i have a 5.7L 350 out of an 87 mounted in an 82 body, it is a carbed engine now

when i got to start the starter works, but there is no spark
i checked what i thought were some of the fusable links, and no luck, i checked contacts from starter up to ignition, nothing

i just checked my coil, with a very low resistance which i believe is correct

i then checked the pick up coil, when checking for continuity from a lead to ground, (distributor body) there is continuity.....

this is bad isn't it?????? is my pick up coil fried?????

need help fast

 

Are you positive that she's getting fuel to the CARB? Double check that you're choke flap isn't stuck closed.

 

i am positive i have fuel, i talked to a guy i know from work who used to be a mechanic and he was saying that there is a bad ground from the distributor

he said that to make it home simply take a wire from the distributor body and run it to the battery ground

but i was unclear as to what he said about a permanent fix

he also said that my connections to the module are most likely corroded, and that i should REALLY check the pick up coil, he's convinced it's something with the pick up coil and a bad ground

i took his advice and before i tried it i simply reassembled my distributor and it work perfectly, and i have not had any problems for a few days

so now who can explain what's going on and help me out, i need help fast, i leave for school soon and am going to put the car in storage soon

-mark-

 

Bro.... I'm still a little unclear as to what is actually taking place. Are you saying that you re-assembled the distributor, and the car ran fine after that? But then what happened? Is it still running, or are you just questioning why it happened in the first place?

 

running fine now, questioning what happened in the first place and trying to figure that out so i can understand if it is going to happen again soon or not, and what kind of preventative maintenance needs to be taken

really appreciate the help though

-mark-

 

If you swapped an engine, and dis-assembled the distributor prior to installing it in the 82 body.... then yeah, you might have overlooked an unconnected ground somewhere. That's probably all it was bro.

Just eliminate the clutter, and the wiring.... and install an HEI unit in it's place later on.

 

HEI? is that a coil in cap setup?

 

Yes it is.... it takes about 15 minutes to do the entire swap. Also, you didn't indicate if you're still running the ECM, are you? If you're not, and you're using the stock computer controlled module, then that is another area you'll have to take care of, since the ECM controls the spark.

 

i have a cap-in-coil set up already, i do have a new coil installed, no worries there

but i still have the original ECM, please explain all there is to know about the ECM and how to replace it

thanks
mark

 

Is the HEI (cap in coil) off of the 87 350? If you're not sure if it is, can you tell me if it has a vacuum advance?

If the HEI unit you're using came off of the 87 350 engine, and it is not hooked up to the 82's Computer (ECM), then this is the problem....

You need to get a NON-computer controlled distributor.... one with a module that does not lead to the ECM (Computer).... and one that has a vacuum advance.

Lemme know you're set-up, what came from where.... etc.

Are you still running the computer?

 

alright i know i have a vaccum advance, (the thing that looks like a propane regulator on the side of the distributor)

and i think i did get confused as to what you meant by ECM, i think i was thinking ignition module, the one inside the distributor is what i was thinking of,

i have a 650cfm edelbrock carb, i do not have fuel injection, so i take it i do not have a computer controlling my engine then, straight up old school carb

sorry for any confusion

i did not do the swap myself, or knew alot about cars at the time of purchase so i cannot remember all of the details about the modifications the previous owner made

sorry

thanks for putting up with me

-mark-

 

Not a problem bro...

From the sounds of it, it probably was a loose... or non-hooked up ground somewhere.

Just to make sure you have no other electrical woes.... especially since you're running old school, get yourself a test-light.

With the key off, disconnect the positive side of the battery terminal.... and run the test light (in between) from the positive cable, to the positive battery terminal.

If the test light light's up (with the key off), you definitely have a short somewhere....

This little test aid's in helping peace of mind, especially if you rely on the car.... believe me!

 

Hey yall might be able to help me

I have a 88 Iroc 305 I converted from TPI to Carb using a edelbrock carb. heres the issue.
Some times i can get in the car and turn the ket and it will fire right up. some times i get in there and try it and nothing, it acts like its not even getting fire, the engine just turns over. At first I thought it couldve been flooding but I think its got to do with the fire. I can let the car sit come back out and it crank up fine. It has a new HEI distributer coil cap. any ideas?

 

Sounds like you're fuel delivery. Are you running the stock 'in tank' pump, and how is you're fuel pump relay wired up (after the removal of the ECM)?

If it were flooding, the engine would 'catch' every now and then when trying to start (provided you're getting air to it that is).

How did you set up you're fuel system after you converted?

 

No we took the intank pump out and ran a holley pump under the hood near the driver side on the railing. Its plugged into a hot wire that when you turn the key the pump turnes on. The little glass filter shows gass in the lines and even when its turning over but not firing off, you can hit the throttle from under the hood and hear gas going into the engine. Im not real smart with cars i had someone do this for me. but they arent being super helpful right now.

 

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