Help! 89 350 tbi won’t run with timing advance plugged in.

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BeatUp98

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Put a new cap and rotor in and a new coil, neither fixed the issue. Looks I’m down to wiring but I’ve been searching all over and can’t find a bad wire.
 

Schurkey

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Put a new cap and rotor in and a new coil, neither fixed the issue. Looks I’m down to wiring but I’ve been searching all over and can’t find a bad wire.
Wiring...or the computer.

Currently it won’t run very long idling even with the advance timing unplugged leading me to suspect the tps
The TPS doesn't cause the engine to not run when the timing advance wire is connected, yet allows it to run when it's disconnected.

Either you've gotten a string of faulty ignition modules, or it's the computer, or the wiring between the computer and the ignition module. It's late, and I'm not firing on all cylinders. Too much recent mathematics on another post. Considering whether it can be the EST module...
 

BeatUp98

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Laying in bed last got to thinking the distributor did have noticeable uneven shaft wear but no side to side play I could find. I also wire brushed a lot of rust and build up off the magnets on the dizzy. Went ahead and ordered a new distributor and report back with how it does to help others. Soooo many threads of people with the same issue and they all just stop no one says how they resolved their issue. It has to be something I disturbed in the distributor because it ran fine before I rebuilt it because randomly dying.
 

dave s

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I had the issue of my truck not starting intermittently. I had probably just joined this site. First tbi motor ever. I put in new fuel pump along with a pressure gauge. Thought it was fixed. Then no start.

Replaced module in distributor, fired right up. For a few days, then no start. Cranked, had fuel pressure, no fire. Replaced module again, fired right up. Two days later no start. Replaced module and coil with AC Delco parts. Started right up, for about two weeks then no start. Got mad and bought a whole new distributor, never another issue.

I have it on my workbench, disassembled. It looks perfect, no cracks, nothing I can see is bad but it's got an issue somewhere. It is covered in light rust and I've just never figured out how I want to clean that yet. I plan to reassemble it with a new pickup coil and have it on hand for a backup.

Hope the new distributor fixes yours too!
 

BeatUp98

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I had the issue of my truck not starting intermittently. I had probably just joined this site. First tbi motor ever. I put in new fuel pump along with a pressure gauge. Thought it was fixed. Then no start.

Replaced module in distributor, fired right up. For a few days, then no start. Cranked, had fuel pressure, no fire. Replaced module again, fired right up. Two days later no start. Replaced module and coil with AC Delco parts. Started right up, for about two weeks then no start. Got mad and bought a whole new distributor, never another issue.

I have it on my workbench, disassembled. It looks perfect, no cracks, nothing I can see is bad but it's got an issue somewhere. It is covered in light rust and I've just never figured out how I want to clean that yet. I plan to reassemble it with a new pickup coil and have it on hand for a backup.


Hope the new distributor fixes yours too!
Thanks for the info I’m not sure they are worth rebuilding honestly for how many posts I’ve found online saying people rebuild them and still have issues.
 
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