What are reasons an engine will just stop working? It was running for a day and now when I try to, I literally get nothing.

New parts:
battery
ignition coil
distributor/wires/plugs (dual point mallory)
starter
starter relay

I'm thinking maybe wiring? but where do I start?

 

Get nothing as in it wont crank or it will crank but doesnt try to fire?

 

doesnt do anything. first it cranked without firing then replaced some stuff and got it to run, but now it does nothing. no crank, no clicks

 

Do the headlights work?

Well first thing is first and that is to get it cranking. You have replaced most of the major components to get it to crank. I would check the battery terminals that they are clean and tight. Then give the cables and grounds a look to make sure they are hooked up, from the solenoid to the starter, the negative cable to the block and the body to the motor.

Then try and jump the soleniod at the small wire terminal to the battery terminal and see if it cranks. If it does crank then you need to look at the ignition switch which is the last component that you havent changed. If it doesnt crank then you need to start seeing about battery, starter and ground cables.

One possible senerio is that the ignition switch is bad and it isnt providing power in the run position at first and then stopped giving power in the crank position. But that is just one possibility.

 

all the grounds are good and the starter solenoid/relay is brand new

 

Battery. (hook up a volt meter)
Ignition switch. (use a test light)

 

battery is just over 12 v (12.3) and i need to replace my ignition switch. I tried jumping it from battery to starter relay, still nothing so its not just the ignition switch

 

If you mean nothing as in the solenoid does not click, then solenoid has faulty connection to ground or battery, defective or wasn't jumped properly to S terminal.

If solenoid clicks then look at issues like clean ground wire lug to engine, failing battery, etc.

 

cleaned all the grounds, made sure they were secure, replaced the positive and negative (to ground) wires, replaced the alternator wire bundle (comes down from solenoid/relay) and the gauge cluster wires.

now the solenoid/relay clicks when jumped from + battery to "s" terminal.

And the headlights/interior lights work again.

So what should I check now that its somewhat alive again? trying to get this running ASAP.

Thanks

 

Well new does not always mean good.

This can apply to any item, but if I were you I would concentrate on the battery cables first because those cheap *** cables they sell at Auto Zone, etc, are ironically cheap *** POS's....

The problems with these cables are the ends, they want to LOOK good and secure, but too often the ends are not attached well enough to carry starter current.

start at ALL of the cables, (grab ahold of them and pull in a circular motion away from each end while someone bumps the ignition switch).

If these "check out", work your way to the solenoid and the starter.

If your description is accurate, your PRIMARY issue is going to be with...

a) cables
b) Solenoid
c) starter