Have an electronic ignition in my 81 Chevy that is giving me fits. just replaced the second one in about 2 months. Can't seem to figure out why they keep going out. Any sugestions?
Thanks

Do you have the ground strap installed that goes under the coil ?

Yup, that was one of the first things I checked when the first one went out as I had it and a new motor installed at the same time.

Is this an HEI set up.
If you are using and after market coil you need to change the chip in the distributer too, they for some reason won't last long if you use the stock chips.
Are you using the white goo under the chip? if you don't they get hot and burn out.

Yes, this is an HEI setup. Running a stock coil. Not sure what the "chip" in the distributor is that you are talking about. The ignition module is in the distributor and it does have the "white goo" under it.

is it shutting off randomly? no tach movement? will randomly fire back up after 10min or 2 cranks?

make your next replacement the pickup coil under the rotor.






i call half bs on the module upgrade, i ran the 48000 accel supercoil thing for 3 years with same module that had been in the truck since before i got it. i was give a accel blue print dist and that was the only reason i changed, but it had a burnt pickup coil from the go.

I would lean towards the pick-up coil at this point also.

When it dies it is DEAD, ain't no starting it.
The "pickup coil under the rotor"??
Has what I would call a condensor and ignition moduel under the rotor but that is it. The coil is in the cap.

there is a small condenser that is half way under the rotor, the pickup coil its all the way under the rotor and only about .25" thick. you have to fully dissasamble the dist to replace it. it will have a 2 very small wires that lead to the mdoule. it has eight magnets to trigger the ignition.