Distributor pickup bad? No Spark

[jimmyray]

Ran kinda ok yesterday, but had issues starting it after i got gas. 10 minutes at gas station. Now it will not start at all, no spark.

Here is an odd one. I have current all around, everything is wired correctly, etc. Good grounds, fresh wires, fresh coil, new cap and button, new plugs. Have converted to HEI.

When the distributor is installed in the car, and rotated at cranking speed, I get no spark to the cylinders, or the distributor, for that matter.

When I pull the distributor out of the block, lay it on a towel, and rotate it at engine cranking speed, no spark.

HOWEVER, if i spin the distributor quickly, it WILL spark! (It will not even spark with the Mopar ECU regardless. (orange box and a known good one from my cuda)

I think i have narrowed it to the distributor?

Ohm check across the pick is 275 on new Advance Auto part, 295 on existing old distributor.

When I spin the distributor shaft, I get between 0.15 and 0.30 volts out of the pickup at slower speed on both distributors.

I would think those numbers would be ok, but...

Thoughts?

 

[67Dart273]

You checked ignition voltage getting to the module?

Check CRANKING voltage. Do this by USING THE KEY, not jumpering the relay, because otherwise you won't activate the bypass circuit. On mine, there is no ballast, so you can check voltage right at the coil positive, and then see what it is cranking.

.15-.30 is real low voltage. Mine, with HEI, is a little low, around .5V

 

[jimmyray]

I actually used the normal ignition circuit to trigger a relay so i get full battery voltage to the HEI. I learned that lesson the hard way, losing 1 volt through all of the connectors and ignition switch, coupled with a slightly drained battery, and the HEI wont fire, like under 10 volts in my experience.

Anyhoo, I found that the HEI unit was bad. It worked geood enough for me to drive it home fromk the shop, but it went kaput after that. Swapped in a known good unit, and all is well.

Thanks!