Got lots a questions! okay I bought a 1985 Z28 its got a 5.0L TPI motor. Well It has no spark and I can't figure out why. It as a brand new ignition module. I checked the resistance in the pickup coil and its within specs. I checked the ignition coil and its with specs. The little paper that came with my module said that is the car will not start to check that terminal "b" on the harness has voltage. Well I checked and it doesn't. I also checked the book and it says when setting the initial timing to disconnect that harness and set the timing like that. Does that mean that the car can run with that four wire harness disconnected? What about the capacitor? how do i check if that is working? Any and I mean any help will be gratly appreciated....

The "timing connector" is the 4-wire flat connector behind the distributor coming out of the wiring harness just above the bellhousing. Yes, it'll still make sparks with that disconnected. It will just remove all computer-supplied ignition advance to allow you to set your true base timing.

The in-cap HEI is a simple piece (even the computer controlled one). Disconnect the "batt" wire from the side of the distributor, turn the ignition on and check for 12V at that wire. If it's got voltage, it's NOT your wiring or ignition switch, etc. The computer does not affect voltage getting to this main distributor power feed wire.

Also, just temporarily, disconnect the "tach" wire from the side of the distributor and see if you suddenly have sparks again. If the tachometer is bad and grounding that wire out it'll never make sparks.

If it's not any of that then the problem is inside the distributor somewhere.

Strange things happen. First check to see that the rotor is turning. Is this a large coil in cap HEI or the small cap with remote coil?

This is the in cap coil. I checked for vltage at the battery cable that connects to the cap and its voltage. I also tried removing the tack ire and still no spark. Could a faulty capacitor cause it not to fire? I ckecked the resistance for the pickup coil and it was within specs and i checked to make sure the leads werent grounded either. The only thing I havent checked is the capacitor, how do I check it?

You don't. You just replace it and cross your fingers.

The wire that you disconnect to set inital timming is a single brown with white stripe wire. It should a be on the firewall near the top of the heater box. It has a connector made to disconnect to do this.
Next or first I would say look between the battery and headlights for a in line fuse. I bet that is the problem---I have a 89 and I believe all this applies to your 85 as well. Jack

I don't think that applies on an 85. I think that's for 87-up with the small cap distributor and separate coil.

It's worth a look, though.

It was the coil! I don't know how I got good readings on the meter. It runs great but i do have some problems with the tranny. It has a 700R4 and it works fine but only in first and second gear. In third and overdrive it just slips like if its in neutral. Has anybody ever had this symptom with their tranny?

Oh, I can believe it. Coils are another one of those electrical bits that can test good but still be bad. All it takes is a short on the secondary/high voltage side of the coil and you're screwed. Resistance checks only test the primary/low voltage side of the coil.

If you've got the TV cable adjusted properly on the trans and it's still slipping in any gear it's internal transmission issues (unless you're shifting manually and not catching the gear detent in the right place). If you want to know how to adjust the TV cable, just post up and we'll hook you up.

You really bought a pig in a poke with this car, didn't you? Once you get the tranny working we'll be talking about the rear end making fully noises, right?

Heh heh. Good luck with it. Also, there is an excellent board for 3rd gen Camaros/Firebirds you might also want to check out:

www.thirdgen.org

Just got mine back running from the same problem. first make sure fuses a good and not blown. Second when you put the ignition module back in. Did you make sure you hooked up both ground to the coil.. Mine has a black wire on the coil and a metal band that goes under the coil and hooks to the wire harness.. If you dont have this band then you need a wire that hooks to the other corner of the coil and the plugs into this harness.. If this is all correct.. Run a wire from the battier to the bat terminal of the coil and see if starts.. If it does then you are not getting enough volts from your ignition to the coil... This is what happen to mine.. And I found out that the fuse was wrong size... Hope this helps