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Tech / General EngineIs your car making a strange sound or won't start? Thinking of adding power with a new combination? Need other technical information or engine specific advice? Don't see another board for your problem? Post it here!
I have an issue with my 1989 GTA where as I am driving along the engine for a spilt second dies and then is OK. The tech drops to zero and then bonce right back. I believe it is some kind of ignition issue. Here is a little back ground on the car. It is 383 now with a bunch of changes.
SLP Runners and Headers, 1989 Corvette heads, adjustable MAF which I have never needed to adjust, 26lbb injectors, ZZ4 cam with roller rockers, all smog stuff has been removed including the EGR and Cats.. I have a custom burned chip in the car with everything tuned to the car. The car has always ran great until last fall when we were riding along and the car just died. It would not fire at all so I got flat bedded home. My first thought was it was the module in the distributor as I have had issues with this before and changed it a few times. (I have owned this car 18 years) I don't drive it much and it is a big boy toy (I am 63 years old now). I put in an accel module and no difference and all. So then I thought it may be the pick up coil so I said I may as well just put a new distributor in as the one I had was off e-bay and seemed junky the day I put it in. I called Jeg's and ordered a new distributor and coil too. I installed it and the car fired up but was not running right so I thought I may have had the distributor a tooth off which it was. So I have checked everything , air control motor, TPS, timing (set at 6 degrees).
The car will sit there and run 15 minutes at 800rpms just fine. I let it warm up and take it out and it runs strong when I get on it. It will break the tires at 10mph and pull you right back in the seat. I have went for rides 20 minutes with no issues and then just like that driving along 50 mph and bang engine cuts out and come back to life. Under full load it never breaks down or misses a beat. I am stumped and believe what happened last fall is the same thing but that time it would not start. I am open to suggestions for sure. Could it be a worn wire somewhere or loose plug?
Assuming the new distributor came with ignition module (like mine) it's probably the ignition module (like mine) that is bad. Exact same symptoms as mine. Less than 1,000 miles on new distributor when this happened. Installed a new AC/Delco ICM (with thermal paste applied) and no problem since.
Yes the new distributor came ready to run. I would hate to think I paid close to 400.00 and got a bad unit. I guess I could try a new module. I have three or four on the shelf and never knew how to test them. Do you think the AC Delco ones are better than the aftermarkets like accel?
Thanks for you input.
I'm sure you'll find opinions pro and con for many different brands. AC/Delco certainly isn't what it used to be, but it worked for me. The ICM that came in my new distributor was a generic, so, as they say, your mileage may vary.
I had a similar problem and it wound up being a distributor wire that had an internal intermittent connection; swapped a new pigtail on for the distributor and issue was resolved for me.
06-25-2021, 12:00 PM
