Help! Ignition go up in a cloud of smoke!!!

[hokie04]

Ignition goes up in a cloud of smoke!!!

I had the car idleing and reved the engine and suddenly the engine cut off. I attempted to restart and the engine cranked and then a large amount of smoke began coming from under the distributor shroud area. After inspection the two pink wires that goes to the starter side of the coil had completely melted and burnt through the harness wrap all the way from the ballast resistor, coil and to the starter solenoid. Has anyone had this happen?? I have a mallory breakerless ignition. The wiring harness looked in new condition. I am suspecting the coil or the breakerless ignition went to ground since it died while I was revving the engine. This is a 64 corvette and I don't see a fusible link or a fuse anywhere. If I hadn't turned the switch off quickly I think the car would have burnt up! Thanks hnoes

 

[LLC5]

There is a starter bypass wire that runs from the starter solenoid to the positive side of the coil to provide battery voltage to the coil during engine cranking. It is not uncommon for this wire to go to ground by the exhaust manifold, usually from melting on the manifold, or being cut.

 

[Frankenvette]

hokie04, just had this happen to me. Replaced the wire from the ignition switch to the starter and added a fusible link at the starter to avoid this in the future. Never did find the cause, but like LLC5 says, most common source is the wire burnt at the header.

 

[hokie04]

Today I unwrapped the wire harness and pulled out the melted pink wire. It only melted from the coil to the starter solenoid. The pink wire from the coil to the ballast resistor and to the ignition appears unharmed. The smoke came from the distributor area so I am assuming that was the point of the ground. I checked the coil with an ohm meter and it read ok. When I installed the chrome distributor housing around a week ago I was having trouble getting all the wires under the shroud so I am thinking I may have pinced the pink wire. I am going to check the switch tomorrow. The wiring around the starter area was all tied down well and was nowhere near the manifold. And since the motor died while the car was running I am ruling out the starter. I think upon trying to restart the car the ground at the coil followed the path to the starter solenoid. Does my reasoning sound logical??

 

[JohnZ]

It's very common for one of the coil threaded terminals to short out to the inside of the top ignition shield if the coil isn't properly oriented in its bracket and the top shield is pushed too far down when installing it, which dead-shorts 12 volts to ground and fries the harness.

It's also common to have the razor-sharp lower trim edge on the rear of the top shield cut either the pink wire from the ballast resistor or the other pink wire from the "R" terminal on the starter solenoid to the coil (+) terminal if you're not careful to watch where those wires are when you install the top shield; I cover my pink wires with a piece of convoluted plastic wire conduit in that area to protect them from the sharp edge.

 

[hokie04]

Great idea of protecting the wires under the shroud. Thanks! Another question I have been looking for a good book to purchase that focuses only on the C2 Corvette and give detailed information for repairs. The previous owner gave me his Chilton's for Corvettes from 1963 to 1979, but this book is too general. Got any recommendations???

 

[JohnZ]

Great idea of protecting the wires under the shroud. Thanks! Another question I have been looking for a good book to purchase that focuses only on the C2 Corvette and give detailed information for repairs. The previous owner gave me his Chilton's for Corvettes from 1963 to 1979, but this book is too general. Got any recommendations???

You need the 1963 Corvette Shop Manual and the 1964 Corvette Shop Manual Supplement (the GM manuals); both are available from the NCRS on-line store at www.ncrs.org. You should also order the 1964 Corvette Assembly Instruction Manual and the 1964 Corvette Owner's Manual - both available at the same site.

 

[hokie04]

Thanks for the information that is exactly what I am looking for to help me work on this car. I got an old copy of the assembly manual with the car and just purchased an owners manual recently so all I need are the shop manuals.

 

[hokie04]

Just wanted to let you know I replaced the pink wire and the engine started and seems to be fine. One thing I noticed the wiring diagram from Lectric Limited said the pink wire is #18 wire. When I took the wire to the auto store and laid it down against new #18 it was apparent the wire was actually #16. So whether or not the wire is now #16. I used a undamaged piece of the wire to use as a gauge. Thanks to all!! PS I plan on adding a fusable link to this circuit.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Always scarey to see smoke from a car, glad it was a simple fix.

Every time I hear a post like this I check to make sure the fire exstinquishers are good in the cars. and remind my self to install a cutoff in the 66 ,Still havent put one in yet but at least I remind myself

 

[magicv8]

I plan on adding a fusable link to this circuit.

A simple fuse will do it.