SOLVED!....sort of. Where's there's spark.. there's no fire!
***UPDATE***
SOLVED!!!....... sort of.
Solution here
Photo of distributor cap interior added. Perhaps it is more scored than I had thought upon initial inspection.
The old girl won’t start. Plenty of starter power, but not even a hint of fire.
1986 Winnebago Chieftain
Chevy P30
454
Carbureted
Electronic Ignition
10K on plugs and high perf (high heat) plug wires
Distributor cap and rotor looked fine when I bought her 10K ago, so not sure how many miles on that. Contacts not in terrible shape, though. It's this one.
I’ll put this in chronological order…
We hit the road Monday with old gas. We took a short trip several months ago and used maybe 5 gallons. Otherwise, Labor Day will be a year on whatever that fluid has become. I always store it topped off with Sta-Bil. However, I’m not sure this is the issue. Read on…
She ran normally and I purposely drove her ‘til she was almost empty. Put 20 bucks’ worth of shell gas in that the owner must be very proud of. The petroleum transfer engineer (Oregon) was very nice and pointed out that Fred Meyer was about 20 miles ahead and should have much cheaper gas. They did… by 45 cents!
Filled up at Fred Meyer
At our next off ramp, the throttle stuck. I hammered the pedal several times until she quieted down. Told the DW to remind me to take a look at that when we reached our destination.
Drove another hour and a half through city traffic and windy highway.
Got into Tillamook and she backfired for the first time in her life that I recall. Hmmm. Ok.
10 minutes on to Garibaldi and she seemed to be running rough, but mainly in the low range. We had another 10 minutes to go to our destination.
Hit a little traffic that slowed us down just before a hill. She wasn’t havin’ it. She died at the base of it.
Was about to work my way around and get a running start at the hill. Made it up fine and seemed to have full power in the upper range.
Got to our destination and she died again. Had to keep the hammer down to get to our campsite (no pedestrians present.)
After a solid hour and probably 20 stalls and restarts, I got her parked on the blocks.
This morning was my first chance to diagnose. I thought I would try and start her first as I figured the warm engine and bad fuel could be a recipe for vapor lock.
No go. No fire, whatsoever.
Clear, plastic, inline fuel filter appears to be clear.
Pumping throttle shows plenty of gas squirting into the primaries.
Tested the driver’s rear plug wire (don’t recall the cylinder numbers off hand) and got spark about 3/8” between the screw I ran in there and the frame.
Tested rear passenger plug itself and also got spark.
Borrowed a small can of gas. Poured it into the carb. Began with an ounce or so. Then 2. Then 4. Then 8 ounces.
Never any indication of fire.
Haven’t tried Seafoam, WD40 nor ether yet.
I still have a few ideas… one of which I really prefer it not be and that’s timing chain jump. But why did it go from running rough at low range… to no fire? Hopefully this makes a chain jump the least likely candidate.
Is the spark that I’m seeing just not strong enough to fire under compression?
Module?
Coil?
?
P.S. Onan BFA genny runs fine on same gas tank. Used it for A/C the whole way up and it started right up again this afternoon.
.
SOLVED!!!....... sort of.
Solution here
Photo of distributor cap interior added. Perhaps it is more scored than I had thought upon initial inspection.
The old girl won’t start. Plenty of starter power, but not even a hint of fire.
1986 Winnebago Chieftain
Chevy P30
454
Carbureted
Electronic Ignition
10K on plugs and high perf (high heat) plug wires
Distributor cap and rotor looked fine when I bought her 10K ago, so not sure how many miles on that. Contacts not in terrible shape, though. It's this one.
I’ll put this in chronological order…
We hit the road Monday with old gas. We took a short trip several months ago and used maybe 5 gallons. Otherwise, Labor Day will be a year on whatever that fluid has become. I always store it topped off with Sta-Bil. However, I’m not sure this is the issue. Read on…
She ran normally and I purposely drove her ‘til she was almost empty. Put 20 bucks’ worth of shell gas in that the owner must be very proud of. The petroleum transfer engineer (Oregon) was very nice and pointed out that Fred Meyer was about 20 miles ahead and should have much cheaper gas. They did… by 45 cents!
Filled up at Fred Meyer
At our next off ramp, the throttle stuck. I hammered the pedal several times until she quieted down. Told the DW to remind me to take a look at that when we reached our destination.
Drove another hour and a half through city traffic and windy highway.
Got into Tillamook and she backfired for the first time in her life that I recall. Hmmm. Ok.
10 minutes on to Garibaldi and she seemed to be running rough, but mainly in the low range. We had another 10 minutes to go to our destination.
Hit a little traffic that slowed us down just before a hill. She wasn’t havin’ it. She died at the base of it.
Was about to work my way around and get a running start at the hill. Made it up fine and seemed to have full power in the upper range.
Got to our destination and she died again. Had to keep the hammer down to get to our campsite (no pedestrians present.)
After a solid hour and probably 20 stalls and restarts, I got her parked on the blocks.
This morning was my first chance to diagnose. I thought I would try and start her first as I figured the warm engine and bad fuel could be a recipe for vapor lock.
No go. No fire, whatsoever.
Clear, plastic, inline fuel filter appears to be clear.
Pumping throttle shows plenty of gas squirting into the primaries.
Tested the driver’s rear plug wire (don’t recall the cylinder numbers off hand) and got spark about 3/8” between the screw I ran in there and the frame.
Tested rear passenger plug itself and also got spark.
Borrowed a small can of gas. Poured it into the carb. Began with an ounce or so. Then 2. Then 4. Then 8 ounces.
Never any indication of fire.
Haven’t tried Seafoam, WD40 nor ether yet.
I still have a few ideas… one of which I really prefer it not be and that’s timing chain jump. But why did it go from running rough at low range… to no fire? Hopefully this makes a chain jump the least likely candidate.
Is the spark that I’m seeing just not strong enough to fire under compression?
Module?
Coil?
?
P.S. Onan BFA genny runs fine on same gas tank. Used it for A/C the whole way up and it started right up again this afternoon.
.
