Having a frustrating time trying to get the car going.Here's what i have done.Motor was dropped in.Was in running order but died out prior to pulling it for gasket replacement and cleaning and a repaint.New engine wiring harness installed.New wires,plugs,cap, rotor, coil,modulator for GM HEI setup off of a 75' firebird.New battery.New body to frame,firewall to block and battery to fender ground straps.Internal regulated alternator.I'm pretty sure i have the distributor in correctly and have altered the new engine harness (from point setup to HEI) as suggested from replies to my other post on HEI help.Holley carb has been professionally rebuilt(bowls have gas).I am getting the fuel,i have the compression but i cannot seem to find ANY spark.I have power going to the coil.I have power coming off the junction block on the rad support from the battery.Motor turns over very strong.I think i heard ONE VERY VERY faint/quick try (puff) to fire but otherwise nil,no backfires,zilch.I am running the power to the HEI directly via the IGN terminal on the fuse block using a 10ga wire.When i turn the key to start, using a test light it shows it has power coming and going from it so i THINK my ignition switch should be ok.I suspect my coil or modulator may be out to lunch but i have no clue how to test it and i do not have a good spare for a swap test.I do not own any electrical testing equipment.Should i just do the old trial and error and buy another new coil? From my description does anything seem obvious that i am missing? Thanks in advance for any replies,i really want to finish this up so i can drive it THIS summer.

David

Did you pull a plug and physically check for spark? Is the coil getting modulated power (if you don't have a meter perhaps a 12v test light clipped on?

This may sound dumb, but have you checked to see if you don't have the fireing order on your distributer reversed? Reason I say that is me and a friend of mine got my rebuilt 455 back from the shop and the mechanic said the distributer rotated reverse of a chevy, so we set up the plug wires that way. When we couldn't get anything, we took the cap off the distrib and guess what? It rotates the same way as chevy.

Jerry

Jerry, i think you solved the mystery D'OH! My father an old time wrench came down a couple of weeks ago and gave me a hand dropping in the motor and tranny,etc... He dropped the distributor and set it up while i did other things in the engine bay.I mentioned to him the reversal of a Pontiac as he was doing it and he said no problem and i "A$$"umed he did so accordingly.I even revued it recently but i think the aura of my father and how father knows best/couldn't screw it up played the jedi mind trick on me and i missed his gaff Funny,your reply IMMEDIATELY sparked the realization it was on wrong.I'll "reverse" it tonight as i'm running late for my partime job now.I'll post my results! Woohoo!!!

David

It's not whoohoo, but woah! As Dave points out: DO YOU HAVE FIRE AT THE PLUGS? You will have fire at the plugs regardless to how the distributor is insalled. If you have fire at the plugs, set it up on #1 tdc, and see where the rotor sets. You can check it by pulling a plug and plugging it in a wire.

I know this may sound dubmn, but sometimes people don't do these things. Have you verified that the rotor turns when cranking the engine. Next look at the center contact and make sure that it contacts the center contact of the cap. It can be stupid things such as forgetting to put the center contact of the cap in before installing the coil. If your father is that old time, he might not have realzed that the center contact in the cap must be installed. Also check the assembly of the coil to cap area. In addition it takes a fairly agressive mojo on the wires to get them to bite onto the caps terminals, especailly with new wires, and this one is a super common problem with old school folks who have never been around an hei. Is the modgulator wire shorting out.

If it's 180' out, correct it, but make sure that it's 180' before tearing it apart. One thing that concerns me is your comment about the reversal of a Pontiac. Maybe I misinterperated that you misinterpertated and are saying that you told your father that it is reversed from a chevy. Let's keep it clear and simple because it doesn't matter what other engines do: The distributor turns counterclockwise.

If Amervo's spark plug test shows poor or inconsistent spark, a good intermediate test is to disconnect the center wire from the distributer and hold it close to a good engine ground with an insulated pliers. If you get good consistant spark then everything upstream of the coil is okay.

My distributer was out 180 and it acted exactly like you're describing. Sparked great but at completely the wrong time.