I need your help! engine not starting.

[djkawash]

I have an 86 K5 w/ 350 and HEI. It was running fine the other night but wouldn't start up yesterday morning. I smell gas so I know I'm getting fuel and air. I hooked up an inductive light I was getting a spark. I already checked the cap for mositure and it was dry. I decided to replace the coil but it still doesn't want to fire up. I need to get this running to go to school. Please share any tip u have.

 

[jonrpick]

I have an 86 K5 w/ 350 and HEI. It was running fine the other night but wouldn't start up yesterday morning. I smell gas so I know I'm getting fuel and air. I hooked up an inductive light I was getting a spark. I already checked the cap for mositure and it was dry. I decided to replace the coil but it still doesn't want to fire up. I need to get this running to go to school. Please share any tip u have.

Does it try to kick over at all? Like can you hear it trying to start or is the motor just turning over with nothing happening?

When you replaced the coil, did you make sure that the ground connection was in place? If not, you'll fry your ignition module.

 

[djkawash]

MOtor is turning over w/ nothing happening. I checked and I know i have spark, fuel, air. I put in a new ground strap that came w/ the coil.

 

[BoondocK5]

Classic tail of customer complaint VS mechanic understanding.

1. Does it turn over with the starter motor?
2. If so, quickly or slowly?
3. If not, check battery connections, and Battery charge state.
4. If it does turn over, quickly, does it for sure have fuel getting into the throttle bore?
5. If it for sure checks out all of the above, then verify it has spark. pull a spark plug wire, insert a small phillips screwdriver, and have some one crank the engine over while holding screwdriver about 1/8 inch away from engine block, watch for blue/yellow spark.
6. if it has all the above, and still wont start, then possibly flooded. hold throttle wide open and crank engine until it fires up completely and rev to about 3K rpm until flooding problem is burned out.

These are the basics, which I hate to say it, burn even us old mechanics from time to time. always go back to basics, it will save you every time.

 

[jonrpick]

MOtor is turning over w/ nothing happening. I checked and I know i have spark, fuel, air. I put in a new ground strap that came w/ the coil.

You verified spark with a timing light? Could be a very weak spark. When my ignition module was bad I still got activity with a timing light, but the spark was much too weak to do anything.

Concerning the ignition module and HEI...does the module use 4 or 5 wires? If it uses 5, it has an ESC (electronic spark control). I don't know the symptoms of a bad ESC (retards spark based on input from a knock sensor) but I've heard they can be problematic. When I put mine back together (also an '86 K5) I bypassed the ESC altogether. It's a GM-approved mod. It makes the HEI operate as if it has the older 4-pin module.

 

[djkawash]

Thanks for the info but I already fixed it. It was flooded but it was cranking over very easily. It's been flooded before but it has always cranked over more slowly. Spark and everything were fine. I decided to just open up the choke and give it some more air to breathe. Then it fired up and burnt up a couple bucks worth of fuel. But, I'm just happy its running again.