Car not Starting

You read that right. I tried to start the car. No go.
Troubleshooting:
1) It turns over
2) Power to coil
3) Spark from coil
4) As far as I can tell no spark from Distributor

Let us say for arguments sake that I have the distributor 180 off, I would still get a spark, correct? It would just be at the wrong time.


Edit: New coil, new distributor, cables, and plugs

 

If the distributor 180 degrees out it would most likely fire or pop a bit but not start for sure. The only other thing I can think of would be maybe an ignition rotor that is new and possibly defective, not making contact with the coil button or missing the internal contact to the end of the rotor. I would imagine the rotor was replaced?

 

Yeah, the whole distributor assembly is replaced.
pt #52102

 

Is the coil firing over and over or just one spark at start up/key on?

 

Not to be basic, but I assume you did check the point gap and make sure they are opening and closing. They are what makes the plug wires fire.

 

OldFox, that's is kinda the direction I was heading with that one, you're absolutely right.

 

It is a breakerless distributor.

 

It kept firing.

I put the part number but I didn't even say what brand the distributor was.

http://accel-ignition.com/street-billet-electronic-pontiac.html

 

If it's all wired up right with battery voltage and using the correct coil it could be a defective or burned out module.
I know with some of those breakerless ignitions if you leave the key on without the engine running it can fry the thing.
If you think the distributor may be off set the timing mark at TDC on the compression stroke and the rotor should be pointing close to number one on the cap. You can feel when it's on the compression stroke with your finger covering the number one spark plug hole or you can use a compression tester.

 

I'm am a bit puzzled, have you tried calling Accel's technical hotline? I would be surprised if a brand new distributor was bad out of the box, but in my 23 years selling parts I have seen it happen many times.

 

I double checked and the other guy must not have had the cable from the distributor to the spark plug close enough to ground. I am getting an arc from there that shoots out pretty good.

I also got a backfire.

I will be double checking the distributor position.

 

It was a couple of things all piled together.

#1 - It was 180 off.
#2 - It was flooded. I added gas and didn't realize the gas had already made it to the carb.



Question: I had to shut it off because of the valve cover being lose. For some reason it slipped my mind after we primed the engine. Well, oil was dripping down. I saw smoke and thought oh crap! Shut off.
Well, when I shut it off it kept running for a bit then sputtered out. What would cause that?

I will come in tomorrow and finish the break in once it cools.

Thanks for all your help. I was going to update the first post and title, but it wouldn't let me change it to " Car Started"

 

It's idling too fast. The throttle plates have to cut off the air when you kill the engine, otherwise it will continue to run.

 

Got it. So, it is because I had the idle screw adjusted in for the break in? Just to clarify.

I will try to take a video of the rest of the break in.
I am so relieved.

 

Awesome news Mr! I am glad it was fairly simple to fix. Now to tune that sucker in and have some fun.