Driving around all day, then it just Died Out?

[YourBuddy'sTruck]

I drive every day, but only 10m total.
Today, I do my deliveries and after stopping at a dozen places and starting up and leaving (about 50M total), I get all the way back to my origin and it putters and dies out like it's outta gas?
Only it is not outta gas?
I ran it outta gas a week ago, so that has me thinking I killed the fuel pump.
So I shoot starting fluid in there and no fire?
Shouldn't it fire on starting fluid alone?
I finished my errands in the other car and went back.
It's cooled down.
Plugs not fouled. Still no fire on starting fluid. Some kid stopped and helped me check for spark and it's not getting any arc from wire to grounded screwdriver?
Gonna go back in the AM and try again with a buddy that knows what he's doing.
Looking for any advice on what to go to first???
Also, will my induction timing light let us know if there is spark while cranking it over?
Looking for some good Uncle/Dad/Granpa advice here.
This has never happened before and usually runs great with possible starting fluid at first crank of the day.
Thanks in advance.

350, w/350TH, HEI, Modern Alt, Original Fuel Pump, Quadrajet 4 Barrel, good plugs, no vacuum leaks

[71swb4x4]

HEI module. If you don't have one in your glove box already you need to have one there, so buy a module and try it. If you find out your current module is good put the other one in your glove box. I have a feeling that will solve your problem though. And if it does solve your problem buy another and put it in your glove box so you have a spare.

Also, what year of truck is it? I assume with the "modern" alt, and quadrajet mentioned that you have a mechanical fuel pump. Running it out of gas usually won't kill a mechanical fuel pump.

[cdowns]

hei module wont help if he has the stock distributor with points

[YourBuddy'sTruck]

Sorry...1970 C20.
HEI is that eBay one that everyone recommends here. Forget the seller? Dave White?
2 years with HEI and no trouble. Is that normal? 2 years, then kaputt?

Also, Modern Alt is 3 Wire, just mentioned it so that everyone knows the old school Voltage Regulator is out of the loop.

[O'l Buck]

definitely a good idea to carry a spare module for the HEI, take a test light along in the morning and make sure you have power to the coil too.

[YourBuddy'sTruck]

Originally Posted by O'l Buck

definitely a good idea to carry a spare module for the HEI, take a test light along in the morning and make sure you have power to the coil too.

Okay...I'm trying to quote? Don't know the site tools well?
Test Light is my induction timing light?
There is no Coil with HEI?
I know the word "Module" is for coil. How do I test that?
I have a Meter?

[PanelDeland]

Coil and module are two different items.The module is inside the distributor cap in about the same place as the points.The coil on a factory HEI is on top of the cap. When you replace the module,there should be a small packet of dielectric grease in with it.Make sure to use it on the metal side of the module that contacts the plate in the dist.
BTW an induction timing light may pick up enough to flash. Also one question.Did you change out resistor wire to distributor? If you're not getting 12 volt to dist, it may kill the module.

[71swb4x4]

Originally Posted by cdowns

hei module wont help if he has the stock distributor with points

Cliff, read the last line of the original post. Too much sun today?

[BruthaMan]

Same thing happened to me about two weeks ago, coming home from Lubbock.

Was the coil in the distributor. Fortunately, a good samaritan offered a tow home...about 100 miles. I carry a spare, now.

[YourBuddy'sTruck]

Thanks guys...
Sun's coming up. Time to set up a parking lot workshop.
Lucky me, the weather is forecast to be great!

[YourBuddy'sTruck]

Definitely getting fuel.
Tester shows Voltage at fuse block & out to connection on distributor cap.
Shows no Voltage at center pin/button/contact to rotor.
Is this a sure sign the coil's bad?
Thanks in advance...

[Bluechevy68]

Curious to find out what the problem is also. Mine did this a couple years back. Just like you I had no problems until I ran it out of gas then I would be driving and it would just shut off and pick back up again. Then sometimes it would crank but acted like it was out of gas. I was kinda wanting to sell it anyways so I did and never found out the problem.

[YourBuddy'sTruck]

I now know what the inside of my distributor looks like.
I'd have been happy to never know, but...
New Coil.
New Module.
What am I missing?
Still no spark?

Guys at Advance paired me up with these parts.

[BruthaMan]

Couple suggestions.

Make sure the yellow wire on the coil is in the distributor cap where the yellow wire from the pigtail connects to it. Make sure the black wire is mounted such that it is getting ground. Some distributors have a metal plate on the side where the black wire is screwed into with the coil.

A spark plug test light is a handy tool to have here, as you can plug it into the distributor, then plug your wire into the light, and test from the distributor. Your wires look fairly new, from the photo. Still, a test light will let you know if you have spark from the distributor cap.

When I replaced mine a few weeks ago, the very same thing happened. I put the new coil in, but still had no spark. Pulled it back out and determined I had the ground wire on the wrong side of the coil. Switch it over to the other side, and it fired right up.

One other thing I did. When I pulled the cap, I used some "Tarn-X" cleaner on the inside terminals (not sure if that's the standard word). On the inside of the cap, as seen in your photo, there are metal pieces that come through the cap, where the plug wires connect. I cleaned the inside, and the outside. Probably didn't make a difference, but I figured I was there and any little thing that helps so that I don't have to do this again for a long time, is worth a little extra effort.

[70blackfish]

you installed new module and coil? you have 12 volts going to distributor ?

[70blackfish]

do you run a tach? if you do, disconnect it. and try

[YourBuddy'sTruck]

No Tach.
New Coil is getting 12V with the cap unscrewed to verify my connections to be good.
Did I put the center button in correct???
Button with Spring into cap, then Rubber Disk over that, then new Coil mounted.

Also...what's the Pick Up Coil? Could it be that? How do I test it beyond "Replace with known good coil" method of testing. ; )

[BruthaMan]

Originally Posted by YourBuddy'sTruck

Button with Spring into cap, then Rubber Disk over that, then new Coil mounted.

Correct. Button goes in first, spring on top of button, rubber spacer next, followed by coil that sits on top of it all.

Looks like you have a new coil, from photos. You can test resistance with a multimeter:

HEI Coil Test (The Short Version) - YouTube

Also...what's the Pick Up Coil? Could it be that? How do I test it beyond "Replace with known good coil" method of testing. ; )

Pick up is also referred to as ignition module has four pins, two on each side, that your electrical connections clip to in the distributor.

Looks like this:

HEI Distributor Pickup Coil Test - YouTube

There's really not an easy way to test this in terms of resistance with a multimeter, that I've found.

[Hugh Mongus]

If you take your control module to an Oreillys or Autozone they can test it to see if it's good before you buy a new one. My guess is that is what's causing your problem. Typically when a coil goes bad it will start once it cools back down. The ICM, in my experience, usually just dies. This will prevent you from getting spark.

[YourBuddy'sTruck]

I didn't have any more time to play with it today.
I think I'll be looking for a shorted wire in the AM, but have to work and then hopefully get it running in the afternoon?
Otherwise...tow it home and then scratch my head more?
Thanks for all the tips so far!

[YourBuddy'sTruck]

All home now. Turns out to be a bad Module like everyone thought, but I also added a comedy of errors as usual.
The truck died simply from the Module burning up. Nothing more.
I've never been inside an Ignition/Distributor before, so there was a learning curve.
(thanks BruthaMan for the tip on testing. next time i'll know what's up before going in.)
The fact that I ran it out of gas did cause my trouble with starting, but not from the fuel pump. Turns out my lever came loose from the plunger and I was pumping the pedal to start it and it was doing nothing to put gas in the carb. Simple fix by tightening the linkage and re-aligning it.
My Coil was good, but the new one I put in made sure that was not it.
The Module I pulled out smelled burnt and the new one fixed it.
After those were installed, I still had no spark, but did not have time to look for loose or broken wires.
Came back this morning and took the cap off to find the 3 prong quick connection had one of the prongs bent over and not connected.
This was caused by my haste and the fact that laying over the engine and carb with your feet sticking out is not very pleasant.
Driving home, it cut out on me a few times. First time, I pulled over, but it fired right up.
Next few times, I put it into N and restarted it while driving.
So I still have loose connection somewhere and plan on tracking it down this afternoon.
Thanks for all the help. I've learned more than I wanted to ever know, but happy to be the wiser.
Cheers!

[BruthaMan]

Glad you're up and running now. We've all been down those learning curve paths!

[jondancer]

Anyone have a good write up on how to change the module ?

[YourBuddy'sTruck]

Originally Posted by jondancer

Anyone have a good write up on how to change the module ?

I'd start it by saying that you should not do it in the parking lot at your local shopping plaza!

[geezer#99]

I see you have a common spade connector for the battery terminal on the dizzy.
Could be your source of it quitting once in awhile.
They make those spades in an insulated variety.