I have been through the ringer trying to figure out this issue on my own. From replacing stuff on the old distributor to buying a brand new one. I can't get anything out of her, noda nothing, zip. Now I'm working from the ground up starting from the main batt lead on the distributor and tracing it back through the car. This is my first time doing this revival stuff as my plan is to drive it from its resting place. I am hoping someone can point me in the right direction to chasing this batt lead, or just tips in general. I do not own a multimeter I was kind of hoping I wouldn't have to even bother but I have heard stories of if that battery connection isn't getting 12 volts, you ain't getting nothing. And that's exactly what I'm getting out of her. Nothing. Right now I'm at a loss.

 

I would at least get an inexpensive 12V test light.
Then lots of spots to check:

• Does the starter make any noise when the key is used?
• If not check the batt voltage
• Then check the batt cable connections
• Does the light work at the starter
• Corroded connections are common
• So are blown fuseable links there are 2 or 3 of them by the starter, no fuses per say
• Same with that distrib connection light there?
• Pull a spark plug and plug into to plug wires and try to start. Ground plug. Should see sparking.
• Corvettes are also nortorious for rusty grounds
• Big one underneath on the frame by the battery
• The other big one from the engine block back to the frame under the motor mount near the starter.

 

In the very first photo, the wire your holding should be plugged into the distributor, that will help immensely!
Does that wire get power with key on?

 

As per the comment about not owning a multi meter. You simply can not work on cars without basic tools.
Buy tools and manuals. Or, pay someone like me to fix your car.
We are actually on here to help you. But you will need to do basic tests. Otherwise you can just throw parts at it. That can get stupid expensive!

 

Coil insulation is worn. Get a new coil.
Multi meters are under $10 at Harbor freight. Get one.

 

^^^^^ Bingo ! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Josh,
Did you just cross a river with that car?
Never seen so much condensation residue under the coil dust cover, in the cap and on the coil itself.

Also, swap out the little spring / bushing under the coil.

 

It does.

 

I managed to get a multimeter, and am getting 11.2 volts through the battery lead to the distributor. I don't want to throw parts at it but this no spark condition is just driving me mad, I have checked the whole distributor, taken it out, had it tested. It's fine. Buuuut still nothing. I've chased the batt lead to the fusebox and don't know where to look after that, but it's getting voltage in, but nothing out?

 

I have bought a new coil and installed it, still nothing. If you consider sitting in a field under a tree for 5+ years then yeah she's been through it.

 

Should be a center terminal strap that sits underneath the coil and goes to the center terminal of the back row, is that missing ? I don’t see it laying anywhere
Is the back 3 terminal connector plugged into the cap/coil ? Front connector is tach and 12 volts key power
Test the distributor pickups two wires for ohm since you have a Ohm meter , unplug wires from ignition module and connect leads from your Ohm meter, should be between 600 to 1500 ohms , anything close usually works fine , the two wires from the pickup can sometimes break from years of being worked over by the vacuum advance unit on the distributor

if you have 12 volts , a good ground, new and old coils to try , pickup coil unit within range , distributor turns when cranked over and still don’t have spark then it’s ignition module time

Also verify that the distributor is turning when you crank it over

 

​​​​​​It is for sure turning when I'm cranking, I took the cap loose and just bumped it to test. The 3 terminal is plugged up, so is the tac and batt when I crank on it or do tests. Really just had them unhooked for picture quality and testing. In total I have 3 ign coils. The original, a replacement I bought, and one that came with a full distributor unit I bought. Question. If I stick a testing light onto the top of the distributor cap on one of the wire points, should that test light go on and off when the distributor turns if the spark made it that far? I've tried it and didn't get anything just wondering if it made any difference or not.

 

No it won’t light up like that. Spark doesn’t have enough energy to make a bulb filament glow. It’s just too short a duration of energy.

You need to use a spark plug or a spark tester to see the spark jump from the electrode to ground. First response from leigh1322 had good diagnostic advice.

Connect a spark plug to the distributor and ground the threads of the spark plug. Then crank it over and see if there is spark.

 

A test light to check for spark? That's a new one.
I see a pattern here. OP totally doesn't have a clue.
Perhaps get some help. Yes I can fix your spark. But I'm to far away. Remove one plug wire from one plug. Whatever is easiest to get to. Remove plug from head. Connect plug to plug wire and hold the threaded part of the plug against bare metal somewhere on the engine. Whilst holding it have your girlfriend crank over the car. Does the spark plug spark?

 

In the third picture you are holding a wire that plugs into the distributor. It appears that the wire has had it's insulation worn through and possibly exposing the wires. You cannot have anything shorting to the frame or there will be problems.

Before going to far be sure to remove the battery and charge the battery until it starts gassing which happens at around 2.5 (volts per cell) on most flooded lead acid batteries. If accessible remove the vent covers to allow access to the electrolyte level. If the electrolyte is low be sure to top it off with DISTILLED WATER only and then charge it until it gasses.

Clean the battery posts and the battery wires connectors with a wire brush. Measure and record the Battery voltage at the battery and then measure it again but this time using the engine. Use the bat positive on the starter for the 12 volts (+) and the engine for the ground (-). The numbers should be very close to each other. If not check the battery negative wire to ground and then the positive wire.

That distributor sure looks like it was used on a submarine.... I would imagine that the module is fried inside that distributor. I would find another DEI distributor for testing purposes. You will need a lot of new parts on that old distributor to make it work. On my C4 I have an HEI distributor and it uses a 5 pin module I think). This module is attached inside the distributor body and uses a thermal transfer medium to keep it from getting too hot. When they fail, so does your ignition system. I am betting the Ignition Module is toast in the original distributor.

The two fusible links referred to above are found down by the starter motor and it's wiring harness. These are the LAST RESORT protection GM installed. They do blow if something gets badly shorted. If you have no voltage at the fuse block this is frequently the cause.

 

You'll get there. Every body has to learn sometime. Some of us grew up with these old dinosaurs LOL!
You have 12V, at battery and at distributor - check!
Engine turns over - check!
Distrib rotates - check!

Now check spark at plug as mentioned above. If no spark, then problem is between 12V in and spark out, inside the distrib itself, likely the coil, or module, or lousy connections. There are guides online to help you check out the module. Show us pics of the inside of the cap & rotor.

If plug does spark, you now have spark at the cylinder, so check fuel.

It all boils down to spark and fuel.

 

A long, long time ago. I was tought the 3, count them. 3 things to make an engine go.
spark, and at the correct time.
Fuel, and at the correct air/fuel mixture.
And Compression! Without which, all bets are off.

 

A test light on the tach signal or negative side of coil will flash just like ignition points opening and closing and verifies primary ignition is working correctly , no flash is no spark regardless of new coil or not

 

Just a short addition to the 12v check. Given all the corrosion witnessed here, the distributor 12v check needs to be done while the engine is cranking over. A poor electrical connection can read/supply 12v when hooked to a low-current/high-impedance/resistance item like a voltmeter, but may drop down to only a few volts when the ignition module tries to pull 5-6 amps coil current through that 12v source wire.