1969 427 3 x 2 - Car will turn over but will not fire. I can roll it and it will usually startright up. It is getting enough gas because you can smell it and it usually backfires real bad. Whenit finally starts itruns great. When I cut it off and try to restart itdoes the same thing. I have about 2,000 miles on a new starter which I thinkthe motor heat has cooked. The battery was new this year but is very weak.Any suggestions?

 

Could be the ignition resistor bypass circuit. Put a voltmeter on the hot side of the coil and see if the voltage jumps up when you hit the starter,it should go from 8-9 volts to full battery voltage. Also watch your battery voltage when you hit the starter,it should stay up pretty good the closer to 12 volts the better. If it really drops then you have to figure out whether it's the starter or the battery. Many parts stores will be able to check either or both. If you haven't already you should seriously consider going to an HEI distributor. Good Luck!
Ron

 

Yup, I agree with partsman on the resistor bypass, check out the wiring between the starter and distributor.

 

If it's backfiring but not starting, then also need to check ignition timing and cam shaft timing. Might have a worn timing chain that's slipped a couple of teeth which usually manifests itself by hard or non-starting and backfiring.

 

Any recommendations on a HEI distributor?

 

Isn't your tach cable driven? I think maybe there might have been tach drive HEI's. I f there are,they would have to be '74-75 somewhere around there. HEI came out in '74,but I don't know when vettes went to electronic tach's. If the tach isn't a problem,just about any HEI would work. If you go that way make sure you run full voltage to the HEI and run as big a wire as you can,10 guage is good.
Ron

 

HEI & electronic tachs came out in '75 along w/ the cat. I have seen on the web that someone sells a HEI distributor w/ a tach drive.