I have a 70, 396BB. Recently, I was driving and all of a sudden I lost power, I pulled over, opened the hood to find the battery was out of its tray, it pulled out the "hotwire" that goes to the distributor. I reconnected everything and now it completely runs like crap. It runs fine at idle but under any power (in gear) it just shutters like something is fouled. I changed plugs, wires, checked timing all that. The distributor is a HEI with internal coil. Did I toast the distributor? There isnt a way I can check contact points without totally taking out the entire thing is there? I took of the cap to see what is under there but im to nervous to go further. Suggestions anyone????? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

Malcolm, there are no points in an HEI distributor. Hotwire????

hotwire??? Its the wire that comes off the battery and goes to distributor cap, right there is my tach wire as well

wHEN THAT BATT FELL OVER AND YANKED YOUR HOTWIRE DAMCAPS! it may have cracked the cap, hurt the prong your hotwire goes to, or pulled the distributor itself some changing your timing.

How you checking timing and what's it at?

You would be smart to run a new wire from your fuse panel to your distributor batt terminal. It ain't real safe leaving a hotwire in service for long.

If the battery came disconnected from the rest of the electrical system, and the car ran off only the alternator, it could have fried both the coil and the module. Take both out of the distributor and have them load checked at an auto parts store that can do those tests. Most Auto-Zone stores have those testers.

Since the engine is now running, try checking the voltage when the engine is running, coil + terminal on the distributor cap, volt meter on a setting to read 20 or so DC volts, and to ground (carb stud is OK), about 2,500 rpms out of gear, engine at full temperature. Depending on the alternator setup you are using, these numbers should be very close, external regulator, 13.80 to 14.20 V, internal regulator, 14.40 to 14.60 V.

Regards,

Milton