I am getting fuel and spark. I pulled the carb off and checked it out and everything seems fine. I took the HEI cap off and checked the wires and everything seems fine. I took a spark plug out and its sparking. It just cranks over and nothing. Its the second time this happened. Last weekend and then yesterday. The car was a barn find that sat in a garage for thirty years and I have been working on for 3 years now. Most everything that was not working has been fixed, I think. Thanks in advance for helping.

HEI is a mod on a 73 as it didn't come out until the 74 or 75 model,  can't remember which. Spark on an open plug doesn't mean it will spark under compression. When you set the choke, does the accelerator pump squirt gas? If not then probably not getting any spark. See if a timing lite will flash.

1973 L-82 4 spd

Thanks for helping. I added the HEI dist. because the car came with a dual point dist. I checked the carb and its squirting fuel. I took out all the plugs and they seamed a little dark and fouled from flooding. I'm going to replace the plugs and hook up a timing light to check for spark. I never thought of doing it that way before. Very Smart. Thanks for the tip.

A weak spark with the plug out of the hole doesn't mean it will fire under compression, as was mentioned. If it doesn't have a fat, solid blue spark across the electrode, the spark is weak. With the HEI system, I would be looking at a failing coil or ignition module, and possibly a burnt rotor.

If you take the rotor off, flip it over, and look for what could be called lightning bolts on the underside. (Easy to see with light colored rotors, but hard with black ones.) The lightning bolts are from the ignition spark trying to find ground when the plugs/wires are not up to snuff. The closest ground for the spark inside the dist is the two screws that hold the rotor to the shaft...so the spark tries to get to the screws, producing the lightning bolt pattern on the rotor. This indicates fouled/faulty plugs, and/or faulty plug wires. 

If you look at the coil on top of the dist cap, if you see the metal cage has turned blue in some areas, that indicates the coil has been overheated, which happens when all of the plugs aren't firing properly. This heat is what will fry the ignition module. Best bet when you have any one of these issues is to replace ALL of these components at the same time...cap, coil, rotor, module, plugs and wires. Another tip on HEI systems...don't buy the cheapest cap/rotor set the parts place has just to save a few pennies. The type of plastic used will make a huge difference in the quality of spark sent to the plugs, and some of these lower cost parts are questionable at best.. Get AC/Delco stuff for the cap/rotor...your iggy module and coil will thank you later. 👍

Joel Adams
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wow that's a lot of stuff to sort threw. I feel like you are an expert on this. I will look at everything that you suggested one by one. Thank you. 

I'm no "expert"....but I play one on TV.....lol

I can email you test procedures for the HEI system if you want. 👍

Joel Adams
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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Joel, That would be great

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Thanks everybody for solving my problem with my car. You guys nailed it. The problem was the distributor and or related parts. I bought a whole new dist and coil and it started right up. I think its a better looking set up.Thankfully I will be going to the car show this coming Sunday. Thanks again !

👍 Good to hear! 

Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"