:mad:

Replaced the rest if the ignition today. So for those who haven't followed (or wisely didn't care), the magnetic pick-up in my distributor died a month and a half ago. I order a Pertronix igntion module, drop it in, truck runs for about 5 minutes. Shut the truck down, it fails to restart. No spark. Swap coils, I get a spark. So I toasted my coil (which had a male end) and my spare (with a female end) is not compatible with my HT lead.

Ordered a new coil and a MSD 5 ignition box. Installed it today. Damn RR is still not running. I at least have a spark. The ignition trigger for the ECU is receiving a signal, and the ECU doesn't appear to have any toasted circuits. Fuel pump is working. No fuel getting into the chambers :mad:

FWIW, the ECU is being triggerred off the Pertronix negative, not the MSD negative. I have a ballast resistor running between the positive and Pertronix (I may go remove this and see if it helps anything). I'm stumped at this point...either my fuel pump is running but developing no fuel pressure, the injectors are not being triggerred, or the fuel has turned into a solid which is probably not too likely. I'm tired. Need a nap.

Well you know what they say on the farm...

:laughing:

Does anybody know the minimum voltage necessary to trigger the ECU?

I read an intersting article on www.rangie.com regarding some 'incompatibility' with MSD ignition boxes and the Lucas EFI...primarily, because both the ignition box and the ECU share the signal output by the ignition's trigger (e.g. ICM, Pertronix, whatever), the ECU gets less signal that what is needed.

I dunno...time to go tear some crap apart and try again...

Looks like it is the ignition box/ignition trigger problem. Gonna drop $25 on MSDs tachometer adapter which should solve the problem. Joy!

There's a reason they shoot horses with broken legs.

'Course...if'n it's just a sprain, you might as well nurse her back to health.

Good luck!

:)

more guinnea piggery . . . keep us apprised of the *working* solution for utilizing the MSD ignition :flipoff2: :flipoff2: ;)

Well, the best optimism I can muster is from here:

http://www.rangie.com/articles_latest.php?id=380&

A decent write up on an MSD ignition install.

FWIW, I unplugged the MSD box and just ran the coil. Truck started and sputterred around the block. Finally died about a block from home. Wouldn't restart (still had spark), so there is an obvious issue using both a low-resistance coil and the Pertronix module together.

Other interesting info: the Pertronix module is supposed to be treated as "points." If running any aftermarket ignition, you cannot wire it up like a magnetic-trigger (e.g. the MSD 6 series has seperate circuits for magnetic-triggers, vs. points and amplified electronic distributors -like stock- ); you have to wire the Pertronix as is it were points. I don't know if the output signal to the coil is much different that stock, but maybe it contributes to the problem along with the low-resistance coil.

Hopefully by the end of the week I'll either have this POS running, or I'll sell it and pick up another Fiat (I know of one that is running...I only know of ONE)...

Congrats on getting it running. If only temporarily.

You could always use it as a trade in on the truck I'm selling. Oh wait...I'm not taking trades.

:flipoff2:

It'll be a good race to see who can get their POS running again. The Bald Eagle or the Serious One.

We both have our ignition 'issues'.

:D

Hopefully by the end of the week I'll either have this POS running,

hey - my shizzy hasn't ran right in 18mos. i was way broke for a good 16 of those tho :flipoff2:

if all else fails just go with some gen-you-whine parts. it will only hurt a little bit . . . and the fawker will run again, fwiw.

cheers,

isaac

Put some Sea Foam in it. It cures everything.:D

Originally posted by SeaRover

if all else fails just go with some gen-you-whine parts. it will only hurt a little bit . . .

No kidding...the stock coil would have cost me about 1/5 of what I've spent so far :rolleyes: But when you don't have the smarts, just keep buying chit to fix it.

Oh well...never took the easy way out of most situations anyway.