My 71 Chrysler Newport(383, 2 barrel) last Thursday decided not to run anymore. It ran beautifly just a few days prior to. I've discovered that it must be electrical because it's getting fuel Ive changed, the plugs, distributor cap, rotor,points(at .020 gap), balast resistor, and now the coil but im still not getting spark. theres another box I see on the fire wall it looks like an electronic ignition switch but I wasnt aware the 71 had an electronic switch could that be part of the issue.

I noticed the last year that the radio cuts out around corners so im assuming not grounded or it's shorting out.... how plausable is that an issue for not starting?

It only has original 33000m on the engine it's been babyed from the previouse and myself the second owner of the car usually only gets out for moparfest newhamburg.

 

if he changed points i don't think he has electronic ignition.

that point gap sounds a bit small, anyone have specs.?

run a jumper from the pos. battery terminal to the hot lead on the coil. if that doesn't help put a jumper cable (heavy) from the battery neg. terminal to a heavy bracket (alternator) and report back.

 

Ive changed the ballast resistor , the battery connections are good, it turns over just not firing. I'm going to check the control box ground and the main ground tonight. Thanks so much for all the advice and tips they will sure be useful! thanks for the schematics scott they will help a bunch!

 

this control box, where would it be on the fire wall? I thought this one box was the control box but i discovered it's not in series with the ballast resistor? I get juice from posi from coil to ground.... but no juice from posi from battery to negative to coil!

 

I set the points at the highest point with a feeler gauge , it's the same what I do with my old Honda ct 70 bike. I'll have to do some more phoning around because everywhere i called they said my car doesn't have condensers and it was frustrating because I could clearly see them. theirs one under the distributor cap, and it appearance to be another one coming off the positive prong of the coil to ground. thanks for posting the pictures, mine is more in the middle of the car, is it weird that it's wired not in series with the coil or ballast ? Some one I knew told me to try for connection from posi of battery to negative of coil and i was confused why and then more confused when it didn't work so thanks so much for clearing that up for me.


thank you all so much for all the help and advice I feel really stumped right now... is it possible it's the entire distributor? timing chain?

 

pos of battery to (hot) pos of coil.

this eliminates the possibility of not getting power anywhere along the line.

a jumper to the neg bat to the block eliminates any ground issues.

with the points closed, if you disconnect the negative (dist) wire from the coil and briefly touch and remove that wire, you should get a spark from the coil wire.

oh, we're assuming the distributor rotor is pointing in the right direction to #1 at TDC. and is turning when the engine is cranked. someone already mentioned that the dist hold down grounds the distributor. if it's loose, you will rarely get a good connection from the shaft.

answer those questions/tests and you'll find your problem.

 

With my car off, I'm getting a light from negative to ground and positive to ground from my coil, also from positive from battery to neg on coil I get light. As soon as I turn my car on to (on) position my light shuts off from positive battery to negative coil. I have also check wire from coil to distributor to ground and I get no spark. whats the best way to check to see if theirs power coming out of the coil to the distributor?

 

see the above post and give me those answers. forget your other tests.

 

when the engine cranks the the rotor spins, if that's what you mean by it turning. In the right direction #1 at TDC? when you said spark from coil wire do you mean the wire I'm touching or the wire going out from coil to distributor?

positive battery to positive coil, negative from battery to block. I touched the negative coil side with a circuit tester and I get light.

 

yes, yes and yes!

 

Thank you all very much for all your help and advice, I very much doubt I would have gotten her running without all the great help!

 

so, what did you find?

 

I guess when I set the point gap the first time it wasn't 100% on the highest point, it was a thou off and bam it started right up!

 

ok, thanks for the reply.

 

thanks a bunch