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Hot Rods Chrys electronic ign. trouble shooting

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by tommy, Oct 18, 2011.

  1. tommy
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 14,756

    tommy
    Member Emeritus

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    I cant get the 352 FE to catch and run. It sounds like a timing problem. It gets plenty of spark. but it sounds like it's only hitting on a few cylinders. This is not my first rodeo with this system but it is the first problem with one and I've even had a friend look at it once to see what I might be overlooking. He confirmed that the basics are all correct. TDC, rotation and firing order etc etc.

    Everything is a new Standard products replacement part. I've tried swapping the wires from the P/U suggested by the guy that did the conversion. I always thought a P/U was either good or bad. I'm getting spark. I checked for spark at several but not every plug.

    A friend bought an aftermarket kit with a similar problem and when he called they replaced their system and it runs fine now so that got me to thinking it could possibly be the P/U or the module.

    I hate throwing parts at it. I'm too poor to waste money.

    Can a module or P/U cause a similar problem? I know new parts can be faulty too.

    Any suggestions? I'm going nuts.
     
  2. GMC BUBBA
    Joined: Jun 15, 2006
    Posts: 3,420

    GMC BUBBA
    Member Emeritus

    The reluctor position in relationship to the pick up must be correct with the rotor button to the distributor cap.
    Mark the position of all cap terminals. on distributor . Then check reluctor to pick up coil in reference to rotor. When rotor is aligned with the housing marks the reluctor and pole piece should be aligned.
    We use a distributor machine to verify this and even this is somewhat troublesum......i would be more than glad to check yours for you .......

    I think your phase is way off causing high demand at each firing of the rotor....
     
  3. slayer
    Joined: Jun 5, 2005
    Posts: 2,069

    slayer
    Member

    Does yout reluctor have two key slots on the ID? I dont know what the differance in degrees from one slot to the next is, but there is a differance. I dont know if this would be enoughto throw your distributer out of phase, but its worth checking.
     
  4. GMC BUBBA
    Joined: Jun 15, 2006
    Posts: 3,420

    GMC BUBBA
    Member Emeritus

    the two roll pin slots are 7 1/2 degrees apart (distributor degrees and are used for rotation differences in the front mount vs rear mount distributors.
    Ie 318 vs 383 etc........
     
  5. Dapostman
    Joined: Apr 24, 2011
    Posts: 294

    Dapostman
    Member

    Try placing a timing light on the coil wire, then watch the pulses to see if they are even and continuous. Move it from cylinder to cylinder to see if any one is not firing; I've found point problems this way.
     
  6. 4woody
    Joined: Sep 4, 2002
    Posts: 2,110

    4woody
    Member


    Could you re-phrase this please? I'm not sure I understand, but I want to since I'll be dealing with one of these very soon.
    Thx
     
  7. SinisterCustom
    Joined: Feb 18, 2004
    Posts: 8,277

    SinisterCustom
    Member

    Try another module....I've replaced a few of them, each time it was a different issue. And if that doesn't fix it, you'll at least have a spare....there cheap and you will need it anyway....eventually. ;)
    In the rare occasion that the P/U is bad, it won't fire....at all....ever....
     
  8. module ground?

    must have min. of 13 volts to module thats why they have a electronic volt reg so volts are kept up to snuff .. swiitching/wiring to newer volt reg is in the diagram provided with the kit

    also you may have fried the volt reg and alt now so voltage is to low except at higher rpm .. and i did stay at a holiday in .last night.

    . check with big dad
     
  9. tooljunkie
    Joined: Oct 18, 2010
    Posts: 209

    tooljunkie
    Member
    from manitoba

    i usually test pickup for continuity,test coil for continuity and with everything connected,i test at coil negative to see if its getting an impulse.you should be able to see if its timed by cranking and flashing #1 cyl on crank with timing light.i dont know exactly what your base timing should be,but im sure someone here will chime in with a baseline.it may be hindsight,but checking the base timing with the original running dist may have given you the necessary degree to match for initial fire.

    i have seen those ignition controls crap out with low miles,the standard motor products "green box" is a warranty waiting to happen.had lots of them come back faulty.the red box parts seem more reliable.
    on another note,my 80 power wagon has 470,000 kms on it and ignition box is original.
     
  10. For a cheap and easy way to get electronic ignition in a FE, I take the top half (from the "breaker plate" up) from any garden-variety late 70's (302,351,400,460) Duraspark distributor and install that into the FE points distributor. The three wires from the duraspark pickup coil are a ground and the two actual pickup coil wires. Connect those two coil wires to the Chrysler electronic ignition module and ground the third ground wire to the module. I have used stock Chrysler modules as well as the MP Orange Box - all with excellent results.

    I have done this on several Ford trucks, the first being my 69 F100 back in 1992 or so. I've put over 170,000 miles on it since without a single bit of trouble.
     
  11. 52Poncho
    Joined: Apr 23, 2011
    Posts: 256

    52Poncho
    Member

    When the rotor is exactly pointing to the #1 spark plug wire post on the cap, the pickup and the reluctor have to be inline also. Cannot be out even by a few degrees as this will cause the spark to jump from the rotor when it is not pointing at the spark plug wire post. Thus out of phase.
     
  12. 4woody
    Joined: Sep 4, 2002
    Posts: 2,110

    4woody
    Member

    Thanks for the clarification

    I'd forgotten about this thread, but ironically am just now finally putting my Mopar electronic dizzy together. I'm going to run mine with a GM HEI module...

    Wish me luck..
     

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