Greetings...bartixlascuna..........Thanks for watching..........Yes, indeed, a faulty HEI pickup coil can be the cause of a misfire alright.........There are so many other things that cause misfires as well, such as...bad ignition coil...bad spark plugs...bad spark plug wires...bad HEI ignition control module...bad distributor cap...bad rotor, and there are even more........Also might be...Bad fuel system, as in...bad fuel pump, plugged-up gas filter, faulty carburetor, etc. .........Then there's what happened to me..........I had a Chevy 350 cubic inch V-8 that had a slight misfire, and I had a heck of a time tryin' to figure it out.........It wasn't until I removed the passenger/right side valve cover and finally saw what the problem was........It turned out to be, the number 4 cylinder's, exhaust valve rocker, was hardly moving up and down, like the rest of them were, when the engine was running at idle speed...!!!.........The camshaft's lobe, for that exhaust valve, got destroyed, and was rounded off, and couldn't make anything go up and down anymore........So yeah, there are many things that can cause a misfire alright...and......be safe, take care, and have a good one.

Greetings...mikestone234.......Thanks for watching.......If I remember correctly (10 years ago...lol), I think that I might have pushed the shaft and bearing assembly out, from the back of the water pump, through, towards the front of it..........I don't have a press, hydraulic or otherwise, so, all I used was, a piece of round steel bar, oh, about, a 1/2 inch in diameter, which acted a punch, and I used a hammer, which was slightly bigger and heavier than, a regular, every day, hammer would be..........There is no real need, to take one of these things apart, for rebuilding purposes, seeing as how, a new replacement shaft and bearing assembly, along with, a new cartridge seal, would probably cost more than, a ready to install, rebuilt/re-manufactured would cost You......and......be safe, take care, and have a good one.

@ actually, a new waterpump was $1700.00 bucks. The bearing/shaft/seal/gasket kit, was $150. Also, the seal/socket, around each copper pipe, were pitted. So, I threaded the ports, and installed barbed fittings. I did find an arbor press, and used a little heat to get it loose. Only a new pump, was available. No reman, only new,and wait a month to get the new one. Thank you for the info!

Greetings...luisstenner5284...........Thanks for watching.........Thanks for telling me about that special tool, and also, about it only costing seven dollars, and......be safe, take care, and have a good one.

Greetings...Larry-sf9nb.......Thanks for watching......There really is no need, to take one of these types of water pumps apart, at all, and, I only took this one apart, so I could show folks, and myself, for that matter, as to what the "guts", as you said, actually look like...........There is a special shaft and bearing assembly, and also, a special type of cartridge seal, that would have to be replaced, if one were to rebuild one of these things...........A person could purchase, a ready to install, "rebuilt" water pump like this one, for a lot less money, than, just purchasing that special shaft and bearing assembly, along with that special cartridge seal, that I mentioned a short time ago.........So yeah, the bottom line is, is that, it's just not, very cost effective at all, and........be safe, take care, and have a good one.

Greetings...anthonycollins9984..........Thanks for watching.........The moisture is usually called condensation, and, it will more than likely be caused by the following..........When the engine is up to operating temperature, most, if any condensation, will be in suspension, in the warmer air, in the form of water vapor, inside the distributor cap, or, if the distributor cap, has a vent on it, it will usually exit through there...........Now then, when the engine cools down, and it's quite cold outside, then, any water vapor, that is present in the air, will cool down, and condense, back into, the good ole water form.........Try this, shall we say, experiment.........Fill a container of some sort, with some cold water, and add some ice cubes, and then, be in, or take it into a warm room.........You should see, that, the outside of that container, will usually have a coating of water, stuck onto the outside of it...........Hmmmm....where did that water come from, well, the water vapor, that was being suspended in the warm air, has now condensed, onto, the outside, of that quite cold, ice-water filled container.........If there happens to be too much condensation, inside of a distributor cap, then, there can come a time, where a cold engine, won't even start...!!!.......... Try searching, "relative humidity", and also, "dew point", if Ya care to, and.......be safe, take care, and have a good one.

Greetings...the1andonly.........Thanks for watching.........Even if, you were able to complete, the take apart, and reassembly of your vehicle's water pump, I can't see it being very cost effective at all.........There's a special bearing and shaft assembly, as well as, a special cartridge seal, that has to be replaced with new ones, and, I be thinkin', that, the cost of, the two of them, might actually cost more, then, a ready to go, rebuilt/remanufactured water pump, would cost Ya........Also, the interference (press) fit, of the hub (that the fan bolts onto), has to be a really..Really...REALLY...tight, press fit, on that special bearing's shaft, or, the hub and fan, might come off, and cause a lot of damage, and possibly, severe injury, to a person, if, they were, shall we say...in the wrong place, at the wrong time........Always precision measure, the shaft's outer diameter, and, the bore (hole), of the (fan) hub, in order to see, just how much interference (press fit), that, there actually is, and.......be safe, take care, and have a good one.

@@RockysRoadshow Thanks for the good insight. It turns out, you're correct. I picked up a new pump for $ 48 CDN. Couldn't get the parts for that. 😉

Greetings........Yes, indeed, the wire color might be different, depending on what the engineer or designer had in mind alright........With any HEI distributor that I have worked on, there was usually just two terminals at the top of the distributor cap..........One was for the12 volt/battery voltage, and the other terminal, was the "tach" (tachometer for rpms) terminal........Try to find a factory or aftermarket manual for your exact boat and engine combination, that way, you will be able to see what color wire connects to what terminal.........You might even go to a boat parts place that has your engine type, and if you're lucky, they will have quite a bit of information that will help you out........Good luck, and......be safe, take care, and have a good one.

Greetings...greg6925........Try to find a website for your vehicle that has a message board on it, as there are some really helpful folks, on most that I ever visited.........There were two basic types of oil filled ignition coils, as in, ballasted and non-ballasted.........Ballpark figures on the primary side, could be 1.5 ohms thereabouts, for a ballasted ignition system, meaning that, there has to be a ballast resistor used with the 1.5 ohm coil, or, the coil will get overheated and go poof, especially at low rpms and at idle speed..........Then, there's the 3 ohm thereabouts ignition coil that "does-not" need a ballast resistor at all, but, with the 3 ohm coil, I recall that the engine is harder to start, especially when cold..........The ballast resistor might be a ceramic block type, or, have a special resistance wire, leading up to the 1.5 ohm ignition coil........Ballpark secondary resistance, might be 10,000 to about 20,000 ohms thereabouts.........Make sure to get the primary ohms.resistance quite close, or the coil, will either have low output (too much resistance), or, it might overheat and go "poof", if the resistance is too low.........The whole primary resistance (ohms) story, for a points and condenser ignition system, really boils down to, controlling the amount of amps (amperes), that are flowing into the primary side of the ignition coil.........The much newer, computer controlled vehicle's ignition systems, can send 12 volts or more to the ignition coil, or coils, as the case may be, because the computer, simply charges up the coil in milliseconds of time, then stops, when fully charged-up (saturated), then the secondary discharges, whereas, a points and condenser ignition system, with the closed points, sending electricity for a very long time, especially at idle speed, needs to limit the amps going into the primary side, or, the coil will get too hot, and stop working, or, go "poof".....and.....be safe, take care and have a good one.

@@RockysRoadshow what limits the amperage going to the primary side of the coil? The 1.5 ohm ceramic resistor? I wish I had a wiring diagram for the car. It's a 1956 Chevy 210 four door hard top with a points and condenser ignition system.

Greetings...greg6925...........I hear Ya alright, as in, so many parts companies, probably won't provide the primary (low ohms), and the secondary (high ohms) specifications, but, there are still a few of them, that do..........Your vehicle might have the ceramic type of ballast resistor, or possibly, a special resistance wire, that's part of a wiring harness (might be wrapped in tape or whatever), then, the single (special resistance) wire, goes to the ignition coil's terminal...........Here's what I usually do, with, what you're faced with.........Head over to Rockauto.com and look up your vehicle's...year, make, model, engine size, etc..........Once your vehicle is found, go into the ignition section, and look at all of the ignition coils, that show up for your engine..........Click on the smaller buttons for that particular ignition coil, and, if you're lucky, at least one of the manufacturers, will actually show you, what their particular ignition coil's (low and high ohms), resistance values, actually are........Also, look up..".Ballast Resistor"...and, if a "Ceramic" type..."does not"...show up, then, I be thinkin', that', your vehicle, probably has, that "special" resistor wire, that I mentioned earlier......Good luck, and...be safe, take care, and have a good one.

Greetings...Mahindajayamaha64...........Thanks for watching......There are so many different types of ignition coils out there, and, each type will have its own specifications, for both, the low (ohms) resistance, primary coil windings, and also, the much higher (ohms) resistance, secondary coil windings........Try to find the Ohms (resistance) values, for the exact ignition coil that you want to test, otherwise, the test, won't be very accurate at all, and.......be safe, take care, and have a good one.

@RockysRoadshow How to test condenser via multimeter & what is setting multimeter?

@@Mahindajayamaha64 Greetings again........You're correct calling it a condenser (automotive world) alright, but, in the electronics world, it really is a capacitor........Why the automotive folks call it a condenser , I really don't know........In order to test an automotive condenser (capacitor), the multi-meter has to have a setting on its dial, that will test a condenser (yes, I do have one)........Before I test any capacitor, it needs to be drained of any electrons (electricity), that it still might have stored up inside of itself, otherwise, if its still charged-up, that spike of electricity has the ability to "fry" the multi-meter...!!!...........The larger capacitors are very dangerous, if they are still charged up, and if someone touched the terminals, it might be the last time that they ever did...!!!.........Some years ago, I discharged a large microwave capacitor with a large screwdriver, and the arc (flash) was bright and quite loud (as in snap...!!!)........Later, I looked at the tip of that screwdriver, and some of its metal "tip" was missing...!!!...and yes, I'm sure glad I didn't touch the terminals on that thing, or, I might not be be typing this reply to you........So, always make sure to safely "drain" any capacitor before handling or testing it (very important).........With the smaller automotive condensers, as in, points and condenser ignition systems, just simply grab the lead (wire), that's coming out of the condenser's metal canister, with needle-nose pliers, and touch that wire, to the to the outside of the metal canister, and hey, you might even see a bit of a spark, if, and whenever you might do so, and....be safe, take care, and have a good one.

Greetings...spymaine89........Thanks for watching.......Sorry, I can't help you out with the lengths of the bolts.......What I do when I take something apart, is to make a picture with a pen and paper, as to where a short or long bolt was installed originally.......You can also take a picture or video with your phone, that way, you can see what went where, when it was all together, and....be safe, take care, and have a good one.

Greetings michaelgiglio........Thanks for watching......The word "Chevy", is just a short version, of the full word, being "Chevrolet"......You might also hear someone say the word "Olds", which is just the short version of "Oldsmobile"........The Chevrolet, and the Oldsmobile vehicles had a parent company called General Motors Corporation (or Company?), and the short version for that, is simply GMC......Be safe, take care, and have a good one.

@@RockysRoadshow thanks for responding. Ok thought so. I just don't really except the short word like it should be expected as a norm or the car to have. All GM stuff seam to be cheaply made or dangerous to be in. In Australia the Holden stoll the market but didn't really make a good model. See my point. Mike

Greetings...frontlinemedia4270......Thanks for watching.......On a good ignition coil, like this one, there is usually, a very low, ohms/resistance reading, that will show up, on a multi-meter's screen (or, with the needle/pointer indicator, on the older type), once the test leads are connected...(on my multi-meter, I have to account for the .3 ohms resistance that the test leads have, whenever I'm testing a low amount of ohms).........This type and shape of ignition coil, might have a multi-meter reading, of, somewhere between 1.5 to about 3 ohms..........If it happens to be the 1.5 (or maybe about 2 ohms), then, it usually has, what is called, a ballast resistor, in the ignition circuit (wiring), so the ignition coil doesn't overheat and destroy itself, once the engine is running........If it happens to be, the (about) 3 ohm coil, then, there probably won't be a ballast resistor that is needed, as, that 3 ohm coil, will probably remain cool enough, and have a long life, for the most part.......I hope this helps you out, and......be safe, take care, and have a good one.

@@RockysRoadshow I am trying to diagnose a coil on a ezgo cart. It uses a coil with 2 high tension leads and has two pins which gets a 12v source and a trigger. Originally it had a plug which oriented the wires but this was cut and the two wires are free. There’s nothing on the coil to tell the placement of these wires. Ezgo has been no help yet as they claim they do not have the total online documents. What they sent me was a portion of it that ends at section H but the electrical part is in section M. Lol. So I am trying to figure this coils function by looking at other coils like this. There drawing for a different model shows another coil get the pos with the red wire and the trigger getting the white wire. Is there a way to determine what part of the coil is positive and what is negative? Thanks for your help

Greetings...sorakillswitchx.......Thanks for watching........So, you say that the secondary ohms/resistance is twice the amount, and, here's what I'm thinking.........Is you multi-meter on the correct dial setting and range?........Are your ignition coil's wiring connectors "disconnected" from the coil?...(if not, then, it might interfere with the actual reading)......Is your coil factory/stock, or is it an aftermarket one? (could be, that, it might be a high performance or other type), and, if it is, then, you'll have to find the specifications for that "exact" ignition coil.......It's also possible, that, the secondary windings, might have a slight short, that will show up as, a higher than normal, ohms/resistance reading........I hope this helps you out, and.....till next time......be safe, take care, and have a good one.

@@RockysRoadshow thanks! Multimeter was good, the ignition coil was removed completely, it was the original coil (never replaced it) I replaced it already

Greetings...danieljurgill 1681......Thank you......For me, the output voltage is tested while "Not Running", for the HEI's pick-up coil........I test mine on the workbench, by having my multi-meter set to "ac volts", and the probes, plugged into the disconnected connector, that goes to the pick-up coil.........I then spin (as fast as I can, by hand), the helical gear, that's on the bottom end of the HEI distributor, and, I usually see about 1 volt, if it's working ok........I hope this helps you out, and, till next time....be safe, take care and have a good one.

Greetings...soupflood........What works for me, is when, the HEI distributor is on the workbench, and I can get about 1 volt (ac, I think)...when I spin the helical gear (by hand), as fast as I can, while having the multi-meter set to AC volts, and the probes, hooked up to the pickup coil's connector (two wires).........If I recall correctly, the ICM (Ignition Control Module) is probably looking for a falling voltage, in order to get itself triggered, so to speak........An AC sine wave, goes up and down, kinda like a roller coaster does (ac sine wave...starts low...rises to its peak...then falls back to low...over and over again), and having the zero voltage potential point, half way, between the lowest point, and the highest peak (as I recall)........I replaced the one in this video with a new one, due to, how dried up the coil windings looked to me (probably from heat and old age), and also, how stiff (not supple/easy to bend), that, the two wire leads felt at the time.......Whenever ohms or voltage testing one of these pick-up coils, wiggle those two wires at the same time, just in case there happens to be an intermittent/internal break, inside one of those insulated wires........Also, it's very important to line-up that "dimple" (partially drilled hole), that's on the hub of that helical gear, with the metal tip, that's on the "rotor" (that's on top of the V-8 distributor)........Why you ask, well, it's because there are 13 teeth on that helical gear, and if it's installed 180 degrees out of phase, then, things get kinda messed up, and probably, rotor phasing being out as well, by being, 1/2 of a (gear) tooth out, just sayin'........Funny how I got introduced into learning a bit, about HEI distributors, and it goes like this.......I had a chevy 350 V-8 (circa 1979), that had a misfire happening.......Ah, I thought (to myself), it's gotta be that new fangled electronic (HEI) distributor, that's causing the problem........So, I decided to fire the good ole parts cannon at it, a bit at a time, as in, new cap, rotor, ignition module, and pick-up coil, as well as, new spark plugs and spark plug wires (good ones...lol) too, and the misfire seemed to lessen a bit........That misfire, turned out to be, the number 4 cylinder's, exhaust valve's, "Camshaft Lobe", that went from being a lobe (oval shape), to almost being, a round circle, due to "not seeing" that particular "rocker arm", hardly doin' the teeter-totter movement, like all of the other 15 of them were doing...!!!....Well, if it wasn't for me, blaming that poor ole HEI distributor for that misfire, then, I might not have, learned much about them, and, this youtube video is probably a result of that (fortunate mistake), that I made, quite some time ago........If you have any questions at all, just leave a comment/question, under any of my youtube videos, and, till next time.....be safe, take care, and have a good one.

@@RockysRoadshow I've also read that the pickup coil can be tested with a red LED. If it lights while the distributor is turned, the coil is okay. I can only hope my van doesn't have a bad cam. I don't know if you watched my video of my van. It's got a 3.1L V6 engine (almost half the cylinders volume of your 350) from 1991, was wondering if your 350 from the 70's sounded about the same (Scroll to minute 2 or 3 in the video to bypass the distributor inspection intro if you want). Oh, one other important simptom of this engine is it's really sluggish until it gets to operating temperature. Like, it won't even have the power to get beyond 30mph in order for the gearbox to switch to the last gear (3rd) - unless the coolant gets over 60°C (140F). My next move would be to replace the fuel pump. Maybe it's brushes and commutator are almost done. I saw a date on it if my memory serves me right "2016" so I figure it's about time for a replacement anyway. I was recommended to buy a fuel pressure tester but it costs more than the pump itself.

Greetings...belloa3026......Thanks for watching......You asked, what would I do different, when it comes to lean burn........Well, it all depends upon, what you want it to end up as, as in, almost stock/factory, so it will have all of its factory parts and pieces, so it will pass a visual test at the smog testing station? (maybe)..........If the vehicle does not have to go through the smog test, and the area where you live, doesn't care how the vehicle is modified, then, there are, quite a few things that I would change alright.........I would get rid of the lean burn system altogether..........A different distributor, that has advance weights and springs, and a vacuum advance unit mounted onto it, so it will work, shall we say, the old school way........I would also get a basic looking thermoquad carburetor, much like the thermoquad, that you see in my youtube videos, that does not have all of those extra parts and gadgets, showing on the outside of the thermoquad carburetor, that way, it will be much easier to work on, and tune as well........I've never had, or worked on a lean burn system at all...........Do a search on youtube, for people that have done, the elimination of the lean burn system, in order to see, all of the work that needs to be done, if that's what you're really after, in the long run........You can still, just rebuild your lean burn thermoquad, by getting a rebuild kit for it, if you want to........If you do, then, buy 2 new "Brass" floats, as those black/nitrophyl floats, can at times, absorb gasoline, and start to sink, which will cause a rich (air/fuel ratio), running thermoquad.........Good luck with, what choice, you might make, and.....be safe, take care, and have a good one.

Never mind. Heat and penetrating oil followed by gentle prying around circumference popped it out. (2 days later.)

Greetings johnparker4836.....Thanks for watching......In order to remove the shaft from the HEI's aluminum housing, you will have to remove the roll pin with a punch of some kind, then, remove the gear and the washer that goes between the gear and housing......Sometimes, there is a carbon/sludge kind of build-up, that can be stuck onto the middle portion of the shaft, that can make it difficult to get the shaft out......Try to get some penetrating oil into both ends of the housing, where the shaft just starts showing....Then what I do, is to, pull the shaft quite firmly, while rotating it back and forth a lot of times, and for me, it always comes out, sometimes not so easy, and sometimes, not much of a struggle at all.......When it comes time to put it all back together, then, this step, is very, VERY IMPORTANT!!!........On the "gear", there is usually a "Dimple" (as in, a partially drilled hole/not very deep), that is quite close to, where the hole for the roll pin is located........This "Dimple", has to "line-up" with the "Rotor's Metal tip", once it is mounted/screwed, back onto the top of the HEI's weight assembly.......If it installed 180 degrees out, to where it should be, then, it might cause, some strange, kinda, ignition related misfire, I be thinkin'.......If I recall correctly, that gear has "13 teeth" on it, which is an odd number, that can't be equally divided in half, and, if it is installed 180 degrees out, the "clocking" (angular alignment), would be in the neighborhood, of being 1/2 of a tooth out, possibly........If your problem wasn't what I was tellin' you about, just above these words, then, just type another comment/question, and I'll try to help you out.......Good luck, and.....be safe, take care, and have a good one.

@@RockysRoadshow Thanks for the feedback. I experienced the shaft seizure as you described and figured that out after a day or two. I was able to get the coil housing off as decribed above. I did not know about the dimple, and have inserted the distributor, but may have to pull it again to look. The problem I am having now is the car will start and run fine. I noticed a "jump" in timing mark that bothered me, but was able to set it. Problem is; car runs for 30 seconds to a couple minutes now, then just dies as if I turned off the key. This has stopped me dead for a few days, and I wonder now if being 180 out would cause the stall. Sure seems likely, and thank you so much for mentioning this. Edit: After reading a few forums just now, I think mine is in correctly. One of the issues I had was rotor pointing to passenger side (cylinder no. 2) at number one tdc, instead of driver's side cylinder no. 1. This caused interference with plenum, so had to move all wires one spot over to be able to turn distributor far enough for initial timing. It's in there now squarely so I could move wires back to optimum position for twisting without interference. (Had to twist oil pump with a screwdriver, to get it seated. (That bump the engine drop-in method can break teeth I hear.) Trouble shoot goes on for stalling. I have no scanner comms, so back to figuring out why EST bypass no longer throws a code, and ESC may be bad, and damaged ECM driver(s) finally, if ESC chart hasn't led me astray. No codes either. Can't run long enough to test things. Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

@@johnparker4836 Greetings...johnparker4836........Here are a few things for you to try/consider........If you have a timing light with an inductive pick-up clamp, that clamps onto a spark plug wire, then, connect your timing light, onto each spark plug wire (one at a time), in order to see, if each of the cylinders, are getting a good steady "pulse" (aka, bright strobe flash), so to speak, as in, does the timing light, show even light flashes, as the engine is at idle speed, as well as, at a bit higher in RPM's as well...???.......I had a V-8, that had a similar, stall at idle problem, and, I also, initially suspected, that it was ignition related as well........What it turned out to be, was that, the carburetor's..."idle circuit"...passageway (one or both of them) were plugged up a bit too much, and, even though I turned up the idle speed screw quite a bit, it would slow down, and then stall, dead as a door-nail...lol.......So, I rebuilt that carburetor, (new brass float too), and reset all of the choke adjustments and such, and now, it idles like new, and, if I just touch the gas pedal, it accelerates, like the damn thing is fuel injected...!!!...lol.......If you care to, just let me know, what you vehicle happens to be, so I know what you are dealing with, as in...year...make...model...engine...etc......Good luck, and......be safe, take care and have a good one.

​@@RockysRoadshow 1986 Pontiac T/A w 305 FI . Fuel pressure is 35-42 when running, up to 42 when stalling, just a glitch upward upon stall. New ICM, pickup coil. Runs, idles down after cold start injector swithches off. Revs fine, smoothly, settles, runs, then just shuts off like a switch. ADD: It used to just start and shut off before new pickup coil change. Timing is 6 btc base with bypass unhooked per spec. Slight jump once when timing, but resolved before next stall. Cannot run long enough to troubleshoot. Looking at Electronic Spark Control; checking ECM charts for clues. Bypass no longer sets a trouble code when disconnected as it should. Fuel rail and regulator rebuilt. Fuel filter replaced less than 100 miles ago last summer. New intake gaskets, Mass Air Flow sensor, goes into closed loop. O2 sensor working. No ecm codes. Computer won't communicate with Actron obd1 interface; there is a signal present on the serial line. (This makes troubleshooting laborious and primitive.)