Joined: Mon Mar 07 2011, 09:03PM
Location: Inland Empire California
Posts: 61
what ignition Mopar or other most aftermarket ignitions need a full 12 volts which means the ballast resistor needs to be removed and the wires tied together.
Joined: Tue Jan 15 2008, 06:14PM
Location: Alto, New Mexico
Posts: 43
Just keeping in touch with everyone who has followed this thread. In regards to the latest post, I bought the complete electronic conversion kit including 2 pin ballast resistor, orange 4 pin ignition box, harness and new distributor as a set. It was made by Proform as part number 66995 for the 440 or 426 hemi engine. It came complete from Chevy Parts Guys in Oregon. I haven't tried anything else on the engine except checking voltages (OK), resetting the distributor 180 degress and still nothing. Now waiting until I get the new vibration damper. If that doesn't work, I will take off the timing cover and check the cam and crank timing marks. I hope that isn't necessary. If the cam timing is off, a mechanic friend is going to come by some weekend and help me with that issue. In the meantime, I am just tinkering around with the car. I'm redoing the rear brakes, brake and fuel lines and other minor things while I await the part. Decided to pull the factory AM-FM radio today for a new style modern unit. Guess that is silly on a car that doesn't run yet but I WILL get this together somehow with your help and my persistence. Will keep checking this forum regularly. Any other ideas are still welcome. THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE.
Joined: Tue Oct 11 2005, 01:33AM
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 5893
1966cv300 wrote ...
..... I WILL get this together somehow with your help and my persistence.....
Exactly the attitude required to get one of these beasts running properly!
In the end it will run and the problem will most likely end up being some thing simple. You might even kick yourself for not seeing the solution sooner, but this is good and part of the learning experience. When you are done you will know how everything on the car works and more importantly how to fix virtually anything enough to get you home. This is a great feeling!
Joined: Fri Mar 13 2009, 11:21AM
Location: San Marcos, CA
Posts: 713
You can pop out #1 spark plug and put a drinking straw into the plug hole and get pretty good idea where TDC is, to check the damper marking. Pull the valve covers off and look at the rocker arms on 1 and 6 as you turn over the motor. 6 should be moving and become even when the mark comes to TDC while the #1 rockers are not moving, if all these parameters are correct, you should be able to install the distributor with the rotor pointing at the #1 plug wire and the distributor set so the pickup is right at the point of the reluctor. Another thing to try is spin the distributor with the ignition on and see if the coil sparks. If you don't get spark when cranking, but you do when you spin the distributor, you may need to double check the .008" reluctor to pickup clearance. My $.02
Joined: Sat Apr 29 2006, 05:11PM
Location: Cincy
Posts: 269
I mostly agree with the feedback that was given.
To truly find TDC on a piston you should use an indicator and pick a point before TDC - like 0.010 or 0.020 inches before TDC. Then rotate past TDC the same amount - the middle is TDC. Remember that you have dwell at top stroke and this is the only accurate way to find TDC.
Yes - the damper could of slipped, but did it not come from a motor that ran before? My guess is that is probably not your problem.
Gotta go back to basics. I would once again find compression stroke by putting your finger in the #1 cylinder spark plug hole (remember this is on the driver's side) and feeling for compression. Once you feel for compression rotate the motor till the damper and timing marks are at 10 degrees before TDC. This is where you want the distributor to fire.
Then line up the distributor rotor to #1 spark plug wire in the distributor cap. At this point you can be confident that your timing is correct assuming that the damper did not slip. This is a key step. Some people go as far as drilling a hole in an old cap to see where the rotor is in relation to the #1 spark plug electrode - I just eyeball it.
You are getting gas so I would think you are okay there.
If it still did not start, I would personally put a different ignition system in temporarily to eliminate that as a cause. I have a separate mopar electronic one I use for these situations but even a point distributor would work.
I had a similar problem starting my daughter's rebuilt 440. I also installed a MSD 6AL2 at the same time. It would spit and sputter and not run. Put the temporary ignition in and it fired right up. Ended up that the MSD did not like the fact that I left the ballast resistor in.
Joined: Tue Jan 15 2008, 06:14PM
Location: Alto, New Mexico
Posts: 43
THANKS FOR ALL THE CONTINUED INTEREST AND INFO. I printed off all the suggestions and am going to go down the checklist this weekend and see what happens. The only new wrinkle is that I saw a faint puff of smoke from the coil power terminal when cranking it and even though the coil is brand new, I am going to have it tested in case it is bad internally. I am also going to re-mount it laying down on its side as originally done. I have it standing up on the engine like my Chrysler Jeep is for clearance issues and was told in a PM that unless it is an epoxy filled coil you can't do that but I can't find the thread that they referred to. I have never heard that before. Is that possible? Also, the damper was never tested since the engine never ran when I bought it but will hold off putting it in. Am finishing the rear brakes now and going back to the engine. It now has 11.75 inch Dodge truck discs on the front and the 11 inch drums on back with the updated adjuster package. If I goofed things up by mounting the coil wrong---Thats Life!
Joined: Tue Jan 15 2008, 06:14PM
Location: Alto, New Mexico
Posts: 43
QUOTE!!! ("Exactly the attitude required to get one of these beasts running properly! In the end it will run and the problem will most likely end up being some thing simple. You might even kick yourself for not seeing the solution sooner, but this is good and part of the learning experience. When you are done you will know how everything on the car works and more importantly how to fix virtually anything enough to get you home. This is a great feeling!" Bill)
IT'S ALIVE!!!! IT'S ALIVE!!! THE BEAST LIVES!!! The screw that holds the pickup to the breaker plate on my NEW EPAY DISTRIBUTOR (probably from China) only had partial threads and must have loosened up as the distributor turned. The last time I checked it, it had opened out to about .028. That's probably why it would "pop" at first each time but never catch. Using an old screw from my junk box I reset it to .008, locked it down and re installed it. THE BEAST STARTED RIGHT UP!
Oil pressure at 55+, vacuum at 22 inches, old used alternator kicking 14.2 volts. I just sat in the car and watched the gauges. My wife and granddaughter kept having me start it just to hear it fire up. Never did get out and finalize the timing--I'll do that Thursday! It's Miller Time!