Ignition Trobuleshooting

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weldedrail

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Motor is a 318 in a 70 dart, points type distributer.

Overhauled motor and got it all back together. Starter relay was bad replaced it. Dist was 180 off, pulled it out and rotated it 180. Started with fuel poured down carb, no fuel preasure, replaced fuel pump. Car started and ran for about 5 min. Had to shut it down to plug a small coolant hole in the intake. Fired up again, ran for about a min till I gave it a little throttle to cut the choke and lower the RPMs. Motor lugged a little and almost died. Gave it a little more throttle to keep it running, adjusted dist by hand and it died. Wont start ever since.

It turns over, has plenty of fuel, there is a spark at the coil and at the points with the cap off. Checked for spark at the plugs last night and there was none but it gets spark at the coil.

Going to pick up a new cap and rotor and points to start with.
 
Replaced the Dist with new, also cap rotor, points and condenser. Still wont fire, I have spark and fuel. What next?
 
Still won't fire and now the computer has a virus that I can't seem to fix so typing from my phone, what next!? Should I replace the ballast resistor on the firewall?
 
weldedrail said:
Still won't fire and now the computer has a virus that I can't seem to fix so typing from my phone, what next!? Should I replace the ballast resistor on the firewall?
Click to expand...
you can try jumpering it out, see if it starts, you don't want to run it long like that, it will burn up the points.
also, sorry if this is a stupid question, but do you know how to set up points? getting to be a lost art
 
I don't have a dwell meter but I did use feeler gauges to set the points gap, should be pretty close and at least start.
 
FIRST just how "good" is the spark at the coil?

Second, how are you attempting to start the car? If you are manually jumpering the relay, you will have no "resistor bypass" and the spark won't be as hot as when using the key

Use a probe --clip lead or test lamp-- right at the coil tower to ground to see how hot the spark really is. Checking the spark through resistor wires can "through you off." You should have a good hot blue spark, 3/8-12"

Next, as above, use your coil wire and check the spark through the wire

Next inspect the cap and rotor. Are they clean, dirt and moisture free, any evidence of carbon tracking, tracks, flashover, etc?

Next check spark at two or three random plug towers with your clip lead, IE remove the plug wire from the cap, check right there at the cap.

Have you looked at the plugs? Very easy to gas foul plugs screwing around on a new engine with fuel delivery troubles.
 
I think you may have a spark timing issue or a fuel delivery problem. That engine should fire right up. Also, make sure your firing order is right - 18436572 - clockwise with no. 1 at the front.
 
my car starts fine but i have a problem with it when i go for a drive.. as soon as i start to drive around the block the car starts misfiring and load pops under the car exhaust and carburator..(i set the timing to 5' and seem to run okay but when i moved the car on the dist. i get shocked.what can cause the shock
 
67Dart273 said:
FIRST just how "good" is the spark at the coil?

Second, how are you attempting to start the car? If you are manually jumpering the relay, you will have no "resistor bypass" and the spark won't be as hot as when using the key

Use a probe --clip lead or test lamp-- right at the coil tower to ground to see how hot the spark really is. Checking the spark through resistor wires can "through you off." You should have a good hot blue spark, 3/8-12"

Next, as above, use your coil wire and check the spark through the wire

Next inspect the cap and rotor. Are they clean, dirt and moisture free, any evidence of carbon tracking, tracks, flashover, etc?

Next check spark at two or three random plug towers with your clip lead, IE remove the plug wire from the cap, check right there at the cap.

Have you looked at the plugs? Very easy to gas foul plugs screwing around on a new engine with fuel delivery troubles.
Click to expand...

Checked the spark at the coil by disconnecting the coil wire and grounding it on the motor, spark looks good but no actual equipment to measure it.

I am using the key to attempt to start the car.

Brand new cap and rotor, as well as distributer points and condenser.

Pulled all the plugs and I am pretty shure they were fouled with gas, cleaned them up and still nothing.

I tried jumping the ballast resistor with a thin knife and it sputtered a bit like it might start then nothing.

Set #1 at TDC on the compression stroke and the rotor points to #1 and I re-checked all the wires for the right firing order.

Baffeled here becouse the motor ran very smooth for about 5 min than wont start.
 
New ballast resistor, it started after cranking for about 1-2 minutes. Ran smoothly for 5 minutes. I took the rad cap off to help burp the system and to top off the radiator. As I added water it started to lug and then died. After that there was lots of cranking and it almost fired a couple of times but no dice. Maybe a carb issue? Starting to pull my hair out! I did remove the virus from the computer today so at least I'm not typing from my phone.
 
use a multi meter, with key in on position, check your voltage @ battery, ballast resistor and @ pos terminal of coil. if your not at 12v its probably a wiring issue.
thats what im dealing with anyway. 12v @ bat. 10v @ ballast, 6v @ coil.
good luck i know im hoping for some
 
did you change the fuel filter?I had this problem with my Duster when I first got it.There was chunks of old rubber hose that connects the fuel line to the fuel tank that made its way to the fuel pump and clogged it,and made it to the fuel filter and clogged it as well.If it sounds like it "almost fires",then you are getting spark.Sounds like it might be a fuel issue.You might also want to pull the sending unit and see if the sock is deteriorating or plugged.good luck
 
The fuel filter is new, it is one of the glass see through types. There is some sediment in the filter but it isnt plugged. It almost seems like its getting too much fuel becouse I can smell fuel really strongly. It is a used Eddy 650 that was put on a Chevy pickup, not ran much then sat for a year or two before somebody gave it to me. It looks brand new but maybe it needs rebuilt and is flooding out?
 
Rebuild the carb, and install and electric ignition. Check all your grounds for good contact. I wish you Luck!
 
I didn't do much of anything this afternoon except turn the key and the motor fired up pretty easily. It seems to idle pretty high so I backed off the idle screw on the carb and retarded the timing a bit. It restarted pretty good when it was hot too, but only with the timing advanced a bit.

Found out that the intake didn't seal well as I have coolant leaks, so now I have to pull it and change the gaskets out, this might be contributing to the problem, maybe fouling the plugs.
 
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