My '77 Died Today!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,762
Likes: 820
From: SUFFIELD CT USA 2023 C8 CORVETTE UN-MODIFIED FINALIST
2023 C8 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
My '77 Died Today!
After a 2 1/2 hr trip today I left home to go gas-up and a 1/2 mile from the gas station after getting gas my vette suddenly quit. We coasted to the side of the road and she let out 2 or 3 huge backfires like shot gun blasts! My first thought was that I got a load of water or bad gas but the car quit so instantly that I am thinking no spark ! The quadrajet was still squirting gas when I hit the throttle arm, it was not water. The car turns over normally but does not even sputter. She came home on a flatbed and the driver took a picture because he said he had not towed such a nice car in a long time. What do you guys think caused my sudden flameout ? It was dark by the time I got her home so any wrenching will have to wait.
PS I am just glad this didn't happen an hour earlier as I was 70 miles from home!
PS I am just glad this didn't happen an hour earlier as I was 70 miles from home!
Last edited by BPHORSEGUY; Nov 23, 2012 at 09:01 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,126
Likes: 15
Or, if you are lucky, bad ignition module. If you have the original plastic toothed cam timing gear it may have stripped and slipped. Major back fires can be caused by stretched or stripped timing chains. Good luck. mike...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,233
Likes: 657
From: Thunder Bay
After a 2 1/2 hr trip today I left home to go gas-up and a 1/2 mile from the gas station after getting gas my vette suddenly quit. We coasted to the side of the road and she let out 2 or 3 huge backfires like shot gun blasts! My first thought was that I got a load of water or bad gas but the car quit so instantly that I am thinking no spark ! The quadrajet was still squirting gas when I hit the throttle arm, it was not water. The car turns over normally but does not even sputter. She came home on a flatbed and the driver took a picture because he said he had not towed such a nice car in a long time. What do you guys think caused my sudden flameout ? It was dark by the time I got her home so any wrenching will have to wait.
PS I am just glad this didn't happen an hour earlier as I was 70 miles from home!
PS I am just glad this didn't happen an hour earlier as I was 70 miles from home!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,453
Likes: 67
From: Midland Ontario
NCM Sinkhole Donor
My guess is you lost your spark for some reason. The backfiring was probably because you were still drawing in a combustible mixture but it wasn't being burned in the combustion chamber, but being ignited by the hot exhaust system. I would start by checking for spark, timing, etc. Being a '77 my best guess would be your ignition module in the HEI distributor. Common problem in the early days usually caused by heat buildup. The solution was to put dielectric grease under the module when its installed to aid in cooling the module. But that's speculation....start with the basics.
Good Luck
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,762
Likes: 820
From: SUFFIELD CT USA 2023 C8 CORVETTE UN-MODIFIED FINALIST
2023 C8 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
I have guests and family over for the long holiday weekend so I won't be able to even look at it till after work on Monday. I really appreciate all the advice and well wishes, keep them coming ! I will report back when I have something more definite, thanks again !
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,762
Likes: 820
From: SUFFIELD CT USA 2023 C8 CORVETTE UN-MODIFIED FINALIST
2023 C8 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
I was just looking at the ignition module prices and if I am looking at the correct part I sure hope that it is the problem!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,126
Likes: 15
This is the original from my late model '77. They are not very expensive. If you do indeed need the module and the new one does not come with some. Go to Radio Shack and get some Heat Sink Compound. This goes between the module and the aluminum mount of the dist.. It drains off the heat from the module. mike...
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,762
Likes: 820
From: SUFFIELD CT USA 2023 C8 CORVETTE UN-MODIFIED FINALIST
2023 C8 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Okay, started the post-mortem today and didn't get very far before finding the smoking gun. My rotor was fried and the pick-up was broke right off. The local parts store supplied a new cap, coil, rotor, and ignition module which appeared original . The car started as if nothing had happened ! My goal was just to get it running so I could move it to its home in an aircraft hanger where it will be safe from tomorrows forecast snow and the inevitable salt and sand that comes with it. There, with time on my side I will pick a time to remove the distributer and replace the coil pick-up, then wires and plugs to finish it up. I simply didn't have time today and just wanted to get the car moved. The irony of the whole situation is that I was planning a tune up this week which would have replaced the rotor which died Friday. So much for my preventive maintainance ! The one good thing that happened is that AAA covered the tow even though my membership expired almost a year ago ! It was supposed to be on automatic renewal, the girl asked me if I wanted to renew and later said everything would be covered.
Last edited by BPHORSEGUY; Nov 26, 2012 at 08:30 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,762
Likes: 820
From: SUFFIELD CT USA 2023 C8 CORVETTE UN-MODIFIED FINALIST
2023 C8 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
The strange thing is when I got the car started it sounded better ! Not just running better but better audibly, I am wondering if the massive back fires bent the muffler baffles or something ?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,548
Likes: 379
From: Woodinville WA
I love AAA
A year ago, I blew the transmission out of my 4x4 truck, 100 miles from home on a huge snowstorm day (all trucks were busy). AAA told me to pay whoever I could get to come haul me home and they'd reimburse me. $738.00 later I was home, a week later I had the repayment check...
Glad it was something simple
A year ago, I blew the transmission out of my 4x4 truck, 100 miles from home on a huge snowstorm day (all trucks were busy). AAA told me to pay whoever I could get to come haul me home and they'd reimburse me. $738.00 later I was home, a week later I had the repayment check...
Glad it was something simple