a car one time from a guy with the same frustration. I replaced the starter and it ran great for the next several years. Give yourself or some of us a chance to think through this.

Terry

 

What happened? Sometimes its the simple things that we can fix which can make the difference. Othertimes it is time to call in the calvary, and have it towed to a shop to sort out the problems.

What happened this time.

kdf

 

$5500??? Post it to the classifieds here, Ill have a look

 

Steve, let's get some people together and start from scratch. If it won't start at all, we should be able to pin it down. Intermittent is a little tougher, but it can be done. I'll bring a meter, you get a wiring diagram and let's do some checking. I'm retired, I got time.

 

5500 or let it rot,

Think about it, if you have lost it for the car fine sell it but sleep on it like a wise old Indian However, I do feel your pain,
Example,

When my car was 8 months past due date and being refused to come see my car at the shop the tech said it's basically ready but you can't get it and I don't know when you can get it, you shouldn't even ask me that question, other stuff has your car blocked in.

After a near nervous breakdown and fowl words I got my car some great work some not so great and some damage but the car is home.

Before the tech I have had carb fires, busted strut rods all kinds of little bs

but it's really not the cars fault, the issues and hurdles can be fixed no matter how hard they try cars can not outsmart us and yeah they do try hard,

Think it over a while in my case I will take any issue my 69 dishes out I love that stupid car but if you think about it and still hate the car then sure thing sell it, someone else will love it.

 

Hang in there. We've all been down that road, with a Corvette, or some other old car.

A friend of mine just picked up a nice 85, under similar circumstances. The previous owner had tried for a year to get it started, with no luck. He'd replaced all kinds of things including the electric fuel pump, filter and relay. The owner was pi$$ed, tired and frustrated, and told my friend he could have it for $1500. It turned out that all it needed was a 75 cent fuel pump fuse, and it fired right up!

If it's time to sell it, then sell it, but at least wait until you've calmed down a little, and confirmed in your mind that it's your best course of action.

 

I'm sure at some point everyone gets that way until a issue is resolved. I'm sure I will be there at times with my old 69... If the pain is greater than the pleasure then it may be time to cut ties...But think of the enjoyment you will have when you find the problem and she's running great again...

 

I went through the same frustration as you and it ended yesterday.

I installed a Tri-Power on my 1965 Mustang. It never ran right. I rebuilt or replaced everything at least twice. Trouble shooting ignition, valve's, timing, fuel system, searching for vacuum leak's. Nothing worked. Drove it yesterday after fooling with it and it still ran like crap. Thought's of finally dumping the Mustang crossed my mind while driving it home. I was done. This has been going on for 6 month's.

I finally put my frustration's aside and contacted a forum and wrote out the symptom's. I got the normal suggestion's that I had already done many time's, but I checked them anyway. Till one guy mentioned the harmonic balancer may have slipped. He save the day (and the Mustang.) The 48 year old part failed just when I installed the 3x2's. What lousy "timing". The thought never crossed my mind to ever to suspect the harmonic balancer.

$56 solution and a huge relief.

Your not the first. Post up the problem, someone here has payed the due's and has your answer.

 

Ok, here's what happened and what I did yesterday.


Way back in early spring, had some issues where it ran like crap going down the road. Found carb full of junk, rear bowl on a Holley. Got that sorted out. Ran better but still backfired and skipped a beat. Installed a new distributor, got a new timing light, set it all up according to Lars paper and VOILA it ran great.

Saturday, did some running around town, came to an intersection and slowed for the red light, it quit. Cranks, but would not fire up.

Yesterday, installed a new module from Advance, no spark. Switched cap with a known good coil...no spark. Switched the rotor...no spark. Grabbed my test light and checked all the wires and connections from the starter. Everything has power. Power going into the distributor. I did grab my meter to check the resistance at the pickup and it jumped around. Not sure if it was me or the p/u making it do that. That is the only piece that has not been replaced. So, after I cool down in a few days I will probably get one of those.

Just to be clear, when checking ohms on that P/U it should read around 7-900? And if I move the shaft, should it fluctuate? It does that when I move the shaft back and forth.

Thanks guys, I'm sure it's something stupid and simple. But, every time I take this car out since springtime, I wonder if I'm coming home on a flatbed.

 

Hey Bud, we need to get together, have a cold brewski and talk about NC&TX BBQ. Oh, and good day-bad day C-3's. My big block '70 runs like an Angel and other days like Satan's jester! I have towing insurance with 3, count 'em, 3 different roll back wrecker services. I alternate the calling list so none of them figure out I might be costing them $$. It stumbles and misses (sometimes?) when I shift gears. At other times it doesn't. All appropriate diagnostic tests have been done.....many times. The motor was freshened this past winter. Nothing wild, just .30 over. Carb is fresh from one of the foremost Q-jet gurus in the nation. Everything motor/drive train related is new. The damn stumble drives me nuts! It also burps a little bit when cruising at moderate speeds in 4th. I've been dead in the water on a scary Houston freeway, at a Cruise In, mechanic's shop and friend's house. On the other hand, my steering is now perfectly centered thanks to some kind folks on the Tech forum. So, beer and bbq, my place or yours? What you Carolina guys do with pork is friggin awesome! I'll bring the brisket. Guess I got wound up, sorry, passionate love affairs are often that way. Good luck my friend, I'll hang in there if you will.

 

the pickup is a reluctor ring, and easy to replace, but before firing the parts cannon, do these tests:

(from a CC article)_:
Connect the ground side of your test lamp to the battery POSITIVE cable. Probe the TACH terminal on the dist. cap while a helper attempts to start the engine. The test lamp should blink repeatedly as the engine cranks. No blink= bad module or pickup coil. Further testing is required to pinpoint the problem. Blink but no spark = bad ignition coil.


Remove the cap & rotor. Remove the green & white leads from the module. Connect your ohmmeter to the green & white leads. You should have approx. 800-1500 ohms depending on the ambient temperature. Open circuit (infinite ohms) = bad pickup coil.


Wiggle the green & white leads as you test. Ohm reading should remain constant if the leads are good. If the reading varies as the leads are wiggled, the pickup coil is bad. You'll often find broken pickup coil leads this way.

DVOM (meter) still connected to green & white leads. Set your DVOM to AC VOLTS. Have a helper crank the engine as you watch the AC VOLTS reading. A good pickup coil will produce about 3V AC when cranking. Less than approx. 2V AC indicates a bad pickup coil.

 

I would suggest returning the ign. module to Advance if it's an after marker part and pick up a Delco (much better quality). If you can't find one locally, Rock Auto has them.

 

one last thing to add, I know these can be frustrating, and sometimes it can be easier to just replace the wiring in known bad spots where intermittent's happen.

I had Triumph that gave me fits. Ended up starting from scratch, new battery cables, new starter wire to a start switch (manual pushbutton) toggle for ignition, new wiring to a new fusebox from radio shack, cut the entire thing outta there and re-soldered everything other circuit to the new fuse center (with extra fuses too!). was a pain, but eliminated a lot of the failure points and connections that get old and loose over time.

sometimes you just gotta start from scratch...at least these cars are not computer controlled, have had to rewire those (Mercedes and VW have bio-degradable wiring) before too...

 

Old cars are PITA

Especially the latter C3 that were driven and passed owner to owner with NONE of them ever doing much to really maintain the car correct.


C3 guys want to drive and not spend money , so the cars become worse and worse money pits.

At some point , somebody has to rebuild the suspension, motor , interior , replace the wiring harness , brakes and fix the rust.

Corvettes are not bad cars, I owned them when they were new , really no issues , other than has hogs and interior heat.

Corvettes are great cars , but require ALOT of loving car to fully enjoy them

 

Order a new distributor put your module in or keep it and coil for back up..

I have about 20 friends using one of these all are happy one had a coil fail the second season .. http://www.ebay.com/itm/SBC-BBC-CHEV...-/371137327006