HEI Coil Wire Help

[Chili 87 K5]

Anyone with a near-'87 K5 with the HEI coil separate from the distributor, please take a look under your hood for me. As you look down at the top of the HEI coil unit, there are 2 gray connectors plugged into the top, each with one pink and one white wire coming out. I have an un-mated white wire coming from the passenger-side connecter. The wire is about 3" long and ends in a thin, single-contact black plastic connector... but there's no matching connector in sight! If you know what it is, or better yet, where it connects, PLEASE post a reply.
I've just installed my newly rebuilt 350 (now 355), and although I've adjusted the timing, it won't start. I've hunted down the timing to where there's no more backfires, but still no luck. I'm definitely getting fuel through the TBI and spark at the plugs. I've added a 1" spacer under the TBI, so if there's another procedure I need to perform, please loan me a clue.

Also, if anyone has the tune-up/timing procedure from under the hood for this rig, I'd appreciate a reply on what it involves. My decal is all worn off!

Any other advice? '87 K5, 355ci, TBI w/1" spacer, 700r4/NP208.

Thanks MUCHO!

 

[Thunder]

That white wire on the remote coil is for the tachometer. I know this for a fact because thats where my tach is hooked up to. If you dont have a tach just leave it as it is. It wont hurt anything if it is not connected to anything.
As for it not starting, it sounds like your timing is 180 degrees off. Or the plug wires are mixed up. If everything is set up right it should not backfire at all. If its backfireing you need to check your wires /timing one or both are way off. It would help is you got a good manual so you have all the needed info.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Thunder on 12/29/00 09:40 PM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Chili 87 K5]

Yeah; I figured out the tach-wire thing about an hour after I posted; thanks for the tip, tho'! I guess that's why I never labeled the wire when I pulled the mill... I have no tach!
As for manuals, I have the Chilton's and Haynes, and they're both pretty vague when I need specifics. To start this timing procedure, I hand-cranked to TDC on #1 (while watching the valve position - both valves closed on TDC). After that, #1 was about 4 degrees late... and exhaust backfiring. I tweaked the distributor back, and it came in about 5 BTDC, and would make intake backfires (exciting). According to manuals, I should be at 4 BTDC, so I got it down to 2-3 BTDC, and now it just won't light up... but it's not backfiring anymore.
Weird. It smells pretty strongly like it's flooded, and a peek through the throttle plates reveals a puddle of gas in the intake; could it just be flooded now? I'll check it in the morning.

Thanks again!
Chili-man

 

[HarryH3]

All that backfiring sounds like the distributor is set up 180 degrees out. Backfiring like that means the plugs are firing while valves are open.

<font color=black>HarryH3 - '75 K5</font color=black>
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://ThunderTruck.ColoradoK5.com>http://ThunderTruck.ColoradoK5.com</A>

 

[Chili 87 K5]

Well, sometimes you just have to open your eyes a little wider...duh! I had the distributor 180 out, for sure! Don't know what i was thinking, but I guess when you're working alone, you miss stuff... like the fact that, because the motor's installed and it's hard to remove the valve covers completely, I was looking at the ROD ends of the rocker arms, not the VALVE ends... Doh! Rods UP valves DOWN! Whatta dufus!

So, just to CYA (CMA?), I pulled the whole distributor assembly, re-timed with both valve covers OFF, re-marked and reinstalled the distributor... and it cranked but wouldn't light up. I got a couple of low-grade thump-thumps during the first cranking, but after that my battery was down below 10v... so I hooked up the charger this a.m., and I try again this afternoon.

I hope I'm not missing anything else obvious! Another thing; it never hurts to have several different manuals! I got a "Rebuilding Your Chevy Small Block" at B&N yesterday, and most of that info is WAY better than Haynes or Chilton's!

Chillman