Please Help! My truck won't start sometimes!
 

I went out last night, and the truck would NOT start (did this same thing the other day) So, unfortunately I had to leave it parked outside all night. But here's the kicker, when I went out to start it in the morning, it fired right up. Any ideas why it's doing this? I'm DEFINATELY getting fuel, but I'm not getting any spark. (It was dark outside, so I had the oppurtunity to see if there was spark in the spark plug boot. Every piece of my motor/ignition is brand new. Should I just buy a new Cap/Rotor/Coil & Module? (I was going to do it anyway)
It's just strange how it doesn't start, then after a few hours, it does. BTW: The truck had been sitting for about 5 hours when I couldn't start it last night.
HOPEFULLY the truck will start when I go to go out to lunch and home from work today! KNOCK ON WOOD!!

Sounds like it's the coil to me. I've seen this happen before. Replace the whole nine yards, coil, module, cap and rotor, especially since you probably need to anyway.

If this don't fix it, I don't know what it is. :)

I've already done that actually..but when I did it, I got mad at it, cuz it wouldn't seat properly, and I smashed it on there hard, and pretty much destroyed that little pin that goes under the coil to throw the spark from the coil to the rotor. :rolleyes:
But at any rate, I'll get an MSD setup, just for good measure. :D

So you knew you janked it up and still wonder why??? heheheehehe good One Tim!! haha

That IS the ignition, plain and simple. My 78 did that too me all the time with only 30,000miles on the accel HEI. Threw a MSD super HEI kit on and havent had a lick of trouble since.

I had the exact same problem. Wouldnt work at random.
I posted about this in the Chevchic thread about her truck update.

Eddie,
Would this kit work ~> Proform HEI Kit
Except, I'd only be using the Cap/Rotor/Coil/Module/Wiring Harness out of that. I was gonna go MSD, but I need the wiring harness aswell (the one on my distributor I bought at a local shop basically fell apart)

Or this one, if I can swing the $$
~> MSD HEI Kit :D

bad coil and get one thats DELCO dont get aftermarkets they stink

heh, smashed the rotor button into the cap... that's a true TIM if ya know what im talking about.

only buy the msd......please:eek:

There are more parts (then included in those kits) that can go wrong and cause weird problems. I replaced all kinds of parts and it still worked at random. That why I suggest you replace the entire distributor. If you can not afford the MSD, then go with the Proform for $160, its a good distributor, but the MSD is better.

I personally wouldnt use proform anything. No chinese made crap going in my truck if I can help it. Then again, I think Id rather have proform then accel :eek:

The distributor is entirely brand new. That's why I'm scratching my head...

Its that crappy spark control box. i have seen them start to go out and that happens unless you dont have one.

Nope, don't. Just got a stock replacement distributor/HEI setup. Nothing "performance" on the ignition portion yet...

I had the same problem with the HEI in my 68. I had just put in the 406, got it to fire, then suddenly I wasn't getting spark. Got power to everything, but 0 spark. I put a new module in it....nothing...new cap/rotor/coil....nothing....it was the pickup that was causing the problem, and it wasn't bad, just really cruddy from sitting around for a few years. Might be something to think about...

TJ

I would recheck the stuff you installed then replace the wire from the starter to the distributor. This has a fuseable link on it that may be a cause as well.

That's the wire that goes to the 12v+ on the distributor cap right? That's got 12v+ when it won't start.

Yes. Okay another idea is did you use die-electric grease when you installed the HEI? If not then it's getting too hot then shorting out.

listen to this, went to start my truck yesterday , wont start. come back 2 hrs later , fires up. start it the following day , wont start , replaced ,coil , still wont start , tapped on the top of the hei dustcover fires and dies. come back 15 minutes later fires up and runs , drive it around no probs. fire it up to pull it in my drive . wont start. today im replaceing all the electric partsin the hei. tore it completely down and starting over. let you now what i find out.:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

Dunno, it was all put together when I bought the distributor. I would think it's when it gets hot it shorts out. But the truck had been sitting for a few hours, and the module COULDN'T be hot... :confused:

When it didn't start had it been raining or really high humidity? I'm wondering if you have a crack somewhere in the distributor which is causing the problem.

Nope, no rain and no high humidity.

i changed out the ignition modual , the pickup coil , and the balist resistor i beleive its called,(the wires that run out of the bottom of the hei housing below the cap),checked for spark and had it. fired right up.
so which one it was i donno but it works. I had a proform kit that i installed last year , one of those parts went bad.

new developments
 

check this,,,,,,,,

just went out thismorning , pulled the dash apart to check the grounds.
everything looked the way its supposed to , then i started to move wires around abit. found a wire that was causeing my brake light in the dash to go on and off. when it would go off ,(with ignition on), the amp gauge in the dash would barry itself in the negetive range. I droped the stearing column , and found the connection , it was at the ignition switch. I pulled the ignition swithch out and the terminal that the wire was plugged into was loose , and leaking some sort of grease, I ASSume that it was grounding out and causeing problems wthin the ignition switch.
If this is the case it would explain why my truck would fire sometimes and sometimes not. and also explain why the tack eas jumping , and the brakelight was on.