# 65 gto starting issues HELP please🍻



## Buttinz (Apr 19, 2020)

Hello everyone.
I cannot get car to start. Spark seems very weak and at times have nothing When I test it If that makes sense 🤷🏻‍♂️.everything is new coil,dist,cap,rotor,wires etc. timing is set to the second line on crank with rotor at 1. I’m so lost at the moment. No Back-fire,no sign of starting just Getting nothing,cranks till battery dies 🤦🏻‍♂️
thanks


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## Mine'sa66 (Oct 30, 2019)

What's the condition of the points?


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## Buttinz (Apr 19, 2020)

Mine'sa66 said:


> What's the condition of the points?


Everything is new. I set Gap to .016. Possible I got a bad capacitor even know it’s new? Resistor is built into harness on this year so I have harness wire going to + on coil and dist is -.
thanks


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## Lemans guy (Oct 14, 2014)

Make sure that the rotor tip is contacting the rotor cap button underneath the cap. Gently bend it with your finger to insure good contact, also make sure that your points ground wire has a strong connection, it is on the back of the vac can.


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## Lemans guy (Oct 14, 2014)

Also make sure that you start the car properly. On a cold start pump the pedal 2 or three times and then once more all the way to the floor to set the choke.

Don’t start cranking right away, wait 30 seconds. A minute is even better, this lets the fuel that you just pumped in settle over the valves, gas is heavier than air. Now when you crank you are sucking in a mixture instead of mostly air.

This helps when you are having starting issues. Make the physics of fuel work on your side.

check all your connections for tight, and you may have to see what the cranking voltage is at the coil as it may be low and have resistance if any wires are old.

Make sure you battery is at full charge that is 12.6 volts, 12.4 is 75% charged and 12.2 is 50% charged so you don’t want to be fighting that....

and if you have been cranking it a lot, it could be down. Of course fuel is required in the carb bowls which you verify by looking in and working the accelerator by hand, sure that you did that already

Just take your time, it is findable.....you will get it!


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## BLK69JUDGE (Jun 10, 2010)

was it runnung well b4 you did this work ?
are the wires on the coil correct ?
good engine to body grounds >? body to frame ?
un hook your tach sometimes they fail 

check a couple plugs for fuel and wet ?

best 15.00 spent in a long time ...








Lisle 20610 Lisle Inline Spark Testers | Summit Racing


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I think any parts stores can get this one
I have a few and use this one the most...
has a 90 and a straight boot ...just flip the plug wire on the light ,,,one on each end
very usefull to have that option ... headers ,,, lawn mower weed eater etc .... generator
to check consistant spark it blinks .....

pull a couple plugs from each side are they wet>?? or dry ?

be carefull I have blown mufflers in 1/2 with gas in the exhaust and it igniting

change out the condenser in the distributor even if its new with a good napa one...

our plug wires on the cap are counter clockwise


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## Noangelbuddy (Dec 6, 2017)

Agree with suggestion of changing condenser. Did a tune up years ago and engine cranked like mad but would not start. New condenser was at fault. I can’t recall whether it was a dead short or not, but it was killing my spark.


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## Lemans guy (Oct 14, 2014)

Yes, some people say points won’t fail you can always get home......but not so if the condenser completely conks out....the car won’t run...


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## 65Teal (Jun 10, 2020)

I also agree about the condenser, I've had a bad one blow the centre out of the points. Get a new set of points/condenser and see if that solves your problem.


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## Mine'sa66 (Oct 30, 2019)

BLK69JUDGE said:


> un hook your tach sometimes they fail
> 
> 
> 
> change out the condenser in the distributor even if its new with a good napa one...


Seen the tach issue more than once. Not the first thing you think of, but a grounded tach is an extremely effective kill switch.
If you buy a condenser, or most any electrical part from NAPA, the brand you want is their "good" brand...Echlin. They stock lesser ones these days to compete.


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## Buttinz (Apr 19, 2020)

Plugs are wet all grounds are in and new. never Had a chance to start car prior being dist and carb was 💩. Swapped out condenser with another new one and still nothing. I ordered the Accel point eliminator kit, we’ll see how that works out . I’m lost at the moment with this lol.


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## Lemans guy (Oct 14, 2014)

What is the plug gap? Too wide a gap can make for very hard starting.....035 is. Best


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## Buttinz (Apr 19, 2020)

Lemans guy said:


> What is the plug gap? Too wide a gap can make for very hard starting.....035 is. Best


It’s .030


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## BLK69JUDGE (Jun 10, 2010)

best 15.00 spent in a long time ...
Lisle Inline Spark Testers 20610


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## Buttinz (Apr 19, 2020)

BLK69JUDGE said:


> best 15.00 spent in a long time ...
> Lisle Inline Spark Testers 20610


I bought one. light is very dim when cranking and sometimes don’t light up at all🤔


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## BLK69JUDGE (Jun 10, 2010)

leave the plugs out and let the engine air out

as soon as it fires and runs I would do an oil change ...and wix filter

all that gas has slipped by your rings and probably thinned your oil and will kill the lubrication


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## Buttinz (Apr 19, 2020)

BLK69JUDGE said:


> leave the plugs out and let the engine air out
> 
> as soon as it fires and runs I would do an oil change ...and wix filter
> 
> all that gas has slipped by your rings and probably thinned your oil and will kill the lubrication


Great point about that. I been cranking the shit out it prolly a lot of gas went by. Ill Change oil tomorrow. I did squirt some in cylinders few days ago


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## Montreux (Mar 8, 2009)

Buttinz said:


> Everything is new. I set Gap to .016. Possible I got a bad capacitor even know it’s new? Resistor is built into harness on this year so I have harness wire going to + on coil and dist is -.
> thanks


Yes! Even "American" brands of parts are being sourced from China, and there are increasing reports of DOA capacitors. Did you save the old one?


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## Montreux (Mar 8, 2009)

Setting the points by gapping them is very touchy. A dwell meter will tell you if if you've got it right. Or maybe just try gapping them again. 
Setting timing statically (with the engine off) is not accurate. You can put the timing light on it while cranking (and double check when its running).
Since you've not had the car running, maybe check to make sure the distributor is installed correctly. Set the engine to TDC on the power stroke and make sure the rotor points (roughly) toward #1 terminal. To verify you're on the power stroke, pull the driver's side valve cover and verify that both valves are fully closed.


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## baba67 (Nov 26, 2015)

Montreux said:


> Setting the points by gapping them is very touchy. A dwell meter will tell you if if you've got it right. Or maybe just try gapping them again.
> Setting timing statically (with the engine off) is not accurate. You can put the timing light on it while cranking (and double check when its running).
> Since you've not had the car running, maybe check to make sure the distributor is installed correctly. Set the engine to TDC on the power stroke and make sure the rotor points (roughly) toward #1 terminal. To verify you're on the power stroke, pull the driver's side valve cover and verify that both valves are fully closed.


You are setting the point gap with the rubbing block on the high lobe of the distributor shaft correct?
I went ahead and installed a pertronix in my goat.
As a matter of fact, I recently sold my 67 to American Dream Machines and have a spare distributor with a pertronix kit installed if interested.


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## Buttinz (Apr 19, 2020)

installed the accel points eliminator kit today and car fired right up👍🏻. Thanks for all the help much appreciated 🍻.
Joe


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## Robert1965 (Jan 4, 2020)

Check to make sure Distributor is not installed 180° backwards. Oops looks like problem solved. Well done.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

Buttinz said:


> installed the accel points eliminator kit today and car fired right up👍🏻. Thanks for all the help much appreciated 🍻.
> Joe


Sadly, it seems that the quality of the replacement points/condensors are crap - made over seas. Points work great and are dependable in most cases - always have been. The recommendation seems to be to locate a set of original AC Delco or older points/condensor on places like Ebay or at a good swap meet.

The electronic conversions and/or electronic distributors are the way to go nowadays. The thing to check and change is that most, if not all, require 12 volts to run. Our cars designed for points will have a 12V start wire going to the coil to provide a higher voltage to fire up the engine when cranking. As soon as you snap the key to the "Run" position, the 7-8 volt cloth covered resistor wire take over so as not to bun up the points, which 12 volts will do. So in swapping in an electronic conversion or distributor, the set-up most likely will require a change in the wiring to eliminate/bypass the resistor wire and replace it with a 12V powered source that is energized when the key is on and deactivated when the power is shut off when the car is shut off.


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## Old Man Taylor (May 9, 2011)

I buy the points for a Corvette, NAPA P/N CS786.


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## RMTZ67 (Mar 12, 2011)

OMT'S point is spot on...no pun intended. If you need parts Napa Echlin parts have been my go to, other than oem from Ebay like jim points out. You got to ask for Corvette, Chevelle or maybe Nova for most external engine parts. I asked for a ignition switch for a pontiac and nothing came up... then asked for a chevelle and wha la. Matched it up with mine, perfecto.


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