I don't know if I've told you guys before, but this is the first Ford I've ever owned or worked on. I've been having a hot start problem With my 53 Victoria. I asked a guy I know that's crazy about Ford 4x4's and he told me It was a Duraspark ignition and to look it up on the internetz. Anyway I found a lot of good looking information and after printing some stuff out I went and cut open the wiring harness. It didn't really look like anything I had seen, so I pulled off the distributor cap and it has points. So I tried looking up Duraspark with points and got nothing. Any ideas? (It has the duraspark module with the blue connector.)
well you dont use points with an electronic module . and if its got a points dist. in it and it has a hot start problem , it most likely needs a dist. the bushings are worn out. and leting the shaft lay to the side enought to not open the points when hot . this was a comon problem with all makes of points distributors . want to prove the theory? close the points gap up to about 10 and see what happens .
Scary, Just to clarify, you have points in the distributor, but the distributor is connected to a DuraSpark module box? Is it possibly an old points triggered electronics conversion? Thanks, James
After looking into the wiring harness some more I noticed that the module isn't hooked to anything. A buddy is going to give me another box, distributor and harness so I can go ahead and convert it.
Duraspark was a Ford ignition tradename - and when it became electronically triggered (specifically '75 and later) - it became Duraspark II. The guts of the Duraspark II can be adapted to the earlier Ford (y-block for instance) distributors, both Autolite and Motorcaft - but you will have to do the converting. The Motorcrafts are a parts swap - but the Autolites need some machining (removal of the points cam) to fit the reluctor / trigger. The trigger unit is almost bulletproof - so using an old one isn't too much of a risk. There are a lot of the MSD distributors around with the Ford trigger - shiny - but the same parts. My trigger did 165,000 miles in an F-150 before going into the Bird. The 'blue grommet" box is the right controller for such a conversion, it provides fixed dwell of about 26°-27° degrees and will switch a coil with down to 1.3 OHMs primary - with no ballast resistor. I've got mine rigged with just over 1.5 OHMs and life seems to be OK - but the Duraspark II boxes are famous for abrupt failures sometimes in a year and sometimes 12 years. The boxes are better now than they once were - but having a "plug-in" spare in the trunk isn't too much trouble. Takes 5 minutes and away you go. The Ford unit with the divorced trigger and controller is way more serviceable than the HEI disributors or the Pertronix units - both of which require roadside teardowns if they quit (and they do sometimes quit just like the Ford boxes - for no good reason).
I worked for Ford back then and remember them . The only problem I ever had was with the module . Other than that they did perform very nicely . Now as for points someone must have changed that for some reason . Of co**** with the module problem back then I guess someone got tired of calling a tow truck ! Now do you use a stock coil or what do you use to run the distributor ? If you are using a coil you just might have a "Hot & Cold" coil causing the problems . When the coil gets hot it won't start . Common Ford problem in the late 60's to 70's . Jim
I'm sure to get some re****al on this but here goes anyway..... A cheaper fix might be replacing your metal fuel line (in the engine bay) with rubber fuel line. When my 54 was running the stock y-block, it occ***ionally had hot-starting issues....an old-timer mechanic advised the fuel line switch and it never happened again after that.
rustyfords "I'm sure to get some re****al on this but here goes anyway..... A cheaper fix might be replacing your metal fuel line (in the engine bay) with rubber fuel line. When my 54 was running the stock y-block, it occ***ionally had hot-starting issues....an old-timer mechanic advised the fuel line switch and it never happened again after that." This is an old-time "fix" for vapor lock, but won't help any ignition-related problems. The fix has it's problems as well: a pin-hole leak in a pressurized rubber fuel line creates a fine mist spray of gasoline which is a big-time fire just waiting to happen. That's why all OEM fuel lines are steel between the fuel pump and the carburetor. I would highly advise against the use of rubber fuel line between the fuel pump and the carburetor for this reason. My $.02
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