Setting in distributor BBC

[-83MONTESS-]

Is it possible to return that distributor to Summit and get something else,like this one;
http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/n ... /overview/
Maybe the electronics in the Summit one are faulty,something happened to cause it too burn like it did.
They are probably made overseas,so the quality could be questionable.
The GM one I linked are supposed to be pretty good pieces.
Guy

Its been almost 2 years since I bought it. I bought back when my plan was a mild 400 small block. Then a junk 454 fell into my lap and now im here. If im going to spend $200+ on a distributor I think I would be better off spending another $20 and getting the Billet MSD distributor. Does this sound like a timing issue or a faulty part issue? In all of my experience with setting timing I have never had this many issues. Especially when the engine ran a week ago.

 

[-83MONTESS-]

Well I feel like a complete idiot. I called my neighbor - who builds engines for a living - and had him help me. I had the engine sitting with #1 at TDC and we put the distributor in with it pointed at #1 like I had been doing all along. Still nothing. So we started digging deeper after confirming everything was where it needed to be. Long story short, we had power to the MSD box but no power at the orange coil positive wire from the box. So I put the stock ignition module back in and bypassed the box completely. Still nothing. I got the Ohm meter out and found that the secondary circuit was reading out of limits.

So this I guess explains my issues. I saw the back fire out of the carb and automatically thought timing was the issue. So now what would cause both to fail? Would the secondary circuit shorting out cause the MSD box to go awry?

Would I be better off to send the MSD box back and just get a nicer distributor with a hotter coil?

 

[GuysMonteSS]

Glad too hear you got it figured out.For now,it might be better to keep it simple,get it running then experiment with ignition boxes.
You could start with a new rebuild kit for your distributor,like this one;
http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/p ... /overview/
You can also test the pickup.I copied & pasted this for you;
1.To test the pick-up coil, first disconnect the white and green module leads. Set the ohmmeter on the high scale and connect it between a ground and either the white or green lead. Any resistance measurement less than infinity requires replacement of the pick-up coil.
2.Pick-up coil continuity is tested by connecting the ohmmeter (on low range) between the white and green leads. Normal resistance is between 500 and 1500 ohms. Move the vacuum advance arm while performing this test. This will detect any break in coil continuity. Such a condition can cause intermittent misfiring. Replace the pick-up coil if the reading is outside the specified limits.
3.If no defects have been found at this time, and you still have a problem, then the module will have to be checked. If you do not have access to a module tester, the only possible alternative is a substitution test. If the module fails the substitution test, replace it.
If the pick up is bad,you have to take the distributor apart to change it.Not too difficult,just requires time & patience.
Hope this helps.
Guy

 

[-83MONTESS-]

Glad too hear you got it figured out.For now,it might be better to keep it simple,get it running then experiment with ignition boxes.
You could start with a new rebuild kit for your distributor,like this one;
http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/p ... /overview/
You can also test the pickup.I copied & pasted this for you;
1.To test the pick-up coil, first disconnect the white and green module leads. Set the ohmmeter on the high scale and connect it between a ground and either the white or green lead. Any resistance measurement less than infinity requires replacement of the pick-up coil.
2.Pick-up coil continuity is tested by connecting the ohmmeter (on low range) between the white and green leads. Normal resistance is between 500 and 1500 ohms. Move the vacuum advance arm while performing this test. This will detect any break in coil continuity. Such a condition can cause intermittent misfiring. Replace the pick-up coil if the reading is outside the specified limits.
3.If no defects have been found at this time, and you still have a problem, then the module will have to be checked. If you do not have access to a module tester, the only possible alternative is a substitution test. If the module fails the substitution test, replace it.
If the pick up is bad,you have to take the distributor apart to change it.Not too difficult,just requires time & patience.
Hope this helps.
Guy

Thanks Guy I will test that when I get the motivation to get up and go out to the garage :lol:

A little update: I just got off the phone with Summit about the MSD box. I didn't expect much help from them because I bought the box back in march and didn't have a receipt. They put me on hold for a few minutes then the guy comes back and says that they are sending me a new ignition box and it should be here in a day or two. WOW was not expecting that! I just have to send mine back in the prepaid box. That's why I love that place. I still have to figure out what to do about the distributor.

 

[-83MONTESS-]

Well I got the new ignition box and skip white distributor. I didn't bother hooking the box up yet so I just dropped the distributor in and ran a jumper wire from the BAT side of my remote solenoid to the BAT terminal on the distributor. After resetting the timing she fired right up. I didn't have my tach hooked up since it goes through the box so I couldn't tell where it would idle but I got it pretty close to where I think it should idle. Holds 40 psi of oil pressure at 1000ish rpm. Still smoking quite a bit from the new rings im hoping but no awkward sounds, sights, or smells.

After letting it get up to about 180 degrees I shut it off. Only when I turned the key off the lights and everything shut off but the engine stayed running. Is this because of the jumper wire from the battery to the coil? It didn't do this after break in.

 

[GuysMonteSS]

Glad to hear you got it running again.
I think that the jumper wire would keep it running...
Guy

 

[truracer20]

It is a Summit brand stock replacement distributor. The only other distributor I had went with the 400 I just sold. I just don't understand how I had this thing running a week ago but now I can't even get it to fire :x

• The same issue I had with a Summit distributor this past summer. Just not quite as bad as yours, my pickup and reluctor were touching half way around and burning the terminals in the cap. I had a slight miss that seemed to move around in RPM. And the adjustable vacuum advance fell apart inside...