1987 EL Camino. Aircraft mechanic. Accidently touched battery leads backwards.

[an8pilot]

The pink wire going over to the base of the distributor is showing 12 volts when ignition is in run position and a little lower voltage when key is in start, with starter turning engine over which I would expect. Car is up on jacks stands and I see where fusible links are attached under main cable connection going up through steel tube to protect them from exhaust manifold. It seems like I would have to remove starter to be able to get to them and test them with needle pushed into ether ends of the wire. I don't have needles at the moment so cut into insulation at the pink wire going into the Distributor base. Same with the main red wire going into coil. I will silicone them up when finished.


The pink wire going over to the base of the distributor is showing 12 volts when ignition is in run position and a little lower voltage when key is in start while the starter is turning the engine over which I would expect.

So I'm now looking to see how to get to the two 10 ga red wires at the ignition switch.

 

[81Regal]

Since you are getting 12v to the distributor the ignition switch is good.

 

[an8pilot]

If the ignition switch is good and the pink wire is sending 12 volts to the distributor base does that sound like the unit in the bottom of the distributor is bad.....? As in I just fricking remembered that not only did I momentarily heard a zap when I hooked up the battery incorrectly, (just touched it, not hooked it up)..... darn it... I remember now that when this happened a few weeks ago; it happened because I went to hop in, turned the key, realized the battery was out, left the key in run stupidly, then went to get the battery which was on trickle charger, set it in there and momentarily touched reverse polarity with the ignition in run.

So ... if the ignition switch is good because the pink wire is sending 12 volts to the distributor base does that sound like the unit in the bottom of the distributor is bad.....?

For extra I went under the car and lightly tugged the two fusible links from the area just outside of where they hook up to the base of the lug on the power cable to the starter and they felt strongish, meaning they did not feel like rubber bands as I would expect if I tugged on a fusible link that was blown inside the wire. Does that sound like a reasonable expectation for the fusible wire links to be springy or rubber band feeling if they are popped?

 

[fleming442]

HEI module

 

[81Regal]

Or coil but likely the ignition module. If they are old sometimes it doesn't take much to make them go bad. Just make sure you put some dielectric grease under the module when/if it needs a new one. There is actually very little to go wrong with an electrical system on these cars, most of the time if there is an issue it has to do with the ground side of the system.

 

[fleming442]

DIABOLICAL GREASE!

 

[an8pilot]

Very thankful to all you fellas. Even with dielectric she started right up so very thankfully.

Just the HEI module in the base of the distributor. Thank you all for helping me track it down as written above.

 

[fleming442]

And remember kids: red to red and black to black when playing with car batteries! 😛

 

[popeye1978]

... now on to other matters: do you have pictures somewhere of using it to tow planes?

 

[an8pilot]

No I'll get one next time but it's just small planes. Light twins, heavy single like Baron and Navion.

Thanks all for helping me get my beloved EL Camino running again.