No Spark.

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So.... I got the battery back, hooked it up... and... I have spark from the ignition coil and at the spark plugs. I guess this is a good thing, but I'm scared that while I was mucking about in there i jostled the magical wire that will curse me until i buy a new wiring harness. Thoughts?

Also I didn't really try but it wouldn't turn over. It wanted to but it would stumble and all the lights would dim. There's a shitload of cops and ambulances down the block so i'm not going to sit there cranking it right now. someone probably got shot again.
 
So.... I got the battery back, hooked it up... and... I have spark from the ignition coil and at the spark plugs. I guess this is a good thing, but I'm scared that while I was mucking about in there i jostled the magical wire that will curse me until i buy a new wiring harness. Thoughts? Also I didn't really try but it wouldn't turn over. It wanted to but it would stumble and all the lights would dim.
 
perko said:
So.... I got the battery back, hooked it up... and... I have spark from the ignition coil and at the spark plugs. I guess this is a good thing, but I'm scared that while I was mucking about in there i jostled the magical wire that will curse me until i buy a new wiring harness. Thoughts?

Also I didn't really try but it wouldn't turn over. It wanted to but it would stumble and all the lights would dim. There's a shitload of cops and ambulances down the block so i'm not going to sit there cranking it right now. someone probably got shot again.
Click to expand...

Yeh. It would be nice if you can figure out why it quit. Maybe if finally just dried out enough.

One point of contention on those is corrosion and looseness in the distributor connector. There is almost no power there. The distributor generates tiny trigger pulses. ANY corrosion or looseness in the connector can put you out of business
 
the battery was fine when I started trying to track this problem down. I just killed it repeatedly turning it over and looking at spark indicators. the distributor connector should be good though because when I replaced it last week i noticed that the previous owner just used butt connectors and had removed the actual rubber male/female deal. I spliced in a new one. Maybe i'll go back and re-solder it better after work.
 
No, it started after the heater core broke and **** two quarts of antifreeze everywhere. . I think it seeped into the wiring harness so thoroughly that something shorted out. It was totally drenched. so was the distributor.
 
Here's something. Years ago I had a 340 in a beat up old FJ-40 Landcruiser, using Mopar ignition for awhile. We would "get crazy" in the mud, muck, rain, snow. Water would douche the ECU and short it out

WHY?

Easy. "That big transistor" is above ground on the "points" side of the coil and has some fairly high voltage. It WILL shock the crap out of you. Took me while, (back in the mid 70's) to figure THAT out
 
well its got spark everywhere now and fuel. I think it was all the coolant. still doesn't want to start though it sounds like it wants to and then just stumbles really hard and almost doesn't keep turning.
 
perko said:
well its got spark everywhere now and fuel. I think it was all the coolant. still doesn't want to start though it sounds like it wants to and then just stumbles really hard and almost doesn't keep turning.
Click to expand...
Ok, so now you have spark. This is good! Assuming nothing mechanical has failed since this began, make sure your timing is at least close. It's probably flooded from trying to start & not getting spark. Crank it over with your foot to the floor, wide open throttle & see if it starts. You will have to crank it for a while to clear it out. Crank it for no more than 10-15 seconds if it won't start, then give the starter/ battery etc a rest for a few seconds. If it still won't start pull the plugs out & clean or replace them & try again. Good luck & report back to us.
 
Maybe 1 or 2 chambers have a lot of fuel in them. If it was mine Id pull the plugs first. Then crank it over with the Ignition bypassed/disconnected, so as not to start a fire. Empty out the cylinders.
 
well now it starts. I'm thinking that it was the wiring harness being saturated. It was wrapped in electrical tape several times and then covered with this corrugated plastic conduit stuff. when the heater core went it gushed right onto the harness. It looked like the coolant had gotten into the conduit, sat there, and then seeped through the tape. I cut it off from just about the ballast resistor to past the distributor before I found dry wires. couple of days later it started right up. Now I can finally get it in the garage and address the suspected wiped cam problem.

Do yall think it would be wise to re-wrap the wires with electrical tape, or do you have another preferred method or organizing the wires and keeping them safe?
 
make sure the big bolt on the regulator is tightened also should replace the RELUCTOR in the distributor if you havent already. (keep note of the side the pin is located)

new ecu isnt that much i'd say replace.

for one owns (mind) comfort. -------

wire wrap.
 
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