Topic: ENGINE CUT OFF
in Forum: C3 Engines
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Former Member
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Canada
Joined: 3/9/2008
Posts: 164
Vette(s): 70 VETTE 350/300HP, AUTOMATIC, ALL STOCK EXCEPT FOR MILD CAM,LAGUNA GREY, 3:55 POSI GEARS
DROVE FOR 1/2 HOUR, DECIDED TO TAKE HWY HOME, CAR STARTED TO SLOW DOWN THEN SHUT OFF. NEW RAD WAS PUT IN AND NEW PLUGS. TRIED STARTING IT BUT IT CRANKS PUT WILL NOT START. TOWED IT HOME TRIED IT AGAIN BUT WONT START. CHECKED FUEL FILTER SEEMED FINE. IM THINKING IGNITION OR FUEL PUMP, ANY IDEAS
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Lifetime MemberModerator
Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/
Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight"
#2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto
Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
"Slowed down" as in like it was out of fuel(sputtering, etc), or like just suddenly no power?
Did it overheat. since you say you put a new radiator in it, or did you do that before the problem?
Take the air cleaner off, and look down into the top of the carb while you work the accelerator...do you see any fuel squirting? If not, you may have a bad fuel pump, a collapsed rubber line, or the "sock" in the tank is stopped up.
If you have an old spark plug(or a spark tester, available at parts houses fairly cheap), take a wire off of one of your plugs, and put it on the old plug, and then hold it against the engine while someone else cranks the engine over...do you get any spark? If no spark, you may have points that have burned up, the rubbing block broke off of the points, a bad coil, or wiring issue.
If you have spark, AND fuel, with no start, chances are the timing chain has "jumped" or stripped....
So many things could be wrong...need more info!
Did it overheat. since you say you put a new radiator in it, or did you do that before the problem?
Take the air cleaner off, and look down into the top of the carb while you work the accelerator...do you see any fuel squirting? If not, you may have a bad fuel pump, a collapsed rubber line, or the "sock" in the tank is stopped up.
If you have an old spark plug(or a spark tester, available at parts houses fairly cheap), take a wire off of one of your plugs, and put it on the old plug, and then hold it against the engine while someone else cranks the engine over...do you get any spark? If no spark, you may have points that have burned up, the rubbing block broke off of the points, a bad coil, or wiring issue.
If you have spark, AND fuel, with no start, chances are the timing chain has "jumped" or stripped....
So many things could be wrong...need more info!
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"
Former Member
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Canada
Joined: 3/9/2008
Posts: 164
Vette(s): 70 VETTE 350/300HP, AUTOMATIC, ALL STOCK EXCEPT FOR MILD CAM,LAGUNA GREY, 3:55 POSI GEARS
THANKS JOEL, ENDED UP BEING SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE TACH DRIVE CABLE GOING INTO THE DISTRIBUTOR, WILL GET BACK TO YOU WHEN ITS FIXED.
Lifetime MemberModerator
Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/
Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight"
#2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto
Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
Yeah, please do!!! I'd like to know what the heck the tach cable would do to cause the engine to die...unless it rubbed thru some of the plug wires, or is shorting something else out....that's weird...
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"
Had my Tack wire break off of the resistor and stopped to see what had caused my tach to quit seen the wire and moved it while doing so touched the block and it killed the motor. Moved it to a safe spot and it fired back up. It sounded alot like the timing chain slipped or broke, good luck.
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Mounds View, MN - USA
Joined: 5/24/2007
Posts: 1031
Vette(s): 70 LT1 coupe, 69 350 HP coupe, 69 390HP 427 coupe, 71 LS5 convert, 85 coupe, 93 coupe
Before I got to Joel's second posting I was thinking exactly what he said "That's Weird!". I am anxious to hear what the problem really was. You have a mechanical tach drive, so I can't imagine how that can be related.
Larry
Larry
I will tell you how. When mine broke, it bound up before it broke and spun the dist. enough to kill the motor and be far enough out of time not to restart. I was able to street tune it (literally) enough to start it and get it running til it could be properly re-timed.
71Shark 2008-05-05 11:59:11
When replacing, buy the best tach gears you can get. It was cheap ones that caused the problem with mine.
Former Member
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Canada
Joined: 3/9/2008
Posts: 164
Vette(s): 70 VETTE 350/300HP, AUTOMATIC, ALL STOCK EXCEPT FOR MILD CAM,LAGUNA GREY, 3:55 POSI GEARS
I HAD THE EXACT SAME ISSUE AS YOU DID TIM, THE CAR JUST SHUT RIGHT OFF, THE DIST. BEING THROWN OFF FROM THE DAMAGED GEAR.
Lifetime MemberModerator
Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/
Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight"
#2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto
Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
Sounds like you guys need to put another turn on that hold-down bolt!
So...it was actually the cross gear that bound up, Tim & Jim?
I just can't see the tach cable itself being stout enough to twist the dist...unless the dist is pretty loose to start with.
I'm gonna have to remember this one!
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"
in Forum: C3 Engines
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