So, I recently bought a 1970 base model Camaro. The car had issues starting up when we bought it, but we figured a tune-up would solve the issue. It has an HEI ignition system. We replaced the distributor cap and rotor, spark plugs and wires, but now the car won't start at all. We double and triple checked all our electrical connections, we pulled off the distributor cap and put it back on again just to make sure it was on correctly. We put the old spark plugs wires back on just in case the new wires weren't correct because we were having trouble with the fit on them. The only thing, as far as we can tell, that isn't identical to what we took off is the spark plugs. The computer at Auto Zone says R45S spark plugs, but our Haynes manual for the car says R44S. The plugs are visibly near identical, but could the wrong plugs cause the car to not turn on at all? Is there something else we have t thought of? Any help is appreciated.

 

Ain't the plugs,you're not getting any fire for some reason like maybe the coil. Have you checked to see that there's power going to the dizzy?

 

Hey man, thanks for the response. So we went ahead and replaced the coil since it was probably 20 years old anyway, and we also got a spark tester. We are getting power to the coil but the spark tester is very faint, kinda going in and out. And also, while we're cranking it, the wire on the carb bracket is getting hot and smoking.

 

Speaking of power to the dizzy, make sure you have 12 volts going to it. If the person who installed the HEI distributor did it wrong, then they would have used the original factory coil wire which is a resistance (dropped voltage for points systems) wire. You should have a new wire that was run to the distributor, hooked up to a switched 12 volt source. This is what the HEI wants and needs.