[Viperk]

hey i have replaced the coil, cap, rotor, the pickup thing below the rotor....... wires and plugs and i have no spark at all ...... i was just wondering if anyone could help me out with what could be wrong ........ thanks.......

 

[Dodgevanman]

Might be a bad ignition module (ECU) Here's a pic. You should have one of these unless you have the electronic spark advance computer (ESA) set-up.

 

[Viperk]

where would that be located??

where would that be located??

thanks

 

[Dodgevanman]

It's usually mounted on one of the fenderwells or the firewall.

BTW, does your distributor have a vacuum advance on it? And how many leads does it have coming out of it?

 

[Viperk]

Still no spark???

hey i still have no spark ..... i have now replaced the ECM and the Ballist resister......and have no spark..... do you know what else it could be or what i should test for to see whats goin on.??? and there is only one wire hooked up to the back of the vacume advans.......... and 2 wires to the pick thing below the rotor.....

thanks .......

 

[Dodgevanman]

Okay that means you don't have the ESA. Just a thought....there has to be a certain amount of gap between the starwheel and pickup in the distributor. I believe it's between .006" and .008" Use only a non-metallic feeler gauge...like brass.

Be sure the rotor is pushed down all the way on the distributor shaft.

Now it's time to make sure that you have power at the ballast resistor and coil. Using a test light or meter and with the key ON, see if you have power at the ballast resistor and + side of coil.

We could be talking possibly a bad ignition switch or a bad connection at the firewall bulkhead connector where all the wires go through.

 

[Viperk]

Pick up

when i installed the pickup there was basicly no room for adjustment .... its very close to the star .......... .....i will have to check out the power tomorrow .......

 

[Viperk]

also if there is power at the coil and ballist resistor what voltage should it be ?? 12 volts?? ....... if there is non or less then 12 what should i do??

 

[Dodgevanman]

You should have battery voltage (12V) at the ballast resistor (ignition side) and coil with the key in just the ON position. If you don't then I would start looking at a wiring problem or a bad ignition switch.

 

[Viperk]

ballist resistor

so if the ballist resistor is working it should be 12volts on both sides ?? with the ignition on...........

 

[Dodgevanman]

You probably won't have 12V on both sides...just the ignition side (red wire?). The resistor knocks the voltage down for the coil. However at start-up the resistor is bypassed. The resistor needs to be tested for ohms resistance....I don't know the values.

You should definitely have continuity between the resistor's terminals.

 

[Viperk]

ballist resistor started smokin

hey i tested the power levels and at the ballist resistor had 12 volts on both sides and the coil had 7 volts max........ but then the new ballist resistor started to smoke ............ what would be causing that ........ wire shortin out or bad ignition switch???...........

 

[Dodgevanman]

I've heard of resistors smoking when they're new....no worries, but it should stop smoking after a while.

 

[Viperk]

but still no spark

ok but i stll have no spark??..........

 

[Speed Dragon]

Check for bad grounds, I chased a problem just like this for 2 days one time on my club cab, turned out to be no ground from the engine to the frame or body. Ran one small wire from the engine to the frame and presto fired right up. Check the small wire running from the negative battery terminal to the radiator support, that's what it was on mine.

 

[Dodgevanman]

I just thought of something...This past weekend I was having a hard time with the electronic ignition I installed in a 1970 A-100 van. I triple-checked my wiring and still wasn't getting spark, so I changed the ECU, ballast, and coil with known good parts. Still no spark.

Turns out I had a dead short in the alternator...I temporarily unplugged the voltage regulator and disconnected the supply wire from the alternator and the engine fired right up. I put a new alternator on and life is good again.

 

[Viperk]

Thanks for all your help

Hey i got it runing after i checked the grounds and redid the pick up............

thanks alot for all your help ...... :rck: