Cascade Crew

chevymad · Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 6:36 pm Post subject: I feel ripped off

So beginning of this summer my 87 needed a tuneup. Did all the normal things, plugs, cap, rotor etc. While I had the cap off I noticed my original 300k mile distributor had the trigger wheel for the pickup rusting badly. So I pulled the dizzy and checked it out closer. While there were no cracks I didnt like the looks of it. So I bought a "new" dizzy from Napa and installed it.

Fast forward awhile, every time I drove the car after 15 miles or so I'd develope a jerking miss indicative of a secondary ignition problem. Which was odd because of all the new tuneup parts, and the fact it didnt do it before the tune. I was wondering if my Jacobs coil was possibly dying, or my msd box. So I disconnect the msd box and hook the jacobs directly to the ignition module. No start whatsoever. Jacobs coil only worked with the msd hooked up. Figured it must be going out and required more voltage to work. So I hook up my stock coil. Couple more times out and car won't start again. Disable msd box again and car starts again. Damn.. msd box dead too. Jacobs coil must have stressed it maybe... BUT car still does the hot miss jerk. Rolling Eyes

So I look everything over and start to wonder if perhaps the new ignition module that came with the dizzy has an issue. I buy the better module from napa and tonight I put it in. Since this was a guess I didnt pull the distributor and try to warranty it. Figured if it didnt fix it I'd just have a spare module around.

Well anyone who's replaced a distributor with a napa branded(cardone?) one lately knows they bolt a metal plate over the top of the module. The plate is stamped "Warranty void if module is removed" The plate always seemed like a bad idea to me, seems like it would hold heat which is bad for the module. Now I see why they install it.

It's got a friggen STOCK USED ignition module under it! Notice that there are shakeproof washer marks on the metal grommets. Those couldnt be there because the washer was on the top of the metal plate! It's also marked GM not Napa or Echlin. To top it off when I tried disconnecting the wires the whole sleeve that locks the harness on just pulled right off. So nothing was actually holding hte wiring harness on except friction. Rust and corrosion on the grounding grommets... Evil or Very Mad

After putting the new module in.. and charging the battery(car has been sitting for weeks) Car started instantly. This never happens. I usually have to crank and crank when its been sitting. Always blamed the carb for leaking down, but now I wonder.

No idea if my miss is cured yet, or if my msd box will actually work now maybe. Car is too covered in bird shizzle to go out for a test run. But that will happen this weekend sometime.

iansane · Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 6:40 pm Post subject:

I think Cardone is going down the tubes. Used to be pretty good with most stuff. I just had a customer go through three cardone reman'd PS pumps, and one new one. I ended up just giving him all his money back and apologizing. Embarassed

aaron_sK · Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:06 am Post subject:

How long have they been doing this plate nonsense? I seem to remember the last few reman distributors I bought having the normal Chinese replacement module on them, but it has been awhile.

chevymad · Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:34 am Post subject:

They've been doing it awhile.. years.. but this is the first time i've looked under it.

Alphius · Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:41 am Post subject:

My dad just skips the middleman and has bought several of these for his cars. Pretty sure they are straight from China. Laughing

The oldest has been running for over 5 years with no issues in his truck.

It's pretty low that it seems they tried to hide that they are just using an old, used GM module in there. I guess reman now means only fix the part that broke and send it back out. Saves lots of money.

chevymad · Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 11:37 am Post subject:

I've got one of those in my truck too. But the car has the small cap hei with electronic advance.

chevymad · Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:24 pm Post subject:

Well still only 2 cold starts but both times the car fired immediately.. That never happens. Doubt the carb could fix itself.. so maybe this has been an issue the whole time? Time will tell!

iansane · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 2:59 pm Post subject:

I decided to pull the cardone dizzy off the shelf at work to see what ICM it was using. Low and behold, GM control module. Nice. I took a picture but for some reason can't upload it from my phone.

chevymad · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 6:11 pm Post subject:

Did they cover it with a metal plate? and was it an old beat up gm module like mine?

80 miles on it today. So far no miss, and unbelievably.. no check engine light telling me its both too rich and too lean at the same time. Funny how many $$$ I spent trying to fix something because I thought this part was good.