Yes, I'm a Jeep guy on Pirate. But a Ford guy in real life (89 250 7.3 dd, 79 250 plow rig, 30-31 A pu, etc). I need some help with the plow rig. It's dead in my girlfriends driveway, so I'm kinda fucked. Ok technically, I'm not getting fucked until its fixed.
Its a '79 F250, 351M.
I've got no spark. Well, very occasional spark.
I've got power to the ignition module (key on and start).
I swapped in a module with no luck (new but unknown. Ordered for my J20 back when). Will a different module work? Any easy way to test it?
Tested terminals at coil - Pos has rapid (+) when engine turns over, Neg has constant (-). Is this what I should be seeing?
Coil is new, not defective (has run 2-3 times before problem worsened). It also has new plugs & decent wires.
I'm kinda thinking distributor. Any way to test that?
Appreciate any info. I have ex gf pics to offer as an olive branch as soon as Photobucket quits fucking with me :mad3:

***CLIFF NOTES***
Any way to test an ignition module?
Any easy tests for a distributor?

Its a '79 F250, 351M. I've got no spark. Well, very occasional spark. I've got power to the ignition module (key on and start).

Double check this, ignition switch is a frequent fubar. Also make sure all the grounds in the system are good. Check wiring connectors too.

I swapped in a module with no luck (new but unknown. Ordered for my J20 back when). Will a different module work?

I'd try another, use a MotorCraft with the same color plug as your original, ie; blue, yellow, etc.

Coil is new, not defective (has run 2-3 times before problem worsened). It also has new plugs & decent wires.

Find another, couldn't hurt.

I'm kinda thinking distributor. Any way to test that?

After trying the above, yeah kinda sounds like bad dizzy.

I have ex gf pics to offer as an olive branch as soon as Photobucket quits fucking with me :mad3:

Post said pics or gtfo.

Any way to test an ignition module?
Any easy tests for a distributor?

AutoZone?

Good Luck

autozone help section has great writeups...

Another thing to look for. Pull off the dizzy cap and remove the rotor. Look at the bottom of the dizzy(inside) for a wire and make sure it is in good condition and still attached. If not it will cause a no spark situation that will occasionally have a spark. I have had this happen twice over the years with older Fords. Good Luck.

An easy test that may or may not apply here, when a ford module is on its way out, it will die until it cools, then run again. If it dies and has no spark, pour water on the module to cool it, if it starts then the module is bad. But it sounds like yours might just be 100% dead. Take the old one to AZ for a test, most ford guys keep an extra "known good" in the truck as a spare, my gramps used to mount two side by side for quick roadside repair.

Modules are common failures. Did you swap in the J20 module, or just plug it in? IIRC it needs a healty ground.

The rapid + pulse sounds like the dizzy is working. Not common failure.

Bad coils are really rare, but the easiest and cheapest part to change, so its always the first $25 wasted.

The ign switch is a poss, sometimes you will have a ford that starts while cranking, but dies as soon as the key is turned to "run", this is because the starter relay sometimes powers up the ign while cranking, if the ign switch is dead, or wiring from ign switch, this is a poss, but not real common.

Let us know what you find.

Double check this, ignition switch is a frequent fubar.

Yeah, I still haven't ruled this out (see below)

Look at the bottom of the dizzy(inside) for a wire and make sure it is in good condition and still attached.

I'll check it tonight. (Outside in the snow, of course)



Modules are common failures. Did you swap in the J20 module, or just plug it in? IIRC it needs a healty ground.

The rapid + pulse sounds like the dizzy is working. Not common failure.

Bad coils are really rare, but the easiest and cheapest part to change, so its always the first $25 wasted.



-Plugged the module in and ran a couple jumper wires as ground. Not sure if its the same box or not :homer:
-Coil is new, and has run
-Rapid (+) is good?! That's very good to know; I was confused by that one, I thought the ground leg did the switching.

*update*
Made a jumper wire for POS into the module (both start and run ckts, to rule out ignition switch)
Got good spark, wouldn't run. (yes, I'm sure it didn't have spark before. Couple plugs were wet, so it could be flooded). What sucks is I can't be sure if the jumper fixed it, or the intermittent problem was intermittently fixed.
Gonna change plugs tonight, and try a few different modules - supposedly known good ones (I know :shaking:).

As promised. She had a great ass.
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff153/nhfxrs/DSCN8373.jpg

As promised. She had a great ass.


had?

Meh. Probably still does. I traded up.

remove said ford ignition crap.
drop in new HEI dizzy off of ebay for less than 100 bucks.
install key on ignition on power to dizzy.
set timing
never worry about it again :D
:flipoff2:

**UPDATE**

Hot-wired the module to a toggle (key on and start). Got spark now. Starts like a bitch though. Maybe not enough spark for cold start up? So I...
Hot-wired module (start side) to starter solenoid. Still starts like shit.
Ideas? HEI would be nice, but I'm broke from X-mas, and stubborn.
If I wired the coil backwards, would it run normal once warm?

doesnt it have some retarded timing retard when starting for that ignition system?or perhaps the voltage drop when cranking is causing a low voltage drop to the coil?

doesnt it have some retarded timing retard when starting for that ignition system??

Yeah, I think it's the DuraSpark module with the blue connector.:D
:lmao:

doesnt it have some retarded timing retard when starting for that ignition system?or perhaps the voltage drop when cranking is causing a low voltage drop to the coil?

You calling me retarded? :flipoff2:
Seriously, this would make sense if I somehow by-passed and/or fucked it up with my custom (read: retarded) wiring. Any truth to this?

What do you mean by "starts like a bitch" or "starts like shit"??
How does it run once it finally does start??

My old ford use to start shitty also. Would crank over fine but did not want to fire. Ran perfect once started and would restart hot no problem. Thought it was ignition, ended up being the battery, even though the voltage was normal.

What do you mean by "starts like a bitch" or "starts like shit"??
How does it run once it finally does start??

Cranks over well. Will cough (fire briefly) once or twice, then nothing. Repeat this procedure 5 or 10 times and you can hopefully coax it to run. I've even had to use either. Once it runs, it runs as well as it always has (seems like all 8, at least). Hot starts just fine.
What kills me is before I changed the coil it ran great. Pump the gas some, it'd fire right up. Every time, no matter the weather. It ran great after, too. Once or twice, at least.

Cranks over well. Will cough (fire briefly) once or twice, then nothing. Repeat this procedure 5 or 10 times and you can hopefully coax it to run. I've even had to use either. Once it runs, it runs as well as it always has (seems like all 8, at least). Hot starts just fine.
What kills me is before I changed the coil it ran great. Pump the gas some, it'd fire right up. Every time, no matter the weather. It ran great after, too. Once or twice, at least.

Sounds pretty similar to what my buggy was doing last summer- I thought I was losing brain boxes, but it turned out to be the pickup module inside the distributor.

pickup module inside the distributor.

x2

FAWK THAT distributor.

fixed :flipoff2:

No it won't run normal-reverse polarity results in very low output... And you should have solid power to the pos side of the coil w/key on or start- just less in run mode- flashing is bad !! Should be flashing on neg side only w/cranking-sounds like you have voltage but no current-look upstream for wiring issues- duraspark sucks....lol

choke?

After trying the above, yeah kinda sounds like bad dizzy.

1st.

Sounds pretty similar to what my buggy was doing last summer- I thought I was losing brain boxes, but it turned out to be the pickup module inside the distributor.

Yup.

remove said ford ignition crap.
drop in new HEI dizzy off of ebay for less than 100 bucks.
install key on ignition on power to dizzy.
set timing
never worry about it again :D
:flipoff2:

Winner.
Man, that hurts to say.
:flipoff2:

phuck awph! :flipoff2: