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78 Vette HEI Ignition engine started running rough

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78 Vette HEI Ignition engine started running rough

Posted: 10/31/24 1:05pmMessage 1 of 13
L
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Frisco, TX - USA
Joined: 7/22/2022
Posts: 29
Vette(s): 1978 Silver Annivesary L82. Black Interior

My 78 started running rough when I drove it for the 1st time in a few weeks.

It starts normally. Runs rough even after it warms up.

Anyone else have this issue on an HEI Vette?

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Re: 78 Vette HEI Ignition engine started running rough

Posted: 10/31/24 2:37pmMessage 2 of 13
m
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Equinunk, PA - USA
Joined: 10/31/2007
Posts: 2570
Vette(s): 1972 conv, 4-speed, 350, 200hp, numbers match, rally wheels, war bonnett yellow w/white top. good condition, nice driver.

My first questions would be, How old is the gas, and What shape are the plugs and wires in? 

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Re: 78 Vette HEI Ignition engine started running rough

Posted: 10/31/24 4:01pmMessage 3 of 13
L
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Frisco, TX - USA
Joined: 7/22/2022
Posts: 29
Vette(s): 1978 Silver Annivesary L82. Black Interior

The gas is less than a month old. 

The plugs & wire were new when they rebuilt the engine in 2018.

I have only driven it 5-6,000 mile since then.

I was going to check the plugs but I have aluminum heads and the drivers side plugs won't budge. I don't want to strip the threads.

I did check #6 on the passenger side it it was perfect.

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Re: 78 Vette HEI Ignition engine started running rough

Posted: 10/31/24 11:04pmMessage 4 of 13
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Grapevine, TX - USA
Joined: 8/26/2006
Posts: 1537
Vette(s): 1972 LT-1 convertible with factory air. 2017 Black Rose Grand Sport M7 convertible.

Hey Len,  does that distributor have that electronic module in it that can go bad?

 

   

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Re: 78 Vette HEI Ignition engine started running rough

Posted: 11/1/24 5:01amMessage 5 of 13
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Loir en Vallee SARTHE, France
Joined: 8/21/2002
Posts: 155
Vette(s): 1978 L48 Auto. Red with Oyster Leather interior. Owned since 1990.

Len, when you say running "rough", what exactly are the symptoms - rough lumpy idle, lack of power, coughing, backfiring?

F4Gary mentioned the ignition module.  Last year I had a coil fail on our '78.  It started fine and would run nicely with no load on the engine (revving the engine while in neutral etc), but if I attempted any sort of incline it would barely pull, sounding as though it was running on two or three cylinders.   

It may be worth pulling the distributor cap and checking its condition though.  

You may also want to check the choke mechanism, ensure that it is coming off when the car is warm?

Let's know the detail👍

 

Stephen J Irons
Corvette Club France
CCCUK Lifetime Member
Corvettes of Southern California
NCM Family Member
Red Corvettes Have More Fun!
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Re: 78 Vette HEI Ignition engine started running rough

Posted: 11/1/24 7:34amMessage 6 of 13
L
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Frisco, TX - USA
Joined: 7/22/2022
Posts: 29
Vette(s): 1978 Silver Annivesary L82. Black Interior

It does Gary. It could be the problem. Usually when those fail the engine won't run though.

But it is more like it's miss firing on a cylinder.

I was going to check each plug but the ones on the drivers side won't budge. Since I have aluminum heads I did want to risk damaging the threads forcing them out.

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Re: 78 Vette HEI Ignition engine started running rough

Posted: 11/1/24 8:45amMessage 7 of 13
L
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Frisco, TX - USA
Joined: 7/22/2022
Posts: 29
Vette(s): 1978 Silver Annivesary L82. Black Interior

I checked the choke and it is opening correctly.

The roughness is throghout the range of driving. It's more noticable at low speeds.

It almost seems like it is a miss-firing cylinder which would lead to a bad plug wire.

Since I can't get all of the plugs out I was thinking about hooking my inductive timimg light to each plug wire to see if 1 wasn't firing.

Does that make any sense?

 



|UPDATED|11/1/2024 8:45:08 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
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Re: 78 Vette HEI Ignition engine started running rough

Posted: 11/1/24 9:31amMessage 8 of 13
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Loir en Vallee SARTHE, France
Joined: 8/21/2002
Posts: 155
Vette(s): 1978 L48 Auto. Red with Oyster Leather interior. Owned since 1990.

Well, connecting the timing light is something I considered on ours once.  I have to assume it would show a misfire, so worth a try!👍

Stephen J Irons
Corvette Club France
CCCUK Lifetime Member
Corvettes of Southern California
NCM Family Member
Red Corvettes Have More Fun!
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Re: 78 Vette HEI Ignition engine started running rough

Posted: 11/1/24 9:46amMessage 9 of 13
L
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Frisco, TX - USA
Joined: 7/22/2022
Posts: 29
Vette(s): 1978 Silver Annivesary L82. Black Interior

I will post the results once I get it done. Maybe that will get us to a solution.

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Re: 78 Vette HEI Ignition engine started running rough

Posted: 11/1/24 10:26amMessage 10 of 13
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Grapevine, TX - USA
Joined: 8/26/2006
Posts: 1537
Vette(s): 1972 LT-1 convertible with factory air. 2017 Black Rose Grand Sport M7 convertible.

Before your timing light post, I was thinking of one of those gadgets you hook up between the plug wire and the plug that lights up if there is a spark to that plug.

   

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