Blazer won't start...truck is mad at me.

[lks dcvn]

So I think the truck is mad at me...

Last week (Friday) - I put the top back on the Blazer and it (just barely) fit into the garage...less than 1 inch clearance, but it fits. It started fine, idled fine, and shut down fine last week (of course it did).

Well - yesterday I went out to move it out of the garage to get to my mower behind it - no dice...

I usually pull the battery when I get done driving it for the day and the just reattach it when I come back to drive it...so battery drain wouldn't seem to be a logical choice.

Anyway - I figured that I would jump it to see if I could get it up and running in case the battery was the culprit. No luck. Same symptoms.

I have made no changes to the truck except adding the top last week Friday. I also thought - maybe it is low on gas (gauge doesn't work yet) - so I added a few gallons to the tank - still no luck on getting it to start.

It has the power to turn it over - but it just won't catch and start up...

After trying to start it for about 10 minutes - I gave up - took the battery in the house - put it on a float charger overnight and figured I would ask you all what you think...any ideas on what to check?

If you need additional information - just let me know.

Chevy 350 - HEI
Has gas in tank
Has battery power to crank, but not start.

Thanks for your time and for your help!

[1971K54X4]

I would check to see that you have 12 volts at the distributer and if you do I would pull a plug wire and make sure your getting spark. If you have that pull the fuel line and make sure the fuel pump is working.

[bouncytruck]

Spark and fuel pump would be the first things I check.

The whole distributor in that truck is basically new, so I wouldn't think it could be that. The control module might be suspect too, but checking for spark will help narrow that down.

[fun in dirt]

Mine did the same thing a few months ago (but probably not your problem). Mine has to have the gas pedal pumped 5 or 6 times before it'll crank. So I did that & it would spin over & over but nothing. So pumped a few more times Anyway, come to find out my throttle cable had broke inside the sleeve & it wasn't really getting any fuel all...ain't these junky things fun

[herb101]

You might check the coil if you;re not getting spark. I know that coils NEVER go bad, but I've had to replace on on the Jeep and one on the Willys recently with the same symptoms. May not be the same as your scenario, but it may be worth the check.

If it'll spin, it down to fuel and spark. Check spark at the plug. I usually pull a wire, plug in an old spark plug and ground it to the block with a big alliigator clip jumper. Have someone turn it over and watch for spark and the size, shape and color of the spark. To rule out fuel, pour a couple ounces of known fresh gas down the carb and turn it over with the pedal matted. If it fires then dies, you have bad gas. Bas gas can also be diagnosed by a sudden absence of friends around you and strangers smushed up noses pointing at you with.

Good luck,
Herb

Herb

[johnnywagon]

1st thing I would do is check to see if the main power wire to your HEI is still connected. It plugs into the square that hangs off the the top side of the cap. Should even be marked as "BAT". This wire can come loose, even though it looks connected. After that I would take out the HEI control module and have it tested. Most decent parts stores can do it for ya. Good luck.

[chev74]

Originally Posted by johnnywagon

1st thing I would do is check to see if the main power wire to your HEI is still connected. It plugs into the square that hangs off the the top side of the cap. Should even be marked as "BAT". This wire can come loose, even though it looks connected. After that I would take out the HEI control module and have it tested. Most decent parts stores can do it for ya. Good luck.

this has happened to the best of us, including me. took me quite a while to figure it out. Actually i didnt figure it out. My dad walked up to see what the problem was and it only took him a couple seconds to figure out that the problem was that dang wire. sometimes he's good to have around....

[wugunguy]

I'll have to try a couple of these ideas out too. I'm sitting in the same boat as we speak with one of my trucks.

[pound41]

one quick way is to take starting fluid shoot it into the carb if begins to start you have a gas issue if not electrical. If nothing electrical. Just a quick way to eleminate one or the other

[lks dcvn]

Thanks guys for the responses - I am off work on Friday this week so I will take a look at it then (and hopefully get it up and running again).

Thanks everybody!

[derrickc]

Not sure what everyone else thinks, but I dont think you should charge your battery in the house, it gives off a gas.

[lks dcvn]

got home from work today and had some time to kill...

checked all connections at the HEI, tried to turn it over - same thing...

a bit of gas in the carb - she turned right over and stayed running? I let it run for about 3 mins then turned it off and tried to restart - she fired right up again...

what the heck was that - I will be trying it tomorrow evening to see if it starts up again...

At least if it does - I will know what to try...

Thanks guys!

[watahyahknow]

it couldve been you where running an empty tank , you did filled it but the pump wasnt sucking it out on cranking alone .
when you put some in the carb it ran and the pump got enough force to start sucking the fuel in and put it in the carb .

i was about to tell you to go over to youre truck and apoligize for watever you done but it allready ran (dahmit)

[old man jimmy]

Your pump is weak. And unless you want to have to prime it when it sets for awhile. You may as well put a pump on it. Had the same thing happen to some of mine many times. But most of my iron sets more than it's drove. which seems to bring out this problem for some reason. You probably know the old trick of taking out the short bolt & finger tightening a long one in to hold up the push rod. If not you do now.

[jaros44sr]

[QUOTE=old man jimmy;2428464 You probably know the old trick of taking out the short bolt & finger tightening a long one in to hold up the push rod. If not you do now.[/QUOTE]

No, I didn't know that! Are you talking the small bolt on the lower front of the block? J.

[herb101]

Originally Posted by jaros44sr

No, I didn't know that! Are you talking the small bolt on the lower front of the block? J.

Yep. The two bolt bosses that are stacked vertically. These were used for front engine mounts on some older cars. The bottom hole intersects with a hole bored into the pan rail and the top hole goes into the area that the push pushrod passes through. There shoud be a short bolt in the top hole to prevent an oil leak at this location. If you pull the short bolt and hand thread a longer one in, it will wedge the pushrod in place while you swap the pump. REMEMBER to put this back to normal before you turn the motor over. Also use some sealer on the short bolt.

Herb

[jaros44sr]

Thanks for the info. Can't believe I didn't know that J.