NEED HELP ASAP CAR DIED

[Chevyboy_0]

Hey guys, I need some help

My Car is a 1970 Chevelle, with HEI, and a Summit 100amp alternator

So I was on my way to school today and I was driving along then next thing you know the car had no throttle response, and the tach read zero but the engine was still turning or so i thought. I then put it in neutral and once i did that everything went, no PS, no brakes etc. So while I waited for my buddy to come get me i pulled the cap of to see if anything went wrong and everything looks normal to me. Tried cranking her over again but still wont fire and the tach isn't moving like it usually does when i crank it. Plus the battery is only showing 11.2VDC. So I went home hitched up the trailer and went and retrieved my car.

What could have caused this? The engine cranks over and i can smell fuel, but the Tach isn't reading and it wont fire.

Also I have been noticing the Batt hasnt been charging like it should I have a 100 Amp alterntor on it (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-811001/) the PO only had one wire running to the back of the stock alternator but i assume that is incorrect. upon further inspection i have found a Dk.Blue and White wire cut back and wrapped in tape against the Main Power wire to the stud on the Alt. I checked the Blue and white wires with a test light and with KOEO the blue wire is energized. According to this website (http://www.hartin.com/alt.htm) that is the field wire. I purchased a pigtail setup from NAPA which has a heavy gauge red wire and a lighter gauge white wire on it and it only goes in one way, so I assume that the red heavy wire is for the Field wire and the white is for the idiot light.

Also where is the Voltage Regulator and what does it look like? I think it is mounted to the Core Support on the drivers side next to the radiator.

Thanks for reading my post I am really stressing today cause I need the car for work tomorrow morning and have no idea what to do now.

Thanks
Andrew

 

[PackRat]

First thing I'd do, is pull the hot wire off the cap, and be sure you have battery voltage, with the key on. If not, you may have a burnt fusible link, or ignition fuse. If you do, then it may be the module, ignition coil, or pickup coil. The first 2 are easy to replace. The pickup coil requires removal of the distirbutor.

 

[Chevyboy_0]

Thanks for the reply PackRat, it turns out that the module went bad, swapped in a new one and away we went!

 

[Logroller]

hate to butt in but it sounds like your coil went bad in your hei set up they are prone to fail b/c of excessive heat that builds ,, so i would check from the cap to the plugs and then if nothing still check you hot wire to the distributor , and if nothing there its your coil ... good luck man hope this helps you out

 

[NJKen]

As for your alternator... It sounds like you have a GM one wire alternator. This is a conversion to a standard delco and the regulator is inside the alternator. This is common and perfectly OK. People do it to clean up an engine compartment and simplify wiring.
Ken

 

[Chevyboy_0]

hate to butt in but it sounds like your coil went bad in your hei set up they are prone to fail b/c of excessive heat that builds ,, so i would check from the cap to the plugs and then if nothing still check you hot wire to the distributor , and if nothing there its your coil ... good luck man hope this helps you out

Turns out it was the HEI 4 pin module tha sits under the rotor, swapped in a new one for $20 and away we went.

As for your alternator... It sounds like you have a GM one wire alternator. This is a conversion to a standard delco and the regulator is inside the alternator. This is common and perfectly OK. People do it to clean up an engine compartment and simplify wiring.
Ken

The alternator I have is a Summit Racing 100Amp alt, it is one wire compatible but has the hook ups for the 3Wire setup, I increased the gauge of the wire on the BATT charge wire from a 10ga to an 8ga, and re ran the wires to the Alt, and viola! now shes charging just like she was supposed to do