69 Starting issue
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,364
Likes: 934
From: Huntsville Alabama
Thanks, that should help to know what's in the dizzy!
Here's a thread with a link in there that supposedly includes troubleshooting steps for it. (I didn't read it.)
Breakerless Ignition - CorvetteForum - Chevrolet Corvette Forum Discussion
Here's a thread with a link in there that supposedly includes troubleshooting steps for it. (I didn't read it.)
Breakerless Ignition - CorvetteForum - Chevrolet Corvette Forum Discussion
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,364
Likes: 934
From: Huntsville Alabama
Checked timing & 14 degrees. With it vaccum advanced unplugged.
plugged in it does work & advanced further as you rev it..
played with plug wires & all 8 getting good spark will jump to wire. (Wire & plugs new) Can tell when each drops at idle..... tried driving with one off & moving the off one to different jugs. All drives like **** still haha. Can't find the bad one..
My dad got starter rebuild today. Works like champ. So compression & pull valve covers next?
plugged in it does work & advanced further as you rev it..
played with plug wires & all 8 getting good spark will jump to wire. (Wire & plugs new) Can tell when each drops at idle..... tried driving with one off & moving the off one to different jugs. All drives like **** still haha. Can't find the bad one..
My dad got starter rebuild today. Works like champ. So compression & pull valve covers next?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 2,226
Likes: 497
From: NJ
At idle the air reqs. can be met, whereas at speed, reduced valve opening (from a worn lobe) will limit Cyl. filling, hence reduced output.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 2,226
Likes: 497
From: NJ
Checked timing & 14 degrees. With it vaccum advanced unplugged.
plugged in it does work & advanced further as you rev it..
played with plug wires & all 8 getting good spark will jump to wire. (Wire & plugs new) Can tell when each drops at idle..... tried driving with one off & moving the off one to different jugs. All drives like **** still haha. Can't find the bad one..
My dad got starter rebuild today. Works like champ. So compression & pull valve covers next?
plugged in it does work & advanced further as you rev it..
played with plug wires & all 8 getting good spark will jump to wire. (Wire & plugs new) Can tell when each drops at idle..... tried driving with one off & moving the off one to different jugs. All drives like **** still haha. Can't find the bad one..
My dad got starter rebuild today. Works like champ. So compression & pull valve covers next?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,364
Likes: 934
From: Huntsville Alabama
Will pull valve covers next, take a look around and compression check now that starter works great. then will have good idea of a physical issue Cam / push rod, vs Distributor.
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Racer
Joined: Sep 2025
Posts: 470
Likes: 131
From: Colorado
Your distributor looks pretty rough and rusty. Have you taken the rotor off and inspected the weights and springs? That's easier to do than pulling valve covers so I'd do that first.
Also, you can check things out and make sure the SE Breakerless was installed correctly in the first place.
Also, you can check things out and make sure the SE Breakerless was installed correctly in the first place.
1967 Pedal Car Champion
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 9,030
Likes: 4,174
From: US-PNW
Your distributor looks pretty rough and rusty. Have you taken the rotor off and inspected the weights and springs? That's easier to do than pulling valve covers so I'd do that first.
Also, you can check things out and make sure the SE Breakerless was installed correctly in the first place.
Also, you can check things out and make sure the SE Breakerless was installed correctly in the first place.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2025
Posts: 470
Likes: 131
From: Colorado
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2025
Posts: 1,673
Likes: 582
It seems Most of these sorts of points-to-electronic ignition conversions have magnets. The magnets themselves aren't a problem; But it's those "flying" magnet(s) that're trouble-prone.
A fixed-position magnet (& trigger coil) that either senses existing cam lobes OR has a shutter wheel (aka reluctor) are more reliable.
A fixed-position magnet (& trigger coil) that either senses existing cam lobes OR has a shutter wheel (aka reluctor) are more reliable.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 18,692
Likes: 2,572
It seems Most of these sorts of points-to-electronic ignition conversions have magnets. The magnets themselves aren't a problem; But it's those "flying" magnet(s) that're trouble-prone.
A fixed-position magnet (& trigger coil) that either senses existing cam lobes OR has a shutter wheel (aka reluctor) are more reliable.
A fixed-position magnet (& trigger coil) that either senses existing cam lobes OR has a shutter wheel (aka reluctor) are more reliable.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2025
Posts: 1,673
Likes: 582
I remember those too; UNILITE.
I recall they had a high failure rate and the local speed shop sold too many replacement photo-optic modules. Dunno why, but Lotsa failures.
Who'd a thunk it, but they remain in production; since Accel and Mallory exchanged wedding vows in the chapel of Holley. Ringbearer was MSD.
Never owned a UNILITE but have had many pre-chinesium Mallory & Accel distributors; no complaints w/ those.
Still have a NOS Echlin dual-point whose design was continued when Accel was spawned by Echlin's entry into hi-po ignition market.
Crane once had a line of photo-optic distributors and CD boxes; both were successfully run in Cup. Distributor was a nice piece.
Today, UK's McLaren does Cup's spec EFI + Ignition.
Perhaps Daytona Sensors took up Crane's CD Box biz when Crane was gutted ? And FAST took up Crane's XR-i conversion module biz.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,364
Likes: 934
From: Huntsville Alabama
Came home to my dad in my shop. He got a new cap & rotor. Can't hurt. So tried that. Same... but at least know that's new too.
then pulled valve covers. Video of them all moving what seems like good bit & opening valves to me. Then for the hell of it I checked rocker bolts.. some where loose.... off I go tightening down googling a torque spec.... all I have done is LS & LT stuff most my life Rockers get bolted / torques down.... these are not rollers rockers so after I did that got to thinking & then learned I was wrong... backed them all off... followed instruction with finger twist pushrods. Till stop spinning then 3/4 turn. Car runs zero noise, & all but still has miss. But seeing them all move good at least rules out horribly flat cam or dead lifter? Video Attached.
then pulled valve covers. Video of them all moving what seems like good bit & opening valves to me. Then for the hell of it I checked rocker bolts.. some where loose.... off I go tightening down googling a torque spec.... all I have done is LS & LT stuff most my life Rockers get bolted / torques down.... these are not rollers rockers so after I did that got to thinking & then learned I was wrong... backed them all off... followed instruction with finger twist pushrods. Till stop spinning then 3/4 turn. Car runs zero noise, & all but still has miss. But seeing them all move good at least rules out horribly flat cam or dead lifter? Video Attached.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 2,226
Likes: 497
From: NJ
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,364
Likes: 934
From: Huntsville Alabama
Compression test is next on my list. If I fond a dead jug/hole does this mean rebuild 100% or is it possible for a sitting engine to have a ring stuck and can come loose or something with a trick possible ha.
A buddy says maybe its running out of fuel.... but I rebuilt the carb, and the Float levels are non adjustable on this Holley 600. alos the studder/ miss does not feel like staving for fuel bog to me. but just a though to mention.
A buddy says maybe its running out of fuel.... but I rebuilt the carb, and the Float levels are non adjustable on this Holley 600. alos the studder/ miss does not feel like staving for fuel bog to me. but just a though to mention.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 2,226
Likes: 497
From: NJ
Compression test is next on my list. If I fond a dead jug/hole does this mean rebuild 100% or is it possible for a sitting engine to have a ring stuck and can come loose or something with a trick possible ha.
A buddy says maybe its running out of fuel.... but I rebuilt the carb, and the Float levels are non adjustable on this Holley 600. alos the studder/ miss does not feel like staving for fuel bog to me. but just a though to mention.
A buddy says maybe its running out of fuel.... but I rebuilt the carb, and the Float levels are non adjustable on this Holley 600. alos the studder/ miss does not feel like staving for fuel bog to me. but just a though to mention.