retrocar66

Hi all,

I have a recently rebuilt 66 chrysler 383 engine. I've put 1000 miles on it since the rebuild. Two weeks ago, I pulled it into the garage under its own power and shut it off. It hasn't started since.

When I remove the distributor from the engine and turn it by hand (with the coil + jumpered to battery) I get a strong blue spark out of the coil wire. But when I put the distributor back in and crank the engine, I get no spark at all out of the coil wire, even if I jumper the coil+.

The car has:
-brand new battery fully charged (showing 12.9 volts, measured 930 cranking amps)
-new MSD Blaster 2 ignition coil
-new magnetic-pickup distributor from Summit Racing
-NO BALLAST resistor, because the new dist/coil don't want it. The run/start wires that ordinarily connect to the ballast are now wired together with a 30AMP breaker inline.
-NO IGNITION BOX, because the distributor does not require one
-new alternator
-new plugs, wires

With the exception of the alternator, all of these changes were made during the rebuild, so the car has run 1000 miles/1 month with the above components and wiring scheme in place.

I have verified that the distributor rotor is turning when I crank the engine. Last time I measured, I was getting around 10v at coil positive (relative to batt negative) when cranking. I want to emphasize that the car ran fine (started great!) for 1000 miles and about 1 month after the rebuild, and then I suddenly had this problem. I have checked for parasitic battery draw by placing an ammeter inline with the battery negative. No draw at all. (If I open the car door, I get about an amp and a half draw for the cab lights.) But at any rate, my battery is fine.

I've read several threads on this issue (various sites) and am not sure what to do next. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Coronet 500

I think you have diagnosed it. If the distributor has it's own internal electronics and you can't get any help from Summit I'd try any other distributor and see if you get spark.

RacerHog

Sounds like the Dist is shorted....

moe7404

the chrysler electronic dist stock. you can check the dist this way. get a analog meter , set it to the lowest A / C setting. put the meter probes into the two wires from the dist. order doesnt mater. spin the dist the meter should move if dist is good. the speed it spins may effect meter reading.

retrocar66

I did one more test: I spun the distributor again (by hand, out of the engine) while grounding the distributor case to battery negative with a jumper cable.

I did get a spark.

Does this change anything? Is it possible that the short is only present during cranking, but not when I'm directly grounding the case myself?

Regardless, I'm going to swap out the distributor and see what happens. Thanks again for the help.

Mr.4spd

Gasket or O-ring at the base of the dist? If it's a gasket then the ground is coming through the clamp, which is no good. Stab it back in and be sure there's a solid ground at the dist and try starting. You can accomplish this with a piece of wire from a fastener on the block to a hose clamp on the dist. This is assuming the block has a good ground, checked that yet?