Engine will not start, very frustrated!!!!
Is my vette stock?? HAHA
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From: Im not allowed to tell you
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If you have been cranking this over and over and its not firing your plugs would be fuel soaked.......Have you tried pouring a little fuel or starting fluid down the throat. I know your description says the Qjet squirters are working......You may have spark but it might not be enough to ignite your mixture. Fuel down the throat will tell you 2 things. If it fires you have a plugged fuel filter, not enough fuel pressure to run, or a clog in your pickups in the carb. if it doesnt then you have weak spark.
Is my vette stock?? HAHA
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 20,212
Likes: 9,350
From: Im not allowed to tell you
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
How long has this car been sitting? I have had issues in the past where the fuel system has soaked up enough water that it fills the fuel bowls and then sits in there and will no longer start. If it starts with starting fluid try draining the carb into a clear jar and see what your fuel looks like
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
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From: Thunder Bay
I just reread this thread and looked up the Accel 2010 kit. That's the old Unilite setup. I had one of those about a hundred years ago. It worked fine for about two years and then simply quit. I don't trust it. I still say its ignition. 
Old Pro Solo Guy
Joined: Dec 2017
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From: Marlton NJ
Hmmm. Couple of thoughts/ideas:
Does sound like a frustrating one. When you find it you will probably go Duh***
I do not trust the Unilite setup. They were known for strange failures. They use a light beam and not magnetics. I would switch back to points, at least for a test. Then only use one of the resistor wire or a separate resistor to the points distrib. Not both. It may have not enough volts to run well with both.
You would also need to verify it has the extra start wire to the points distrib (from starter) to get full volts during start. You could even run 12V to the points and it will run fine for a test. The points would just overheat and burn up kinda quickly.
I know you said you had compression, but was that with the old cam or the new? Adjusting the valves takes a certain "feel" and I have seen some tighten them so much that they are all open, all the time. A thumb test will do. A gauge would be better.
And do not rule anything out. Flakey things do happen. We just fired up David Howards brand new 383 last week and it ran fine on the test stand, for all of 3 minutes. Then it quit, dead as a doornail. ??? No fuel at all. ??? WT*** Brand new Edelbrock fuel pump bit the dust. Stuff happens.
Does sound like a frustrating one. When you find it you will probably go Duh***
I do not trust the Unilite setup. They were known for strange failures. They use a light beam and not magnetics. I would switch back to points, at least for a test. Then only use one of the resistor wire or a separate resistor to the points distrib. Not both. It may have not enough volts to run well with both.
You would also need to verify it has the extra start wire to the points distrib (from starter) to get full volts during start. You could even run 12V to the points and it will run fine for a test. The points would just overheat and burn up kinda quickly.
I know you said you had compression, but was that with the old cam or the new? Adjusting the valves takes a certain "feel" and I have seen some tighten them so much that they are all open, all the time. A thumb test will do. A gauge would be better.
And do not rule anything out. Flakey things do happen. We just fired up David Howards brand new 383 last week and it ran fine on the test stand, for all of 3 minutes. Then it quit, dead as a doornail. ??? No fuel at all. ??? WT*** Brand new Edelbrock fuel pump bit the dust. Stuff happens.
Last edited by leigh1322; Mar 27, 2021 at 10:13 AM.
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Joined: Jul 2018
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From: San Antonio, TX/Mahopac, NY
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Definitely spark. By the way, an inductive timing light will flash even if the spark is weak. You need to observe the actual spark. I think your coil is the culprit or distributor module. Also, check the wiring to the dizzy. People screw up HEI connections all the time when they take things apart. The worst ignition issue to troubleshoot is a weak spark that looks good, but is not strong enough to create fire.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Huntsville AL
1) Have a couple valves making a little noise so I need to address that. Going to buy a steel cover and cut the top out of it and adjust the valves while running and put that to bed.
2) Initial timing is 14* and at 2500 RPM I'm at 35* so a little tweaking to do there.
3) Vacuum at idle is 10 in.Hg not a lot I can do about that.
I still don't like the idle manners of this car but that is a function of the 274H cam that is installed, at some point in the future it has to come out so I might as well just pull the engine and do a complete overhaul. But that is for another day I just need to drive the car this summer and worry about that later.
Dennis
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,263
Likes: 188
From: Wabasha Mn
And I would say your are correct in that assumption, I swapped out the Dist and put a points setup back in and got the engine running. Ran like crap on initial startup and I ran out of advance timing and had to R&R the Dist again and to get it in the correct position, now starts and idles although not great. Does start at the touch of the remote trigger so that is good.
1) Have a couple valves making a little noise so I need to address that. Going to buy a steel cover and cut the top out of it and adjust the valves while running and put that to bed.
2) Initial timing is 14* and at 2500 RPM I'm at 35* so a little tweaking to do there.
3) Vacuum at idle is 10 in.Hg not a lot I can do about that.
I still don't like the idle manners of this car but that is a function of the 274H cam that is installed, at some point in the future it has to come out so I might as well just pull the engine and do a complete overhaul. But that is for another day I just need to drive the car this summer and worry about that later.
Dennis
1) Have a couple valves making a little noise so I need to address that. Going to buy a steel cover and cut the top out of it and adjust the valves while running and put that to bed.
2) Initial timing is 14* and at 2500 RPM I'm at 35* so a little tweaking to do there.
3) Vacuum at idle is 10 in.Hg not a lot I can do about that.
I still don't like the idle manners of this car but that is a function of the 274H cam that is installed, at some point in the future it has to come out so I might as well just pull the engine and do a complete overhaul. But that is for another day I just need to drive the car this summer and worry about that later.
Dennis
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Rhoads lifters work great, but are a bit noisy. They will make her a better low rpm driver with that cam. In addition to adjusting the noisy valves, you should remove and clean all your spark plugs. All that unsatisfied cranking with no spark has surly fouled them up. Glad you found the culprit, Dennis!
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