Battery fell out... Truck won't start.

[iamthejmsnyder]

So I finally got my truck back together after swapping over to a 4-speed, installing a 4 inch lift, and blowing the bank on some new wheels and 35s. I jumped the gun a bit and decided to tear up the trails at my house as soon as it was together just enough. It was a complete beast until I went up a really steep hill climb, made it up just fine but stalled out about a minute after the climb. opened the hood and the battery was gone! Turns out, it fell out when I went up the hill climb and I'm guessing my truck was running on the alternator until the positive terminal shorted on something? I put the battery back in and it cranks fine but no spark... I tried a new coil, a new wire to the distributor, nothing. I'm getting power to the coil and I have electric ignition. Could I have blown that up? I'm pissed I didn't take an extra 20 minutes to bolt the wheel tubs in, or at least but a bungee around the battery! It was fun while it lasted, but pulling it back to my house through the mud with a tractor was not fun.

[enaberif]

Fusible links.. fuses.. melted wires.. lots could have happened. You will need to start tracing from the starter into the dash.

[iamthejmsnyder]

Everything is still torn apart. I just rewired pretty much everything and the wiring is still exposed for the most part. I looked it over and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I'm getting good voltage to the coil so I didn't look too hard. I did check the plug to the ignition and I didn't see anything melted or burnt.

[Davidf]

ignition module fried?

[leftybass209]

I have had a fried capacitor, or my module on an HEI. I can't tell you the specific culprit because I completely rebuilt my distributor, but I can tell you it was narrowed down to those two components. The truck just had no spark. It cranked strong, got fuel, and a multimeter read full voltage to my distributor plug-in, but one look at a spark plug while cranking verified- NO SPARK!

I bought one of those Proform HEI tune-up kits from Pep Boys because that's the company GM performance parts uses for their basic crate motor distributors. 20 minutes later the truck fired up and ran stronger than it ever had.

[iamthejmsnyder]

Originally Posted by Davidf

ignition module fried?

That's what I'm thinking. I might put the points system back in but figured I'd get some other opinions before I dig around my garage for that stuff...

[iamthejmsnyder]

Originally Posted by leftybass209

I bought one of those Proform HEI tune-up kits from Pep Boys because that's the company GM performance parts uses for their basic crate motor distributors. 20 minutes later the truck fired up and ran stronger than it ever had.

Do they make those for 6 cylinders? My truck is a 292

[leftybass209]

I don't think so, but it would be pretty easy for you to piece together the individual parts.

[hugger6933]

My vote is module

[LockDoc]

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Did you connect the wire from the positive post on the battery to the junction block on the inner fender back up?

LockDoc

['68OrangeSunshine]

I think the HEI Module is the same V8 or L6. I would first look at the diodes in the alternator or at the external voltage regulater if you have one. Those are more likely to burn out if your battery is out of circuit, or there's a short.

[tranz am]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

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Did you connect the wire from the positive post on the battery to the junction block on the inner fender back up?

LockDoc

What he said!

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

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Did you connect the wire from the positive post on the battery to the junction block on the inner fender back up?

LockDoc

Usually the Fusable Link is in that line.

[iamthejmsnyder]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

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Did you connect the wire from the positive post on the battery to the junction block on the inner fender back up?

LockDoc

Unfortunately the PO or someone really went to town at hacking up this wiring. There's no junction block, the positive wire goes straight to the starter then a wire on the same stud goes over to the alternator/voltage regulator area and is split up there. When I get back from the mountains this weekend, I'll change the module.

[Davidf]

If your getting 12v at the distributor wiring connection, then it has to be something inside the distributor...ie the ignition module or coil. The ignition module is the weak link.