Have had the 430 in for 2 months and it was running fine until last weekend. I tried to start it and it needed a jump, so I charged the battery and it started. I moved the car to the back garage and shut it off and tried to restart it "NO GO". I checked the starter and it wasn't turning so I ordered a new High Torque Starter. (Was told by the Chevy Guy around the corner from the house and he said I burned the starter up with the heat from the headers.) I put the new starter on and it cranks but won't start? o No: I have been fighting these "Gremlins" since I put this motor in and am on my last nerve. Anyone have any suggestions, as I am almost ready to take drastic measures. I got into this hobby as a way to relax, and now I am more stressed over the car then my job.
More info needed. What kind of ignition system? Are you getting fuel at the carb. There is a difference between "won't crank" and "won't start". Sounds like you had the former, and now the latter. These engines are very simple, they need fuel and spark. You are missing one or the other if it won't start.
Right, Wiz. You need to make sure you have HOT spark. A new coil is only about $12. Might help to swap it out. Are the wires at the starter OK or did they melt?
I have an HEI dist. from a 76 BBB. Yes, I did have one then the other. I checked the wires and all seem to be fine. The install on the starter was typical to most. The new starter does not use the Resistor wire and is not to be hooked up. I also changed the poss. wire to a 1 gauge to be sure to get enough juice to the starter. The old wire would get hot to the touch (it was a 4 gauge wire). I understand spark and fuel and both seem normal that is why it drives me nuts.
Here is the gremlin I had. In the past I had wire harness in the engine bay at firewall drive me nuts. Every morning the car would fire up fine then when I would shut the engine off I wouldn't even get a click at the starter. Eventually I found out if I wiggled the harness at the firewall it would fire right up o No: so I took the harness off at the firewall and slightly bent and cleaned all the teminals. Never had a problem since. I would check the magnetic pickup. If is to far away you will have no spark or it will fire once when first cranked over then nothin. Ray
Thjis may be the problem. I fyou had the extra wire hooked up on the old starter, but not the new one, you may not have 12 volts to the ignition during cranking. Make sure when you are cranking theat you have 12 volts to the distributor. I am assuming that you are no longer running the factory small wire to the HEi dist. What year car is it you have there? Jim Burek
Jim, It is a 72 Skylark but the motor is from a 68 Wildcat. Yes I have upgraded the wire to the dist. I had the car car running for about 2 months and no problems till just recently. When it is running it is "Scary Fast" to quote my 8 year old son. I would not mind the problems so much but i have to hear my wife remind me I should have just rebuilt the 350 and been happy. I am beginning to think she was right.
Like Jim said, the resister wire MUST be connected. If you do away with it, you MUST replace it, and not just eliminate it. Have you cranked it over and checked for spark when cranking? Do you have gas in the carb? I know it seems like odd timing, but your coil could be shot. Also, diddling the wires at the sterter could have broken or loosened a connection elsewhere in the harness.
Make sure the rotor is spinning. The roll pin holding the distributor gear to the shaft is pretty fragile. Certainly caused much head-scratching in my garage once long ago.
She's ALIVE!!!! I changed out the coil and module and no luck. The only thing left was the Condensor so I figured what the heck. Changed out the condensor and WHAM. She runs again. To quote Stewie " Victory is mine!" Thanks to Yards, Badbrad and the rest for all your help and insite. I owe all a Beer. :beer
