CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Stranded...waiting on a flatbed

For the record, water is flowing like crazy through the radiator, so it's not the water pump causing the overheat
 
When I put the brown cap Accel dizzy in mine, every one on here said to keep a spare ignition module with me just in case.
 
When I put the brown cap Accel dizzy in mine, every one on here said to keep a spare ignition module with me just in case.

What are symptoms of a fried ignition module in these things?
 
No spark pretty much. Or weak spark.
 
I guess I will get a Delco ignition module, and I already have a severe duty fan clutch coming. I've been suspecting the fan clutch because it has done it before.
 
The ignition module comes with a certain white heat transfer grease. Make sure you put it on the mating surface when you install it and don't go crazy tightening it. I forgot that grease once and fried the module again in like a week.
 
10BTDC is not too far advanced by any stretch. Sorry I haven't followed your other thread closely, but how is the carb jetted? Any chance it's running too lean? It sounds like your trouble comes in when you put a load on the motor so maybe you have a lean condition. You could be getting fuel, but not enough fuel. That would also cause the motor to run hot and get spark knock.

For me the safest way to find TDC is to pull the driver valve cover and watch the rockers. I've also installed distributors 180 out or mixed up a pair of plug wires so many times that I never discount that no matter how careful I think I've been. I would double check all your wires are in the right order.

Is your radiator scaled up? That could also lead to the high engine temp.
 
It isn't unheard of for a new module or pick up coil to fail after a short time ...Accel doesn't have the greatest reputation when it comes to many of their ignition components ..

The high amount of fuel system cleaner you added may burn hotter than regular gas and also could have loosened up some gunk somewhere in the fuel system or tank..but your symptoms sound more like ignition failure than fuel starvation..

I once had a rotor fail and the car would only start and run in park or neutral,it would rev up OK and sound great,but as soon as you put it in drive and tried to accelerate it would spit back thru the carb and die--would start right back up again,but refused to run with even the slightest load put on it..
 
late to this party for morning replay but years ago i purchased 2 new accel dist and super coils and both sets never worked out of the box's . each time i would put my old whipped worn out gm hei back in and it would fire right off . after this i went msd and never had a problem . that msd is still going in my buddys blazer now and working fine . i will never buy there stuff again i told my self .
 
10BTDC is not too far advanced by any stretch. Sorry I haven't followed your other thread closely, but how is the carb jetted? Any chance it's running too lean? It sounds like your trouble comes in when you put a load on the motor so maybe you have a lean condition. You could be getting fuel, but not enough fuel. That would also cause the motor to run hot and get spark knock.

For me the safest way to find TDC is to pull the driver valve cover and watch the rockers. I've also installed distributors 180 out or mixed up a pair of plug wires so many times that I never discount that no matter how careful I think I've been. I would double check all your wires are in the right order.

Is your radiator scaled up? That could also lead to the high engine temp.

I did adjust the fuel/ air mix using a vacuum gauge and I leaned it up a little more than it was...they are at about 2 and 1/4 turns out right now....so leaner than it was
 
2-1/4 would be pretty normal.

Your rising engine temps could be due to running the AC. I seem to remember "back in the day" people were advised not to run the AC during town driving. I always kinda figured it was because of inadequate cooling.

My radiator in the 73 is scaled up and needs replaced. I know this because I can see the scale when I have the radiator cap off and also because running highway speeds it 10 to 20 hotter than slow speed or town driving. I have a 180 thermostat and it runs no more than 190 at slow speeds (45 and below). Above 45mph it will run over 210 when it's in the 80s; I'm really worried about when it gets to the 90s.

If I run the AC at the lower speeds it heats up like it does at the higher speeds. I even replaced the fan clutch recently and that didn't make any difference that I could tell.

I was wondering if your K5 could be vapor locking. I would also be tempted to try running gas with no alcohol in it.

And as others have said, it's not uncommon to get a bad distributor out of the box.
 
Well I have an answer as to why it wont start...but not why it is running hot.

I got one of those "in-line Ignition Spark Checkers" and plugged it up and turned it over and NOTHING. There isn't an ounce of fire coming from the distributor.
 
So later I guess I will see if it is the ignition module or the coil. I have a brand new AC Delco Coil and I got a new AC Delco ignition module on the way, and for good measure I have a severe duty fan clutch coming.
 
I will try reseating it before I do anything else. That is the wire that comes from the battery and is one of the two wires in the harness that clips to the cap isn't it?
 
Actually I can check that with a meter...

To start a "what if"...What if my coil is burned up again? Then what am I to think...
 
I would take a wire from the batt terminal on the distributor directly to the positive terminal of the battery and see if it starts.

Bypass all the wiring of the truck.

If it cranks up, the dizzy is working.
X2. I’ve used this method as well to bypass everything else wiring wise in the system.
 
Top Bottom