Hey folks, I could use some help trying to troubleshoot a no start on my old '67 f100. It's been a very reliable Sunday cruiser for the few months I've had it, but this week I'm depending on it to get to work with my daily driver being in the paint booth and I done screwed it up already.

I accidentally left the key on all day long at work and she didn't want to start at the end of the day. I made it halfway home with a jumper wire to coil from battery but she died and I had to get a tow. I assumed I had cooked the coil condenser and points, so perfect time to upgrade to a pertronix ignitor and ditch the points, so I installed the 1281 kit this morning along with the flame thrower coil. It is now sending spark to all the plugs, but still won't fire. Pertronix calls for 12v to coil so I am running a jumper wire from the battery when trying to start because wire from ignition is still a resistor wire. Rapid spark between coil and dizzy, spark at the plugs is much slower ~18 times a minute I think that's about right though?? What else might I have damaged in my stupidity? I tried to bump start it a few times while getting towed. and that's about all the info I can think to provide but I will do my best to help provide any other info that would be helpful. I appreciate all the help I can get, I'm hoping I don't have to drive the chevrolegs to work tomorrow!!

 

When you installed the pertronix did you reset the ignition timing? 10-12 makes them run pretty good. The more the merrier before detonation.

 

No, but thanks for the advice I will set timing if engine starts. For now best I can do is have a buddy crank while I rotate distributor, and no luck there.

 

Is it even trying to sputter?

 

In this pic my finger is pointing to #1 on the cap. When I installed the dizzy I pointed the rotor at #1 cylinder at tdc on comp stroke (so a little less than 180 degrees from #1 on the cap) did I misunderstand this maybe? Is the rotor supposed to point at the #1 position on the cap? I asked my old man to come take a look and he says it looks like it's firing #2 when it should be #1, but I read to point the rotor at the cylinder itself. Wrong cap? Hopefully I'm not confusing anyone as badly as I'm confusing myself

 

No, it is giving me no signs of life whatsoever

 

Your timing is way off haha

Rotor needs to point towards the 1 cap, not the one cylinder...

 

Thank you! Yes you are right, truck has fired up! Many years of Chevy driving has screwed me up, the rotor points to #1 on the engine itself and the cap, I must have misunderstood many years ago and gotten away with it until now lol. Truck is running (****tily) hopefully I will have time at work to time it and maybe even clean the 7 year old gas out of the tank. Thanks again!

 

I laughed when i saw your pic. My boy and I just went thru the same thing a few weeks ago. Your on the right track. use a timing light to get your base timing. Get a vacuum gauge to dial her in. Same with the carb AFTER you get the junk out of the tank.
Lots has taken place for the pertronix install to now, but we are faced with a pot load of rust in the tank too. Post a pic of the rig...

 

Here she is. I bought it on a whim and I've probably only put 10 miles on it since I've owned it. How would I use a vacuum gauge to time it? Would that be for vacuum advance? I capped that off as it doesn't seem all that necesarry to my

 

You use the vacuum gauge to set timing and A/F ratio. Trying to get the highest suck possible.

Yes the vacuum advance is necessary, hook it back up to ported vac. (Not manifold vac) .

 

I like it! Good times ahead...

 

What would happen without vacuum advance? Curious as I'm running with it capped off on my bbc without issues. And sorry, I'm not following with ported vac? As I got it the vacuum line was routed off the carb. And now that I mention it I don't believe I capped it off at the carb
I appreciate your advice C4, I will play around with a vacuum gauge! And teacher you've inspired me to clean out that gas tank, I'm getting into it now! Cheers

 

Too many words for me to type to explain "what happens without vacuum advance". Just off the cuff, google " how does vacuum advance work". you will prolly be hooking it back up on the "one that must not be named on this sight". The vacuum gauge is my friend.

 

A racing engine with the Dizzy properly "curved" doesn't need the vacuum advance can. But a street motor with a stock cam sure does. A stock Dizzy is curved to have both mechanical advance (the springs and weights) and the vacuum advance.