81 won't start

[Quacker]

Somehow I had a feeling this would happen, Here goes
I have a 81 that most of the vac lines were screwed up and the EGR and carb were bad......so I got rid of all the emission controls.
I put on a new Edelbrock 2101 (non EGR) manifold and a 600 CFM 1406 carb with new fuel filter and a HEI distributor (used), the engine will not fire up, the timing is right on the money and I think it's flooded now and in the morning I'll put in a fresh set of plugs and try again. I did this on a Camaro many years ago and it worked fine.
Now I'm thinking that the alarm system is keeping it from starting or someting like that, I think I'll hot wire right to the dist just to bypass everything and see if it will fire up.

Am I on the right track??? doing this.

 

[Crewzer]

Hey Quacker,

Have you checked for spark at the plugs? By removing the emmissions equip. you may have created more problems, i.e. - the computer is confused!!!! Some rewiring may be in order! Good luck!

Crewzer

 

[cntrhub]

I'd chase the HEI first. Those little back electronic pick-ups screwed to the HEI table housing go out, and you lose spark. Take your timing light, hook up to any spark plug, hold down the timing light trigger button, crank the engine over, and see if the timing light begins flashing? Why suspect the alarm system if you have the correct ignition key, and the alarm is turned off?
If all is fine, fuel is next. Just remember the 3 simple diagnostic factors you need to make any engine run.... Fuel - Spark - Compression.

 

[Scott81]

I did the exact same thing to my 81 years ago and had no trouble with the computer, just disconnect all that crap and install new parts and away you go. The 81 computer wasn't all that sophisticated so once you disconnect the old carb/distributor/smog junk that's about it. The 2101 intake and 1406 carb worked fine.

I would also check the spark like suggested, also make sure the distributor wiring is correct, the 2 plastic connectors I mean. I can't help with electrical stuff, even AA batteries baffle me One part that has caused me pain in the past was the neutral safety switch, caused a no start problem.

 

[DDLS3]

I've done some looking around on my 81 and as best as I can tell all the computer wiring is just plain unplugged in the engine compartment. I would suspect a problem with your HEI. Broken wire, plug in not seated all the way, or a bad coil. Verify that you have 12 volts going to the coil on the low voltage plug in with the ignition switch on. Like Scott said, the computer on an 81 was kin to an abbacus. Anti theft relays and such also came through the computer, but it sounds like your able to turn the engine over, so that isn't the problem.

 

[Quacker]

She's running NOW

It was in the HEI.... it took 3 different HEI's to make one that worked, I went to bed last night and I could not sleep because this got too me. This morning I took out the HEI and put it in the vise and hooked it up with a battery, no spark...so I started changing parts out one at a time, the wire going to the capacitor was bad.

She fired up in less the one crank.

Thanks for all the help, this is a great place for info