I've yet to do anything other than hook the wires where they are supposed to go on the ignition coil. I do know how to clean points as I've watched enough junkyard digs and channels like that. I was looking at getting a tune up kit which is cap, rotor, points, and condenser. but first I want to try removing the melted piece of wire and making sure it actually has proper connection to the metal part. Probably gonna order the tune up kit as the car could use it. that is technically the last of the original ignition system as far as engine bay side of things

Well, it's back up and running but it wants to stall, didn't change timing at all, but I did get the cap and rotor, points and condenser and it's running. But now it's idle is crap and it's stalling, any idea what is causing it

 

she doesn't want to stay running, I may need to play with the points some more. Any ideas. Timing hasn't been touched at all. Just points, condenser, cap and rotor. 

 

13 minutes ago, Maxwell said:

she doesn't want to stay running, I may need to play with the points some more. Any ideas. Timing hasn't been touched at all. Just points, condenser, cap and rotor. 

 

Thankz for sharing your project and keeping us up to date. I believe one of the links I sent you showed how to adjust your points.  Glad you got er back running again.

I just don't know if I need to move the points around a bit or what. but it's not happy idling at all, unless choked which brings up the idle. the other thing could be the carburetor that is so nasty on the outside and could probably use a rebuild.

 

Just check that you have the spark plug leads in the correct  order 

It sounded to me like not all 8 are firing 

Very well could be a crossed plug wire.   You Justa changed the plugs.

I made sure it wasn't, I swapped them all over 1 at a time to make sure of that. as it's now running and revs up just fine, I think the point gap is too much 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=How+to+relace+points+in+a+GM+distributor&&view=detail&mid=DDCE1BE58EA34EC38B53DDCE1BE58EA34EC38B53&&FORM=VDRVRV

the video is eh. I do better with actual point in the right direction. I try watching yt vids and it doesn't help me identify where I am at

This is what it does. it idles for a second then starts to stumble

How much old gas was in it?  How long was it sitting?

the car wasn't even down 2 weeks, the gas is less than a month old, though I have a feeling I need to set my points gap. though finding a feeler gauge isn't easy atm

well, I am suspecting that one of the basic do it yourself cut to length plug wires isn't making a great contact or something, as I now have it idling albeit unsteady but when I rev it up it's fine, I adjusted the points, though they probably could go a hair tighter as I used dial calipers and found something that is between 0.019-0.020 for the gap and gapped it, it idled on choke fine but once it idled down it died and I had to bring the idle up with the screw on the throttle linkage. Now it's a little on the unsteady side. I'd have to manually check for spark but. I think it is something either carburetor related or I have a bad plug right right off or something. Let me know what you guys think, I'll share the video of it running and trying to stall out.

it didn't want to idle. I almost wonder if I still need that little canister on the outside of the ignition coil I almost wonder if that is sucking power and making a weak idle spark

Update. I am not stupid but I heard a noise and was right. A vacuum line was disconnected and now it's fine and happy.

Glad you worked it out.

yeah, maybe now I can find a better way to get my exhaust to stop rattling as it's rattling and annoying. 

It sounds good again

next agenda. windows, reverse lights and blinkers. Hazzards work ish

On 11/6/2021 at 4:27 PM, Maxwell said:

yeah, maybe now I can find a better way to get my exhaust to stop rattling as it's rattling and annoying. 

Any signs of rust holes or loose hangars? I've found that sometimes I have to run my fingers over the tops of the pipes and muffler to find pin holes. Sometimes they are not as obvious as we'd like them to be.

ok. I have a new issue. she's not wanting to start and I have to floor it and pump the hell out of it to get it to sputter and it doesn't want to stay running, it also let out a gunshot of a backfire, nothing changed, nothing sounds unhealthy, nothing has a bad smell. something is off and I think my carburetor is in need of a cleaning

It went from being very reliable to a pain in the butt and not wanting to run, though willing to bet it'll fire up later as it's become tempermental

 

could the fuel pump me clogged or worn out at only 45k

it's not a fuel pump, tested that and it's got great pressure. Not sure what's going on. it's almost like the carburetor has failed in some way as it's got a working accelerator pump but it was sneezing a little earlier. though nothing has been changed since it ran nice, timing has been left alone, though the wire from the ignition coil to the points looks like it has some new flat spots. wondering if that could be a culprit, also not sure if I could smell electrical earlier but it didn't seem like anything was melted, points look good and healthy