Customs 350 SBC HEI Question (61 Buick)

Been my daily for 13 years, but haven't given it much love in past 5 years and was running horrible. So took it off the road for some maintenance and suffered a stroke in mean time, so back at it today after 3 months.

I fresehened everything up including new HEI cap and rotor as old ones were definitely showing wear, new leads, new plugs etc etc

Went to fire it up today and not getting any spark, I a m using my timing light on #1 lead to check spark as I am on my own (I sit it on the windshield and see if it lights up / flashes) ... it doesn't .

I tested the. coil, pickup and module, all appear in spec. Tested multiple times. I have another known working coil tested that also no change. I don't have a spare module on hand so have ordered one, but one in it was not changed, it was working, drove its parked it (3 months) module untouched, only cap and rotor. Again module tested in spec.

What am I missing? as said 2 coils bench tested bot good, both tried, no go. Pick up tested in spec, module tested in spec.

Thanks in advance
Chris

 

Power lead not connected right? I found out the hard way that using female slide terminals is't wise and you need an actual Delco style terminal. Mine would just loose connection while runnng down the road but not fall off and no power to the distributor.
I've got the NAPA bulletion on HEI testing here Photo Storage In my photobucket pages
Or here are the individual pages that I may not have in exact order.








This was given to me by a Napa Echlin rep in 1980 and I have used it a number of times and friends I have given copies to have used it untold times.

 

2x^^^^ broken wire, poor connection, also check the carbon rod on the coil as well

 

Thanks. I might pull the coil cover and check with multimeter. All connections are same that have worked well last 13 years. But will check. Thanks

 

Mounting screws for coil in right place,, one is specific. Also, make sure the coil tabs are locked in place in the cap, and not being pushed out of the way when connecting.
It's happened to me.

 

The green and yellow wires at the pickup coil are know to break, might check them. Put a jumper led from battery straight to the BATT terminal on the HEI just for a test, it byp***es a lot of connection. Also make sure pre-bent ground terminal is on and grounded to the coil. Pull up on the center contact of the rotor just to be sure in contact with the carbon ****on. And as mentioned already, make sure the carbon ****on has the spring and isolator and is in contact with the coil.

 

Suspect ground(s). Clean and is ground grounded?

 

Did you put the center ****on back in?

 

If you replace the cap did you transfer over the ground strap that goes under the coil?