'65 396 Won't Start After Ignition Shielding Install

[Carl N.]

Re: '65 396 Won't Start After Ignition Shielding Install

James, I have an original TI box which was converted years ago to transistor. The wiring harness was an early reproduction from Tim Partridge (1988-1989). Coil is original. Chrome Box and Lid are original as are mounting brackets and spark plug barrels. I had to go thru 3 sets of shielded plug wires to get 8 good ones. These ground to the spark plug barrels not the valve covers as 1967 TI wires do. You may also need to be sure you have a tight ground on all eight. A loose ground or two should not cause the issue you have but will cause a rough idle and misfire. I have about 12,000 miles on this set up wired just like the pictures I sent with no problems. I know the last time we discussed this there was concern about the wiring to the coil as Rich addressed above.

[Chris H.]

Re: '65 396 Won't Start After Ignition Shielding Install

James, throw a timing light on the thing and make sure you didn't inadvertently move the distributor. Back in the day once with my 396, I reinstalled the distributor but it would not start. It had the same want-to-start when I released the key. Once I fixed the timing, it fired right up.

[James W.]

Re: '65 396 Won't Start After Ignition Shielding Install

Well... after review all the replies to my issues with the 396 engine not wanting to start after reinstalling the lower ignition shielding "box" I went back to the garage last night and did the following. I checked all of my wiring connections as discussed in this thread where I did find one of the wires in the two wire connector to the distributor possibly not being fully seated in the connector. This may have been cause by me trying to get the TI wiring harness properly positioned so that I could tape it to the main wiring harness per the AIM. I then checked the spark plug wires to distributor connections (all were correct), made sure the coil to distributor wire seated tightly, made sure I had proper clearance between the coil lead wires and the ignition shielding "box", and switched the ignition coil lead wires so that the white wire is connected to the negative side of the coil and the black wire to the positive side. Being a 396 "virgin", I tried something different when attempting to start the car. In the past after the car has sat for a long period of time I have always pressed the accelerator at least twice to ensure that the car has plenty of fuel when cold starting the car. This time I did not touch the accelerator to set the choke/fast idle cam. I connected the battery and crank the engine and the car fire immediately and then quit. I pressed the accelerator once to set the choke and fast idle cam and cranked it again and it again fire immediately, ran rough for about a minute and then slowly ascended to 2000 rpm per the PV testing guideline.

I'm wondering if the initial problem was that the coil lead wires were connected incorrectly combined with the fact that I may have flooded the car with fuel when trying a cold start or the two wire connector at the distributor had one wire not fully seated in the connector???

In any case the car is up and running again. I want to thank everyone who was kind enough to take the time to respond to this post.


Thanks again and Happy Holidays!


James West
Omaha, NE.

[Michael H.]

Re: '65 396 Won't Start After Ignition Shielding Install

Well... after review all the replies to my issues with the 396 engine not wanting to start after reinstalling the lower ignition shielding "box" I went back to the garage last night and did the following. I checked all of my wiring connections as discussed in this thread where I did find one of the wires in the two wire connector to the distributor possibly not being fully seated in the connector. This may have been cause by me trying to get the TI wiring harness properly positioned so that I could tape it to the main wiring harness per the AIM. I then checked the spark plug wires to distributor connections (all were correct), made sure the coil to distributor wire seated tightly, made sure I had proper clearance between the coil lead wires and the ignition shielding "box", and switched the ignition coil lead wires so that the white wire is connected to the negative side of the coil and the black wire to the positive side. Being a 396 "virgin", I tried something different when attempting to start the car. In the past after the car has sat for a long period of time I have always pressed the accelerator at least twice to ensure that the car has plenty of fuel when cold starting the car. This time I did not touch the accelerator to set the choke/fast idle cam. I connected the battery and crank the engine and the car fire immediately and then quit. I pressed the accelerator once to set the choke and fast idle cam and cranked it again and it again fire immediately, ran rough for about a minute and then slowly ascended to 2000 rpm per the PV testing guideline.

I'm wondering if the initial problem was that the coil lead wires were connected incorrectly combined with the fact that I may have flooded the car with fuel when trying a cold start or the two wire connector at the distributor had one wire not fully seated in the connector???

In any case the car is up and running again. I want to thank everyone who was kind enough to take the time to respond to this post.


Thanks again and Happy Holidays!


James West
Omaha, NE.

Glad ya got it going James.

I don't know for sure but I don't think a TI car will run with the coil primaries reversed. Could be though I suppose. One side of the primary is a ground. (the neg/white wire side)

I don't think there is such a thing as a fast idle speed RPM check for a PV. No specific speed anyway. I think someone here explained why that was not possible.

[Richard M.]

Re: '65 396 Won't Start After Ignition Shielding Install

James, Glad you're up and running. Thanks for the detailed reply which will always be helpful to future members searching the archives.

Rich

[Carl N.]

Re: '65 396 Won't Start After Ignition Shielding Install

James, glad your hitting on all 8 again best wishes for the holidays

[Duke W.]

Re: '65 396 Won't Start After Ignition Shielding Install

I'm wondering if the initial problem was that the coil lead wires were connected incorrectly combined with the fact that I may have flooded the car with fuel when trying a cold start or the two wire connector at the distributor had one wire not fully seated in the connector???

James West
Omaha, NE.

Your analysis is correct IMO. The TI will not deliver a spark unless it gets voltage pulses from the distributor, and all the cranking probably flooded the engine and got the plugs wet with fuel. Once the excess fuel was purged, the fast idle smoothed out.

The fast idle speed is set with the engine fully warmed up, and, typically, the cold fast idle, once it stabilizes after engine start, is 2-300 revs lower. If you were to let the engine warm up without touching the throttle, which would release the fast idle cam, engine speed would increase to what it was set at, hot.

Duke

[Michael H.]

Re: '65 396 Won't Start After Ignition Shielding Install

Your analysis is correct IMO. The TI will not deliver a spark unless it gets voltage pulses from the distributor,

Duke

See posts #12 and #14.