Captain Obvious

Call me a skeptic, but I think a big cap on the alternator is snake oil. The battery is pretty much like a hugely gigantic capacitor already. I could see some benefit to having a small faster reacting cap located right at the alternator or regulator, but a big expensive chromed one is a gimmick.

I've got a newly redone stock system and it's a huge step up from the previous owner debacle I started with. My wallet says I better not go for a ride with someone with a fancy setup!

I'd better get the boys round And do some drinkin fast

I believe that's an oversimplification and it's not that simple. It comes down to "dwell time" and the exponential relationship between time and current which will flow in an inductor. I'll go into the details if you want, but the simple answer would be something like: It all depends on what's controlling the dwell time. If the dwell time is well controlled and is short enough, then you don't need a ballast, but if the dwell time is too long, or if it's not controlled under all conditions (like in a points driven system with the engine off), then you better have a ballast in the system or you'll likely damage something. The electronic ignition systems, especially the newer ones, control the dwell time electronically and can limit the coil current adequately without having to resort to using a ballast. Older systems or mechanical systems do not.

Awesome! Glad you found the issue and glad it was as simple as a new coil. Did you get it done in time for the show?

Trying not to get into too much detail, but there are several different internal constructions used in capacitors. One of the major groups is called "electrolytic" capacitors which means "it contains an electrolyte". The addition of the electrolyte allows for a much higher capacitance per unit volume. In other words, you can have the same amount of capacitance in a physically smaller cap. So the the up side is a physically smaller cap for the same value, but the down side is that the electrolyte is sometimes not a solid and that non-solid electrolyte can leak or evaporate over time reducing the value of the cap over time. Better quality caps last longer. Caps at lower temp last longer. Caps that are operated at lower voltages last longer. I've never dissected an automotive condenser, but I suspect it's what they call an "aluminum electrolytic", and yes, it's capacitance would probably drop with time, heat, and voltage. And as SteveJ suggested, bench testing can't really be done without a meter or circuit designed to measure capacitance. All that said... I don't think that the value of the condenser on the coil POSITVE isn't that important. Certainly not as important as the value of the one used on the coil negative. I'd have no issue using a 0.5 uF instead of a 0.22uF on the positive side of the coil.

OK, you got fuel. We can rule that out. Of course it's "possible" that all six plug wires got damaged at the same time, but it's so unlikely that I'm comfortable saying it's statistically impossible. The single wire between the coil and the distributor however could simulate the same effect as all six plug wires going bad. So the dizzy is at the shop that built it? He's going to check it out and let you know?

Haha!! It's a two-fer!! I believe they changed the shift lever bends a couple times over the course of the first generation and some of them can change how the shift lever comes up through the console. I've not studied the differences in detail at all, but I think it's possible it's stock, but just from a different year? Besides being hacked off short of course. The guys with early year Z experience would know more about the different shift shaft designs.

Zed Head, You're absolutely right. It's not the thermotime. I missed the mark on that and thanks for covering for me. And on your FI relay, that's an exact problem I've seen with other crispy coils. They work fine when cold, but when you put power on them for long enough, they naturally heat up a little because of the coil resistance and cause their own internal failure to open up. Until they cool down again of course... Tough to find sometimes because of the intermittency.

Looks like a great starting platform. Here's my thoughts/observations, etc: I spy with my little eye a California floor temp warning indicator. Makes sense for where the car is. Lots of non-factory wire loom in the engine compartment. Let's hope it's not hiding a nightmare. There's also a lot of what appear to be new parts up there. Makes me think someone was chasing a problem. Let's hope they found it. What's the thing in the engine compartment mounted to the driver's side strut tower? Next to the master cylinder and the windshield washer bottle? Is that a cruise control actuator? Is that a 90-96 shift knob?

I understand the seeming contradiction. I'm not saying that's definitely the problem, I'm just tossing out ideas since the other more mainstream ideas don't seem to be panning out. As a way to explain the seeming contradiction... Liquld gas isn't very flammable. The plugs could be wet, but if there's no vapor coming into the cylinders when you crank it, it probably won't fire. In other words, It may be possible that the fuel on the plugs could be the last gasp of a bowl running dry. Rule it out? Have you got a simple easy to check if there's an adequate amount of fuel in the bowls?

On Sundays the distributors are closed so no... You can't buy a case of beer. Restaurants still serve as do some of the bars and take-out sources, but no, you still can't buy a case of beer on a Sunday. Do you think we've derailed this thread enough by now?

Well let that be a lesson to ya! And on a related note, over in the boondoggle thread: http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/51367-project-boondoggle-or-so-i-went-and-bought-a-z/ The new owner found a pair of OSHA safety gray socks in the glove compartment. The previous owner must have kept them in there as part of his side of the road emergency tool kit for just such occasions.

I disagree with your plug readings. That plug looks dry to me. Have you measured the fuel pressure? Have you verified that the fuel pump even runs? You can check to see if the pump runs by pulling the small spade wire connection off the starter and then turning the key to "START". The engine won't crank (because you disconnected that wire off the starter), but the pump should run. Zed Head, that EFI relay looks all crispy like. I'm surprised the coil winding is still intact. Edited for correctness.

The beer purchase situation is unchanged even now. Big warehouses and a case at a time. Bottles and sometimes take-out six-packs at bars, but cases only at the "beer distributor".

I wear Redwing steel toed. And a thong.

Haha!!! I literally laughed out loud at that. Wife wants to know what's so funny... "Nothing Dear."

Well good luck with the issue and let me know if there's anything I can do from a distance to help.

Yeah, you're right. That would certainly be more secure. All comes down to how dirty I can afford to get and how much time I have. I would much rather have something inside the interior that performs the defeat. Popping the hood when I park the car is really a pain. Attracts attention at times when you don't want the attention.

Well shooting from the hip, the behavior in the videos you posted immediately make me think you're starving for fuel. There was just enough gas in the bottom of the bowls to get it to run for a few seconds, and then once that little amount was sucked dry, you might get the occasional pop when trying to start it, but there's not enough in there to sustain running. All the thought so far has been focused on ignition since that's what you had been messing with, but what are the chances your carbs are empty?

Haha!! Honestly, that was my first thought!

Perfect!

I posted this pic in another thread, but it might be applicable here as well. With the tach not installed, the coil is stone cold dead. So when you were cranking the car without the tach connected, it's no surprise that it wouldn't even attempt to start. But then once you reconnected the tach, it should have taken care of that. Here's the pic of the ignition system: When you are cranking (Key in START) position, the ignition switch sends power directly to the tach bypassing the ballast resistor. Then once you release the key to the ON position, that connection is replaced by one where power does flow through the ballast. Do you have voltage on the coil + with the key in the ON position? Are you triple sure you've got the firing order correct? Are you triple sure that you've got the ignition timing correct?

Yeah, yeah, you're right... I got no room to talk when it comes to regional dialects. It just seemed odd to me that someone from the upper Midwest was tossing y'alls around. So you'ze guys can all fuggetaboutit. Zed Head, I'm not far at all from where you spent your time here. If you get back to the area I'd be happy to partake in a few Yuenglings with y'all!! Although, now there's Conshohocken Brewing now which blows the socks off Yuengling... Might not have been open back when you were here (if you were in the area before the brewing "renaissance").