86 cutlass no fire/start problem

[jae]

First things first, can you give a little more detail with the "no-start" condition. Is it cranking and if so, fast / slow? What were the conditions before the Cutty started having this problem?

Since it's an 86 Olds you should have the regular HEI, with the coil inside the cap; the Chevy distributor wouldn't fit the Olds.

You said you checked for voltage and at coil connection but were you getting 12V? Also, did you check the voltage when cranking? I'm wondering if you are getting some type of voltage drop. Your coil may be open. And make sure the ground strap is there; if not you will have problems. I don't think the rotor is 180-degrees out or the cap is off because you should have just replaced them in the same position as the originals.

Another thought could be the rotor tip not coming into contact with the cap terminals. There should be a little wear on the tip and the terminals (underneath the cap). Another check could be the plug wires, check the resistance (I'm not sure the exact amount per wire length - a quick lookup would help). I would also check the connections, especially on the module. If they are corroded or not fully in you will have the no start condition. And check to make sure there isn't any dielectric grease on the terminals of the module. Not sure where you got the module, but you can have it and the original checked. How are the plugs? Condenser?

Not 100% sure the oil pressure switch was wired-in on the 307 so that if the ecm / switch didn't "see" oil pressure it wouldn't start but worth a try.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[DrRansom442]

Not 100% sure the oil pressure switch was wired-in on the 307 so that if the ecm / switch didn't "see" oil pressure it wouldn't start but worth a try.

Good luck and keep us posted.

It's not, I ran my 86 without the switch wired up for close to a year.

 

[banthonyb71]

First things first, can you give a little more detail with the "no-start" condition. Is it cranking and if so, fast / slow? What were the conditions before the Cutty started having this problem?

Since it's an 86 Olds you should have the regular HEI, with the coil inside the cap; the Chevy distributor wouldn't fit the Olds.

You said you checked for voltage and at coil connection but were you getting 12V? Also, did you check the voltage when cranking? I'm wondering if you are getting some type of voltage drop. Your coil may be open. And make sure the ground strap is there; if not you will have problems. I don't think the rotor is 180-degrees out or the cap is off because you should have just replaced them in the same position as the originals.

Another thought could be the rotor tip not coming into contact with the cap terminals. There should be a little wear on the tip and the terminals (underneath the cap). Another check could be the plug wires, check the resistance (I'm not sure the exact amount per wire length - a quick lookup would help). I would also check the connections, especially on the module. If they are corroded or not fully in you will have the no start condition. And check to make sure there isn't any dielectric grease on the terminals of the module. Not sure where you got the module, but you can have it and the original checked. How are the plugs? Condenser?

Not 100% sure the oil pressure switch was wired-in on the 307 so that if the ecm / switch didn't "see" oil pressure it wouldn't start but worth a try.

I'm getting crank and gas, just "no fire".
I don't know what you mean by coil inside the cap? and what is the ground strap? I have one black ground lead coming off the coil grounded to the coil. Which is the way it was originally.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[jae]

The ignition coil is inside the top of the distributor cap on the standard HEI, not a separate coil as on the later versions. If you have the ground connected then the coil should be ok, but it wouldn't hurt to see if the coil was open.

If you are getting gas then the plugs should be wet, maybe even fouled. If you are getting 12V "in" to the coil connection on the distributor then the issue is on the "output" side. Which leads to the module, coil itself, wires and/or hella-fouled plugs. Had an issue on pops' 86 Toro, same not start condition. Pulled the plugs, cleaned them (they were nasty) put them back in and she fired right up. After that I replaced cap/rotor/plugs/wires and she ran like a champ. You haven't mentioned anything about the plugs so I'm guessing you pulled them first before replacing the other items? Also as suggested, you made sure the rotor was put on correctly (not 180 out), is turning and making contact with the cap terminals correct? Not questioning your skillset but these are just easy things to check & verify.

Hope this helps.