i have recentally perchased a '53 Coronet and i am having spark issues. it still has the original 241 red ram hemi and ive kept it 6 volt. this is my first mopar project even though i have built many other chevys and fords in the more youthful days. but hay, we all know mopars is the best right! ok, enough of me explaining to you why i am retarted... here is the problem: NO SPARK! ive traced the wires around in circles trying to find where everything goes... ive replaced the cap, rotor, points, plugs, plug wires, coil, solenoid, and battery. so far ive found that the person that had this car before me doesnt know how to wire worth a damn, but hell, obviously neither do i. all i really want to know is, how to hook up the coil like any other car... meaning positive to starter and negative to distributor, and if that will even work, or would it just be easier to just go 12 volt? it seems that dodge likes to run the wires into quite bit of circuit breakers and resister units, but i guess thats what makes them number one! please help if you have any input what so ever. -Nikki P.
Hey, Were Mopars this far back still positive earth? Does this still have the Presto- lite distributor, if so , look for worn parts and shorts with in. Swankey Devils C.C.
If it is 6 volts, I would think there should be a ignition on hot wire to the coil. Do you have power to the coil with the key on?
Here's what I do: Using a simple test light. Turn the key on and use the test light to find if you have current at the positive side of the coil. If not, I simply unhook the dead wire from the + post of the coil and run a jumper wire directly from the battery + post to the coil + post. Try to start it now. If it starts, your problem is in the wiring and/or componentry somewhere between the ignition switch and the + post of the coil. I generally begin at the ignition switch with my test light to first test if any current is even coming out of the ign, switch with the key "on". If it does, I follow along that particular circuit, testing for current at each connection and/or component. That circuit will eventually terminate at the + post of the coil. If the + terminal has current with the key on but the engine still won't start, test the - post of the coil with the key "on" and while cranking the engine. If the light flashes on and off, you're good. You should have spark. If not, check for current on both sides of the point contacts with the key on and the point gap all the closed. If no current and you can see the points opening and closing, simply turn the engine until the points are closed and use a well insulated screwdriver to "snap" the points. open them and let them slap back together with the key on. This will often break-up the carbon build-up betweeen the 2 contacts and viola! You'll have spark. Also check the little breaker-plate ground strap. It's made of woven copper strands and if that ground strap is gone or has a bad connection at it's attaching points, the points won't work and the engine will crank but never start. If it's none of those, you could have a bad condenser. Also, if you've gotten this far and still have current on both sides of the coil while cranking, it's time to look at the secodary side of the ingnition system. They include the rotor, distributor cap and spark plugs and plug wires. You should never attach a 12 volt test light to the secondary side of the system. It'll blow the bulb in your test light.. If a visual check doesn't show anything wrong, it's most likely a coil wire or a rotor conducting it's currrent through it's center to ground...change the rotor. Use a known good coil wire in your distributor to check for spark while cranking. I usually just lay the distributer-end of the coil wire to anything grounded on the engine and crank the engine to see if it has any spark. Also, have the coil tested. I doubt you have an ohom-meter so have a competent shop test the coil... Good luck
Early Mopar is positive ground. Coil + to distributor - to ignition. As suggested by others read the voltage at the - terminal with the ignition on.
Convert it to 12v. The LA 318/340 dist. is a bolt in on the 241/270s. Pirate the ignition system off a late 70s pick up.
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