Melted + terminal
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,069
Likes: 2
From: Sherwood Park AB
Melted + terminal
I haven't started my 78 in about a year and I was getting it ready to load on a trailer the next day for paint. I marked the dist, pulled out of worm gear, marked again, and primed the oil pump with a drill and proper tool. Every other time I have tried to start it like this, I have had no problems and in the past I have used my RV battery as well as the proper one. This time I used my battery out of my 2000 S15 Jimmy (685 cc amps) and cranked and cranked.... let off.... cranked and cranked.... let off... checked spark with timing light and fuel spray from carb, all good. It would slow down cranking intermittently and eventually I smelt burning and wiggled the + terminal and it broke loose. It was a bolt on type batt terminal and the cable terminal was melted.
What could cause this? Was it just from overcranking? Carb rebuilt, new HEI, good engine and I am pretty sure the dist was stabbed correctly or close enough to fire at least. I turned the dist a little the last time I cranked it.
What could cause this? Was it just from overcranking? Carb rebuilt, new HEI, good engine and I am pretty sure the dist was stabbed correctly or close enough to fire at least. I turned the dist a little the last time I cranked it.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
well its really only a few items......the connection was old to begin with and the getting hot from cranking just did it in....
now for the not starting...its either spark or gas or getting the spark to the right place at the right time.....so if you have spark and you have gas.....look to see if you are 180* off on the distributor.....either pull a valve cover to follow the valves opening and closing to find the compresion stroke or pull a spark plug to feel the compression stroke
edit what did you mark on the distributor? just the base or the base and the rotor alignment? i bet the distributor rotor turned taking it in or out and its just pointing to the wrong terminal
now for the not starting...its either spark or gas or getting the spark to the right place at the right time.....so if you have spark and you have gas.....look to see if you are 180* off on the distributor.....either pull a valve cover to follow the valves opening and closing to find the compresion stroke or pull a spark plug to feel the compression stroke
edit what did you mark on the distributor? just the base or the base and the rotor alignment? i bet the distributor rotor turned taking it in or out and its just pointing to the wrong terminal
Last edited by bobs77vet; Dec 1, 2009 at 09:18 AM.
