Another LT1 Stalling
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,344
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From: Texas
So got brave and drove it to work yesterday as she's been firing up at will each morning and evening the past few days. Yep, it's now stranded at work. Drove great to work. Didn't go out for lunch, and when I went to go home...no start. Will be kinda nice having it out of the driveway for a while though. Maybe I'll get to tend to it in October. 
- The fuel pump runs for 2 seconds at "key on"?
- The engine cranks
Have you cleaned all of the oil out of the Opti connector? Not only the harness, but the Opti itself? The opti will be a challenge since you can't directly spray it (you need an extender to put into the nozzle of the cleaner) and you have to be able to dry the connector...or wait awhile for the cleaner to evaporate.
Double check that all the battery connections are tight, including at the starter. I had a battery lead come loose at the starter on one and it would do exactly what you're describing.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Van Steel Corvettes
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
Yep, fuel pump runs (no carpet so I can hear it VERY clearly), plus plenty of fuel pressure at the fuel rail. Engine cranks, but doesn't fire (no spark at the plugs). I have not had a chance to clean out the entire opti yet, just wipe off the plug each time. This past time there wasn't an accumulation of oil like the previous time.
It was firing easily for a few days and wanted to see if this exact issue would pop up. You tend to have to drive it for it to occur. I've only had it die a couple of times just idling in the driveway.
I'm 95% sure I checked the starter connections but will haul the jack to the office this weekend to double check. All other battery connections are good, but will check again while I'm at it.
It was firing easily for a few days and wanted to see if this exact issue would pop up. You tend to have to drive it for it to occur. I've only had it die a couple of times just idling in the driveway.
I'm 95% sure I checked the starter connections but will haul the jack to the office this weekend to double check. All other battery connections are good, but will check again while I'm at it.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Van Steel Corvettes
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
Well went to work to work on the car yesterday. Jacked the car up to get to the starter before I realized I should see if she fires before doing anything. Of course she fires right up.
So I check the starter and everything is tight, but I noticed A LOT of corrosion (like on a battery) on one of the wires. Cleaned it up and tightened it back down. Drove home just fine and let it run for about another 10 minutes (normally wouldn't have even made it all the way home), so once again it seems fine. The starter is yet another one of those autoparts store parts I had to throw at it to get it back up and running the day it went out, which was fairly recently (march/april). Was thinking about getting a powermaster starter anyway, but we'll see how she does the rest of the week (firing her up in the morning and when I get home from work). I'm not driving it again till I know, or think I'm sure, it's fixed.
Not seeing any more oil on the opti plug so I may have just gotten oil on it pulling it out to take a look.
So I check the starter and everything is tight, but I noticed A LOT of corrosion (like on a battery) on one of the wires. Cleaned it up and tightened it back down. Drove home just fine and let it run for about another 10 minutes (normally wouldn't have even made it all the way home), so once again it seems fine. The starter is yet another one of those autoparts store parts I had to throw at it to get it back up and running the day it went out, which was fairly recently (march/april). Was thinking about getting a powermaster starter anyway, but we'll see how she does the rest of the week (firing her up in the morning and when I get home from work). I'm not driving it again till I know, or think I'm sure, it's fixed.
Not seeing any more oil on the opti plug so I may have just gotten oil on it pulling it out to take a look.
Last edited by shakedown067; Sep 18, 2012 at 08:24 AM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 826
Likes: 22
From: Chicago Area
In another thread I had recently about my new AC Delco China water pump, someone advised me to check for wobble (runout) on the splined drive shaft of the pump. If that thing is not straight, it can make the drive shaft in the timing cover wobble around too, which will wear out the seal quickly. This guy had a persistent oil leak from the timing cover that they just could not fix, until they found the runout present in the water pump drive shaft.
Food for thought.
Food for thought.
Last edited by Scootin_Z; Sep 18, 2012 at 12:43 AM.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Van Steel Corvettes
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
I'll keep an eye on the WP. Car started fine yesterday morning and last night. Cranks but no fire this morning.
Makes me really want to swap to an LS motor.
But only have funds to get her fixed. Another week she'll just sit. If I had a garage I think I'd have the entire engine torn apart by now...
Makes me really want to swap to an LS motor.
But only have funds to get her fixed. Another week she'll just sit. If I had a garage I think I'd have the entire engine torn apart by now...
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,365
Likes: 3
From: Huntsville AL
Have you determined that you are good from the coil to the Opti? I may have missed that if you were.
If it cranks and you're not getting spark, that really narrows it down....
The failure to start after it's hot also points to something coil or ICM related.
These types of intermittent problems suck. Keep at it!
If it cranks and you're not getting spark, that really narrows it down....
The failure to start after it's hot also points to something coil or ICM related.
These types of intermittent problems suck. Keep at it!
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Van Steel Corvettes
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
I haven't checked to see if the coil is firing yet. I haven't been able to get a second person to help out. My mechanic offered to come to the house, but our timing keeps conflicting. The vette isn't a top priority right now unfortunately. I have a goal of getting it fixed by November 1st as I won't have any time after our second child is born around Nov 14th. Started fine again Monday, dead Tuesday morning. Killing me I don't have more time to get this dude finished!!!! I've missed two autocrosses already, but I'm officially off till January now.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Van Steel Corvettes
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
Well nothing to report on the vette yet, but I guess my '89 truck got jealous. After a 195 mile, wonderful round trip this past weekend, it too has a crank but no start condition. It too is electrical, but will be much easier to track down. Hope to have it running tonight. This weekend I'll hopefully finally get a couple of hours on the Vette. Will start by checking the coil then the starter again. $5 says it starts before I even touch anything.
Can the starter create a CRANK but no start condition if the solenoid goes bad? Will be curious if the corrosion is back already or not.
Can the starter create a CRANK but no start condition if the solenoid goes bad? Will be curious if the corrosion is back already or not.
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Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,344
Likes: 4,008
From: Texas
No. I don't recall the wiring off hand, but you may want to check the ignition lock cylinder, specifically the wires associated with the "run" position.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Van Steel Corvettes
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
I didn't think so, but wanted to check. Wanted an excuse to get a powermaster starter while I'm doing all this work. :P The ignition lock cylinder is actually just a year or two old. Got a GM equivalent from my vette mechanic. I'll put it on the list though. I've got a couple of other electrical anomalies so I'm going to check the ignition switch too (now that I have a spare since I tried that for the truck).
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,344
Likes: 4,008
From: Texas
I didn't think so, but wanted to check. Wanted an excuse to get a powermaster starter while I'm doing all this work. :P The ignition lock cylinder is actually just a year or two old. Got a GM equivalent from my vette mechanic. I'll put it on the list though. I've got a couple of other electrical anomalies so I'm going to check the ignition switch too (now that I have a spare since I tried that for the truck).
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Van Steel Corvettes
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
Yep, the door jam switch and truck switch on the drivers door just stopped working. Been a few months, before I started having starting issues though. Those are at the bottom of the list, unless I get lucky and find a cure for it all, but I don't doubt they are unrelated. Luckily I have a FSM...but it's clearly not built for me, as I can never find what I need in it.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Van Steel Corvettes
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
Well, I've found that its certainly a heat soak issue. Last week I ran the car, hood up, and it never died. Ran for over 15 minutes. Last night I ran the car, hood closed, died in about 8 minutes. Going to call around and see if any parts stores can test the ICM. None around me (4 stores) do.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,344
Likes: 4,008
From: Texas
Well, I've found that its certainly a heat soak issue. Last week I ran the car, hood up, and it never died. Ran for over 15 minutes. Last night I ran the car, hood closed, died in about 8 minutes. Going to call around and see if any parts stores can test the ICM. None around me (4 stores) do.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Van Steel Corvettes
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
So I finally set some time Sunday for my wife to help crank the car while I check for power here and there. Run the car till it dies...well before I get my 8 month pregnant wife to come out, let's see if it'll fire back up. Yep, fires right back up and wouldn't die again. Wonder if I could get someone to trade a LS1 for a LT1? 
Was going to drive it to work today cause I'm sure it wouldn't start to go home at the end of the day (and I could get a co-worker to help test), but my luck it'd just die on the way home in heavy traffic...so it's still sitting in the driveway.
Wonder if I could get someone to trade a LS1 for a LT1? Was going to drive it to work today cause I'm sure it wouldn't start to go home at the end of the day (and I could get a co-worker to help test), but my luck it'd just die on the way home in heavy traffic...so it's still sitting in the driveway.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,768
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From: Van Steel Corvettes
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
Well son-of-a...., drove the vette to work as I knew it would die on me at some point. Just hasn't done it in the drive way to test it. So of course I have to run to my bosses house for her and of course that's where it dies. Luckily it's walking distance to work. Good news is, I had a co-worker come pick me up instead and had him crank the engine while I tested the coil. Well, well, no spark out of the coil, but power to the coil. Now I only had a screwdriver to let power spark off of, but I saw a small spark on the plug to the coil. Only got it to do it once, but I had a fairly big phillips head screw driver so making contact was tricky. Going to grab my test light tomorrow and check for sure. But certainly didn't have spark out of the coil. Will be ordering a Delphi unit from rockauto if it indeed pans out.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,768
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From: Van Steel Corvettes
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
Well, I thought what the hell, grabbed the other coil I had and just plugged it in. This one is supposedly bad too, so it shouldn't start...nope, fires right up. Haven't gotten the car to stall and stay that way in a while...except the one time when I don't have all the tools I need to properly diagnose it. Guess it's going to the shop next week. $10 says it's the opti after all this crap!
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Van Steel Corvettes
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
Well, she's still sitting in the driveway. Totally sucks as the weather has been great for a cruise in the vette. No time to even call a flat bed to get it to the mechanic. The ole girl may have to wait till January or February (My second son is due to be born any day now). Will update again when I finally get anything done on it.