Barn Find IROC-Z

[Komet]

Clickbait title. The barn is my shop and I put the car there three months ago. But! It does have:
-Inauthentic "barn dust" which was actually just a 200 mile road trip in the pouring rain
-Oxidized everything from being stored outside for two years
-Non-running condition
-Bonus electrical issues

So I sort of barn-found myself. Or at least barn-finding myself needing to get my car running again.

You must be registered for see images attach

Yeah I fender cover care about this one. Anyway, I've got no spark at the plugs, and no spark coming out of the coil. I consulted the holy tome:

You must be registered for see images attach

Failing Step 2 and Step 3. Unless I'm really not hitting the contacts in there, and it feels like I am, my lightning can has become a lightning can't.

Now I have to roll the dice on the 'what coil is good' game, and/or just buy new Davis Unified Ignition everything and not tell the wife. Will update irregularly as I make progress.

 

[DonYukon]

Sorry to be off topic but since I got click baited .... Lmao that was a good one and still technically a barn find to us.

 

[termite]

Unless I'm really not hitting the contacts in there

Slide a paperclip or piece of shim stock down into the contact?
Or short lead with two alligator clips, one on the probe, one on paperclip/shim into contact.

 

[Supercharged111]

Just get a stock AC Delco coil. It's what I race with on the Camaro. Bone stock everything, I promise I beat that car harder than you will this one.

 

[DerekTheGreat]

Shame about the click-bait title, but looks to be a nice car.

X2 on the stock coil. If you have one in your parts stash, try that or temporarily pluck one from another vehicle to test.

 

[Komet]

Jammed some wires into the coil and tested it again, it's not the problem. I don't know what it is yet, but I think I know what it is.

You must be registered for see images attach

Digicals.

I didn't find this car in a barn. I found it outside in the woods, where it sat for 11 years until the corrosion got to it and the feller didn't know how to bring it back anymore.

I should also mention I've got no blinkers, and no instrument cluster. When I give the fusebox the right kung-fu grip, I can briefly get the gauges to power and I can hear the subtle whir of the ecm power on. But it doesn't last. So I'm pretty sure the problem I sidestepped three years ago by just letting the fusebox hang and do its thing isn't working out for me anymore.

So I did the right thing and absolutely drenched the fusebox with QD Electrical Cleaner after removing the battery.

Hey it worked last time.

 

[Komet]

Well, the electrical cleaner wasn't a magic bullet BUT I don't think I'm that far off the mark. I went through and re-cleaned all the grounds I know of. It's only been 3 years since I did that last, they weren't particularly bad and I didn't gain any functionality by doing it. I hit the books.

You must be registered for see images attach

Checked CKT 439, got 1v, might have had a bad ground to the probe. PNK/BLK also goes to GAGES fuse, I probed around the sockets and did get 12.12v on one side. While reinserting the fuse, I got the fasten belts light with chime and the tach twitched.

You must be registered for see images attach

A little more fidgeting and with the fuse a little sideways and a tweaky tweak, I got the tach to reset, voltmeter came on, SES light came on solid, Security light came and went as it does, temp gauge maxes out while cranking as it does. I jumpered the ALDL port, got code 12 (expected) and the ecm fan came on (expected).

Still not getting spark but I got somewhere today.

You must be registered for see images attach

Had to fight 17 spider clans to get those lift blocks evicted. Fusible links look ok. The smooth concrete makes everything so easy it's like cheating. I don't even have sap and twigs in my hair.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Well, the electrical cleaner wasn't a magic bullet BUT I don't think I'm that far off the mark. I went through and re-cleaned all the grounds I know of. It's only been 3 years since I did that last, they weren't particularly bad and I didn't gain any functionality by doing it. I hit the books.

You must be registered for see images attach

Checked CKT 439, got 1v, might have had a bad ground to the probe. PNK/BLK also goes to GAGES fuse, I probed around the sockets and did get 12.12v on one side. While reinserting the fuse, I got the fasten belts light with chime and the tach twitched.

You must be registered for see images attach

A little more fidgeting and with the fuse a little sideways and a tweaky tweak, I got the tach to reset, voltmeter came on, SES light came on solid, Security light came and went as it does, temp gauge maxes out while cranking as it does. I jumpered the ALDL port, got code 12 (expected) and the ecm fan came on (expected).

Still not getting spark but I got somewhere today.

You must be registered for see images attach

Had to fight 17 spider clans to get those lift blocks evicted. Fusible links look ok. The smooth concrete makes everything so easy it's like cheating. I don't even have sap and twigs in my hair.

Yes I like working on concrete floors...so much nicer than gravel driveways!

 

[Komet]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

I did another session of troubleshooting at some point and ended up at "Basic HEI Issue" on the flowchart. Could be ICM, could be distributor itself. I wanted to replace my ICM because it's the old truck one that retards timing after 3800rpm, and the rest of my distributor is, well:

You must be registered for see images attach

It's time has come and gone I think. Cap was also in bad shape:

You must be registered for see images attach

Got a holiday deal on a Speedmaster distributor for $60 shipped and couldn't pass that up considering my last one is still running good in the truck after a year. Put the new AC Delco coil in as well. I noticed there was corrosion between every connection from the coil to the bracket to the engine, so I cleaned those up. I don't know if it grounds through there or what but it can if it wants now.

Distributor is out of counter clockwise adjustment so I need to restab it to get the timing right, but the no start mystery has been solved.

 

[Komet]

Made a new vacuum line to the one way check valve off the manifold, old one was rock hard. Tightened -AN adapter in radiator trans cooler, cleaned area.

Instead of trying to move the oil pump around, I decided to just offset the plug wires counterclockwise by 1, and then moved the distributor clockwise by the same amount. Tons of adjustment now, got it dialed in hot at 8 degrees initial. Factory wants 6 but we are going to need maximum effort this year.

I was blown away by the timing mark when I hit it with my timing light. It stood still. Not like, hanging vaguely around the area, but actually fixed in place. Do not regret the entire distributor replacement, that's crazy.

What you heard in the last video was it running on 4 cylinders in addition to unknown timing. I pulled out INJ1 and INJ2 fuses, both had moderate corrosion. One of the wire clips in the fusebox is broken. I slipped the fuses in and out a few times and put them in backwards so the gross parts were offset. Little twisty twisty on the fusebox and bam, all injectors firing. Concerning imminent failure, or next level anti-theft?

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

I took it for a low speed spin around the block to scuff the brakes and shake it down. Felt good, went for a gentle test loop. No SES light, it's charging, all the lights work. Tires have flat spots but they're working it out. Everything is up to temp when I reach the turnaround point, so I put it in 2 and drop the hammer.

The new distributor doesn't retard timing up top like the last one, it pulls like a freight train into the 1-2 and I have to let off shortly after because this isn't that kind of drive and 2nd goes deep with a 2.77 rear. But, it feels good and doesn't get upset. I mean, the speedometer got pretty upset. It did the buzzing grindy thing where the cable goes nuts, the needle starts wagging around. Maybe the tripometer is working again? I dunno. It stopped eventually.

You must be registered for see images attach

TPI Parking Only

Made it back home, immediately washed off all the dust. Next up is more maintenance and prep to pass NHRA tech. I'm going all out with AC Delco stuff and fancy full synthetic that has a 98.647% chance of horribly, terribly leaking all over my floor. But it's not 2011 anymore so I'm trying The Synthetic Thing again.