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1964 c2 ignition issue

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  • Jef S.
    Very Frequent User
    • December 15, 2010
    • 118

    1964 c2 ignition issue

    Driving 64 300hp down interstate at 65mph 2 backfires then nothing. Flatbedded home. Any ideas? Getting gas to and through carburetor yes, spark from the coil into the distributor yes, not coming out of the distributor. Cranks fine suddenly just wont fire. Tests to run??
  • Ed S.
    Extremely Frequent Poster
    • August 6, 2014
    • 1377

    #2
    Re: 1964 c2 ignition issue

    Remove the distributor cap, then crank the engine - better yet, put a socket and breaker bar on the fan pulley bolt in the center of the crankshaft - then rotate the engine - all you need is a few degrees of movement either way - is the distributor rotor rotating? If it is not you either have a broken distributor drive gear or a broken timing chain. Either way it could be ugly depending on how much additional rotation of internal components there was after the part failure.
    Ed

    Comment

    • Ed S.
      Extremely Frequent Poster
      • August 6, 2014
      • 1377

      #3
      Re: 1964 c2 ignition issue

      Elaboration on my initial comment - the chain may not be fully broken - if it is stretched you may have jumped several teeth and now the entire system is out of timing - in this case the distributor rotor would rotate.
      Ed

      Comment

      • Timothy B.
        Extremely Frequent Poster
        • April 30, 1983
        • 5177

        #4
        Re: 1964 c2 ignition issue

        Jef,

        Take a look at the rotor while cranking to see if it's turning. If so change out the condenser it could be going to ground.

        Comment

        • Dan H.
          Extremely Frequent Poster
          • July 31, 1977
          • 1365

          #5
          Re: 1964 c2 ignition issue

          Also check the ground wire to the breaker plate, it will wear out and break eventually.
          1964 Red FI Coupe, DUNTOV '09
          Drove the 64 over 5000 miles to three Regionals and the San Jose National, one dust storm and 40 lbs of bugs!

          Comment

          • Jef S.
            Very Frequent User
            • December 15, 2010
            • 118

            #6
            Re: 1964 c2 ignition issue

            The rotor is still turning when cranked. It felt to me when it happened that the timing was suddenly wrong.

            Comment

            • Jef S.
              Very Frequent User
              • December 15, 2010
              • 118

              #7
              Re: 1964 c2 ignition issue

              The rotor is still turning when cranked. It felt like the timing was suddenly wrong. Ill change the condenser. And ill check the ground also
              thnaks
              jef

              Comment

              • Jef S.
                Very Frequent User
                • December 15, 2010
                • 118

                #8
                Re: 1964 c2 ignition issue

                We had changed out the interior of the distributor to a centrifugal breakerless interior. If the timing chain had jumped wouldn't there still be sparks at the end of the plug wires?

                Comment

                • Michael W.
                  Expired
                  • April 1, 1997
                  • 4290

                  #9
                  Re: 1964 c2 ignition issue

                  Originally posted by Jef Steingrebe (52553)
                  If the timing chain had jumped wouldn't there still be sparks at the end of the plug wires?
                  Yes.

                  Possibly you have a defective rotor or distributor cap.

                  Comment

                  • Jef S.
                    Very Frequent User
                    • December 15, 2010
                    • 118

                    #10
                    Re: 1964 c2 ignition issue

                    Ill change the cap and rotor tomorrow and try that. If that is indeed the issue that would be great. It was strange how it happened passing and 18 wheeler on I89 at 65 or 70 after driving all day I was actually thinking how good car was running. Then 2 backfires and nothing.

                    Comment

                    • Ed S.
                      Extremely Frequent Poster
                      • August 6, 2014
                      • 1377

                      #11
                      Re: 1964 c2 ignition issue

                      If the timing chain jumped a few links or gears you the distributor would continue to generate a spark but not at the correct time for each respective cylinder. Another indicator of incorrect ignition timing - I mean really off - is explosions at the wrong time through the exhaust as well as explosions back through the intake manifold and up / out of the carburetor.
                      Ed

                      Comment

                      • Frank D.
                        Expired
                        • December 27, 2007
                        • 2703

                        #12
                        Re: 1964 c2 ignition issue

                        Check the cap and rotor before you panic. My rotor screws came loose one night, blew the side out of the distributor cap, and I limped home 25 miles in my '61 with this condition. I had similar symptoms (backfire, occasional miss but car never shutdown)...

                        I was going through the same dire scenarios described here when I noticed chunks of black plastic on the intake manifold; the ignition shielding hid the damage otherwise.
                        Attached Files

                        Comment

                        • Philip A.
                          Expired
                          • February 26, 2008
                          • 329

                          #13
                          Re: 1964 c2 ignition issue

                          Originally posted by Jef Steingrebe (52553)
                          We had changed out the interior of the distributor to a centrifugal breakerless interior. If the timing chain had jumped wouldn't there still be sparks at the end of the plug wires?
                          The answer to your question is yes. I have had TWO of these breakerless conversions fail. The symptoms are consistent with your experience. The net result is no spark coming out of distributor. I have returned to points without issue.

                          Comment

                          • Mike E.
                            Very Frequent User
                            • June 24, 2012
                            • 920

                            #14
                            Re: 1964 c2 ignition issue

                            Originally posted by Philip Arena (48654)
                            The answer to your question is yes. I have had TWO of these breakerless conversions fail. The symptoms are consistent with your experience. The net result is no spark coming out of distributor. I have returned to points without issue.
                            IMO the old breaker points were not that unreliable, in my car when it's finally on the road I'll be sticking with them. In the day literally millions of cars used them with very few problems. The average driver doesn't put enough miles on a vintage Corvette to justify going to the breakerless conversion.

                            What I liked is you could put the points on the high part of the distributor cam then twist the rotor and look for a spark on the points. That's where I started when troubleshooting ignition problems. Not saying that's Jef's problem, with the breakerless I don't think you can do that.

                            Mike

                            Comment

                            • Jef S.
                              Very Frequent User
                              • December 15, 2010
                              • 118

                              #15
                              Re: 1964 c2 ignition issue

                              that's kind of what I'm getting. Ill try changing the cap and rotor if that doesn't work I guess the next step is pulling the fan water pump and timing change cover right?

                              Comment

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