Normal RTV releases silanes for awhile after it "looks" like it's cured. That's instant death for oxygen sensors. So it's probably worth it to get the right stuff. Does it come from an auto-parts store & says "SAFE FOR SENSORS"?
HondaBond($$) from a dealer or Permatex Ultra-Grey is the same stuff at auto-parts stores.

Test light should work checking power at the distributor. It's either ON or NOT.

Jim,

Thanks. Point taken, I'll get the grey.

Your car has an external coil.

You can also test for power at the blk/yel wire on the coil electrical connector. A 12V test light will work. The blk/yel wire at the coil and the one that feeds into the distributor both get power from the ignition switch.

Well guys, kind of crazy. lol I just got home here a little while ago, popped off the coil connector, turned on key. she's got juice

re-connect, pop off distributor...she's got power too.

Re-connect, turn key...car fires right up with no check engine light.

Easy fix lol.






J/k...I will still go ahead and change the plugs, cap, coil wire and valve cover gasket/plug hole things anyway. But, it's just kind of crazy how now it fires right up...

Thank you both so much for all of the help, this forum is great and as I do repairs on this car from now on, I'll go ahead and snap some pics and try and post a write up.

Donnie

lol, I figured that was too good to be true. Just went out to smoke a cigarette and figured I pull the car into the garage...didn't start.

Same thing, crank and almost fire but just won't...

I didn't check to see if they were getting power when the car was cranking(key in start position)...I'm here by myself so I need a helper.

Could it be the coil? Is there anyway that I could check to make sure it's good?

You will have to test when it isn't starting.

I would use the timing light to see if there is enough spark to flash the timing light when you try to crank the engine.

If you have 12V on that blk/yel wire, and you are getting no spark, it is either the tune-up items discussed earlier, the ignition control module, or the coil.

if no spark could be coil.. igniter, distr rotor, cap,

is coil wire ok ??

I do have 12 V coming out of the black yellow wire on both when the key is in the on position.

The coil wire does have corrosion @ the connection to the distributor cap, I sprayed it out with electrical cleaner, let it dry out and hooked it back up.

I'm still going to go ahead and get a new cap/coil wire because I think the reason it's corroding is because it was a cheapo and it has a poor connection.

Update
 

Guys,

Okay I went and bought the new plugs, distributor cap, grey rtv and the valve cover gasket set. I also grabbed a timing light to check and see if it would fire off.

Everything went in smooth. The timing light would fire off on each plug wire because the car actually started up and ran 3 or 4 times in a row last night. When I got it all buttoned back up, it fired right up. I went out an hour or so later and it fired up again.

Now this morning, my old lady goes to leave for work and comes back inside the house and says "car won't start again" WTF!!!??


I didn't buy a new coil wire because I have to buy a whole set of wires just to replace the coil wire. I cleaned out the little bit of corrosion that was under the coil wire where it connected to the cap. The cap had the most corrosion underneath so I replaced that just to be safe.


This should leave me down to the coil wire, coil or ignition switch right?

Is there any way to check and see if the coil is still good?

I really don't mind replacing any of these parts but I'd just like to figure out which on it is as they are both 50 bucks separately and I can't imagine it being both at the same time...?

Thanks for any more help or advice,

Donnie

What about that ignition control module? Where is that and is there any way to test it?