SBC 283 problems. Wierd...

Funny you should mention that fuel filter. I had that same problem with a chrome one. but I swapped it out for one of those ugly clear plastic ones so I could keep an eye on it. I also swaped out the carb completely (after the filter) for another known well running carb & still same problem. I do have an HEI distributor in my storage, maybe I should give it a try

 

ooops

 

The last resistor wire I had to replace was replaced with one from NAPA. They will have a part number for the correct OHM'age resistor to mount on the firewall. The symtom of a bad resistor wire is that the engine will start with the key in the start position but will die when the key returns to the run position.

If the wire is getting to hot then you have some other problem in play I think. Is the wire broken to the point that only one or two strands are carrying the current. Are you backfeeding ground through the wire? Is the wire undersized for the current?

lg
no neat sig line

 

Well I just ordered one of those "small cap" HEI distributors on Epay. So if that comes in in time, I'll give it a shot. I really got it for my '47, but I'll throw it in the 64 for testing purposes. More I think about it, I still think I might have a grounding problem. Of course, I just found out today that I will be working way up in NH all week. So I wont be able to mess with it until Friday... Pain in my ass

 

ooops

 

Snuck home for an afternoon to work on the shitbox.

SSOOO... after blowing over a hundred bucks & almost 2 weeks, I found out why the resistor wire has been heating up so much. The damn 3 cent ring terminal connector on the coil end of the wire was shitty. It's always teh simplest thing... Anyways, I had the car idling running for about a half hour yesterday & it was running much better. But not perfect. I went to try to time it & the light seemed to be not working. Put it on the coil wire & it flashed fine. So after more testing, it seems the front 2 wires arent getting spark. Pulled the plug to test & confirmed. So I'm assuming the new cap/rotor might be bad. Or possibly the distributor, but doubt it.

 

Check the spark plugs and the wires first and work your way back. Bad new plugs are not unusual, and the wires could be mismanufactured or damaged during installation and removal. Cap is a possibility too, doubt the rotor or the distributor could be at fault.

The rotor just turns on it's axis, no actual contact between it and the cap's spark plug terminals, the spark has to jump the gap. And the distributor, well it turns and the other six cylinders are getting spark. If the shaft was bent, most likely you would have "witness" marks where the rotor would hit the cap directly opposite from the two cylinders that are not firing.

 

Or the wires or plugs. Don;t know what plugs you are using but I've had Champions fail me. I'm guessing wires.

 

Plugs & wires are almost brand new. I puled the wire & put a plug on it & touched it to ground to test for spark. Nothing. Probably just a cap. Cant mess with it today beacause I'm 2 hrs from home for work. I'm just happy I got the other problem worked out.

But at least I got a bunch of updates done on the car. Coil was about 7 or 8 years old, so it didnt hurt to change that. 2 wires were bad, replaced them. Old timing chain was really stretched out, got a brandy new one on there. So not a total loss. Just hafta figure out this last problem. Not so worried about this one though. I'll get it.

 

I agree...

oops, I should have read the whole thread!