Technical small block hei distributor

I have 327/275 hp chevy motor in a 35 dodge coupe. the dist I got off ebay a few years ago haven't put many miles on car just trying to finish the build. Mostly pulling it in out of garage and around driveway,it always started right up. today I went to start up it up and it acted like timing was off kicking back missing real bad .I thought the choke may have stuck and fouled some plugs so I put a new set in and it is doing the same thing, can't think of anything that could have happened from just sitting accept the dist going bad .anyone ever heard of that happening

 

Check the vacuum advance to make sure its working.Make sure the weights arent froze in the wrong position.

 

It was an EMP, it was , it was
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...is-crap-up-did-i-get-hit-with-an-emp.1147697/

Yep, I’ve heard of it lol

 

Check the 12VDC connection to the unit for corrosion and voltage then look inside the cap for any moisture or carbon tracks. Moisture can accumulate inside the units if stored in damp places and wires touching can let spark jump around. It really sounds more like a bad gas problem, remove the gas cap and see if the gas smells like old paint thinner or worse.

 

Also check the timing chain if it's a high mileage motor.

 

Out of time? Moisture? Crossfiring? If it is a factory GM HEI, I have run them O/T vehicles since GM started producing them for all their engines, and the only problem I have had between 1976 and now, is that I had to replace one controller. Here is a link that might help with your troubleshooting process.

Bob

 

Make sure the distributor hasn't moved. Happened to 2 people I know. Distributor seemed tight on one, so he started stripping front of engine to do timing chain. (Hotel parking lot) timing chain was tight and right on. That's when they realized distributor had moved. .

 

Might be the bent valves that you found on your other thread?

 

The HEI module will not work if it has mediocre or no grounding. One screw on the module - the one on the pickup wiring end (not end wired to the cap) - is the grounding screw. The engine ground strap also needs to be sufficient, as well as the grounding between the distributor housing and the intake to the block. From the prior post I'd guess you may actually have spark however.

By the way, for those of you who always wondered what screw pitch the odd HEI module screws are - they're a British 4BA. It was a shared hardware thing from back in the day when Delco still had plants in England and made distributors for Triumph, Rolls Royce, and other British marques.

 

AS it turned out I found a bent valve .I am putting it back together now and will see how it runs , who would have thought you could bend a valve pulling car in and out of garage it acted like it was out of time.