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replaced distributor , no spark blew orange box help
I already posted on B bodies but hope i get more traction here. I was having an issue with my stock distributor and decided to replace it with a Mancini electronic conversion kit. After installing the new distributor and the orange box, I found i had no spark. To try and find out why i did quite a few tests. After testing i found battery at 12.8 vlts, positive and negative side of the coil with key on 12.8 volts, with coil out low side 2.5 ohms high side 12.1 kohms Decided that the orange box was defective . I replaced the box, retested coil with key got 10.3 on positive side and 1.2 on negative. tried to start car, no spark, retested coil 12.8 and positive and on negative. Im sure i blew the new box. I have attached photos of wiring, 1rst photo shows blue wire from harness going to run side of ballast, (i turned on the key and found 12.3 volts on that side and less than 1 volt on the other) second photo shows black wire from harness going to negative side of coil, third photo shows other side of ballast, a wire from the positive side of the coil connects there , lastly is just the connection to the distributor. I grounded the orange box with an external wire to make sure i have ground. No idea why wiring is incorrect please let me know what to look at next. pete
The wiring is exactly as per drawings, something else is causing this issue, Can a magnetic pickup cause shorts? When i installed the new box i tested the plus and negative side of the coil , i got 10vlts at plus and 1 at minus, after trying to start engine the coil now read 12 volts plus and minus with key on. What else can i test?
Can i add the new magnetic pickup to the stock distributor? I tested the pickup connecting my meter to the two plugs coming out of it, i got about 266 ohms but only raised to about 280 ohms when spinning the center piece past the collector.
Final questions re wiring, Ive attached a photo of my wiring bank on the firewall, just hoping someone can confirm all is as it should be On the run side of the ballast i have the blue wire going to ecu, i also have a wire that goes to the second prong in, on the 4 row from the top of photo . On the start side of ballast i have a wire from the positive side of coil, a wire that goes directly to the power side of the starter, the large red wire and one more that goes to the 3rd prong in, on the 4th row from top.
Can i add the new magnetic pickup to the stock distributor? I tested the pickup connecting my meter to the two plugs coming out of it, i got about 266 ohms but only raised to about 280 ohms when spinning the center piece past the collector.
Problem solved: hopefully this doesn't happen to you. I picked up the car 15 years ago. Had points in it when i got it and decided to change to pertronix . Wiring on the car was as is when i received it, all looked stock. I had the engine rebuilt about 6 years ago and im not sure if they switched a wire reinstalling coil or if was was the first owner. After testing it seems like every possible issue, i decided to remove harness from fire wall and follow each lead. what i found was a wire that looked black attached to the negative side of the coil, while testing i found this wire went to the same pin that the starter side of the ballast went to. After cleaning the wire i found it was not black but dark blue. I guess the way the points and the perttronix worked , this feed didnt mater. Unfortunately i was getting a feed to the ecu when turning on the key, and another going to the negative wire of the ecu when starting. this blew the ecu units. I got it running with a new unit after removing this wire but decided to go to a MSD street instead. Heard of too many issues with the orange. thanks for any and all help pete
Glad you found the wiring problem and got it handled... I new you would find the issue at some point.. Just an FIY.. All makes and models of Ignitions have issues. I run the Orange box and it works...
Hope you got some other good repairs coming up. You are doing a great job fixing thing the rite.... Nice job...
Glad you found the wiring problem and got it handled... I new you would find the issue at some point.. Just an FIY.. All makes and models of Ignitions have issues. I run the Orange box and it works...
Hope you got some other good repairs coming up. You are doing a great job fixing thing the rite.... Nice job...
08-23-2019, 11:26 AM
