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Topic: Spark Problems (Read 4347 times) previous topic - next topic

Spark Problems

Reply #15
Quote from: softtouch;149357


Your ignition module should have six wires to it and two plugs. If you have more or less wires you have the wrong module..

This part he's good. Green, Black, Orange, Purple, Red and White

Quote from: softtouch;149357

In the two wire plug:
The white wire should be hot in start only.
The red wire should be hot in start and run.

He's good. He wired it just like I did to mine. White to red/light blue and red to grey/yellow. Not sure if this is textbook how to do it but mine is and it starts right up

Quote from: softtouch;149357

On the coil:
The Batt (red wire side) should be hot in start and run.

IIRC, he's good on this one


Quote from: softtouch;149357

Unplug the four wire plug from the ignition module. With your OHM meter check the resistance between the orange and purple wires going to the distributor.
If it is between 400 and 1300 ohms, the stator coil in the distributor is good
...
Check resistance between the black wire and the purple, and the black wire and the orange.
Both should be greater than 70,000 ohms. (70K ohms)


I didn't even think to have him check that

Quote from: softtouch;149357

The green wire in the module four wire plug should go to the Tach (green wire ) side of the coil.

He's good.

Quote from: softtouch;149357

Crank the engine.
Does the rotor turn?
Put the end of the coil wire near ground with out touching ground.
Do you have spark?

As I remember, he didn't. May or may not have imporoved or changed though.

Quote from: softtouch;149357

I don't know about the different gears on the distributor. It may make a difference in gear wear or something.
BUT as long as the distributor is turning it should have spark.


This doesn't seem a problem. It wouldn't effect sparking. Would ruin a cam gear quick I've heard though

Spark Problems

Reply #16
Quote from: 84 Fila;149358
Carl's not on, but I can help with some of this. I was on the phone as we tried to figure this out


Let him read it himself.

Spark Problems

Reply #17
as I said before, we already checked everything with the multimeter.

Voltage Ohms on everything that you mentioned and more.

Also, I have all the right parts besides the distributor. I think the iron gear goes down a bit further than the steel one so maybe the gear is not spinning properly.
2013 Focus (Daily)
1968 Cougar XR7
1987 Turbo Coupe
5 Speed, Stock IHI, Aeromotive 340LPH, Stinger 3in DP w/Magnaflow 3in Race Series ler, Hallman Boost Controller, Corbeau Fixed Back Racing Seats, Rebuilt 35# Injectors, Kirban AFPR, Stinger's Front Mount Piping w/Big NPR Front Mount IC, 3/8 E-85 Fuel Lines, SPEC Stage 3+ Clutch, Explorer 4.0 Dual Core Radiator, Optima Red Top Battery
1988 Turbo Coupe (RIP)
1984 Cougar (RIP) :cougarsmily:
1986 Cougar XR7 5 Speed.  (sold)

Spark Problems

Reply #18
Quote from: 84 Fila;149360

He's good. He wired it just like I did to mine. White to red/light blue and red to grey/yellow. Not sure if this is textbook how to do it but mine is and it starts right up


According to my diagrams, the grey/yellow wire should be hot only in "run". Not in "start".
The original red/light green wire that went to your coil is hot in both "run' and "start".

Spark Problems

Reply #19
Very well might be right. I guessed on all of my wiring and it just seemed to work. I do have my red(+) side of my coil to the red/light green wire though. So should I move my red duraspark wire over to that r/lg wire too?

Spark Problems

Reply #20
No I would not change the grey wire if it is working.

Carl;  The Grey/Yellow wire was an unused wire in your car. It is for cars with a carb sold in Canada. So don't assume it's hot in "run", someone may have cut it under the dash and used it for something else.

Carl; The rest of this has nothing to do with why you have no spark while cranking.

The thing we have been ignoring is the ballast resistor that the DSII system uses. The"run" voltage goes through the resistor to get to the coil. This drops the voltage on the coil to 6 to 8 volts.

The DSII coil is not designed for continuous operation at 12 to 14 volts. This would increase the current flow through the coil and ignition module. Possibly causing them to overheat and be damaged.

The purpose for this is to compensate for the battery voltage sag during starting. The voltage sags to 10 volts and lower. So they bypass the ballast resistor during start.

I don't know how they compensate for this in the TFI ignition.

The unknown is how your coil compares to a DSII coil.

When I said the red wire on the module was hot for "start" and "run" I lied. It is hot in "run" and warm in "start". In "start" it gets its voltage through the ballast resister.

To wire it the way the DSII diagram shows you would have to follow the R/LG wire from the coil back to an area behind the left headlight where it is splices together with a BR/PK wire. Cut off the BR/PK wire and extend it to the coil area where you would install the ballast resistor. The BR/PK is hot in "Start", The R/LG would be hot in "run".

DSII coil primary resistance Batt to Tach (+ to -) .8 to 1.6 ohms
DSII coil secondary Batt to high voltage terminal 7700 to 10,500 ohms
DSII ballast resister .8 to 1.6 ohms

TFI IV coil primary Batt to Tach (+ to -) .3 to 1.0 ohms
TFI IV coil secondary Tach (-) to high voltage terminal 800 to 11,500 ohms.

The DSII diagram is in another Carl thread.

Spark Problems

Reply #21
Wait, I don't have a ballast resister on mine and it runs fine. Again should I do this now. Sorry to jack' Carl but our setups are  near twins.

Spark Problems

Reply #22
this is Carl I am at kingcars house.

I hooked the red wire from the module to the positive from the coil, in fact we hooked the white from the module there too. We are now getting great spark so that problem is fixed. Now, I just need to work on timing.

Spark Problems

Reply #23
If it helps, I have mine set at 14* with preimum gas. But for regular 10-12* is safe bet

Spark Problems

Reply #24
I will redo a Wiring Diagram for this that makes everything really simple

All you have to do with both the red and white is connect them to the plus side of the coil.

I am also going to be working on a step by step instruction guide to do this without the any of the problems I had. This is so easy once you realize the diagram actually tells you to connect the red and white to the positive of the coil. We just never saw it because the diagram is horribly done.

btw

Kingcars and I got the car to start! 2 times and run for about 30 seconds the best time. We are getting closer!
2013 Focus (Daily)
1968 Cougar XR7
1987 Turbo Coupe
5 Speed, Stock IHI, Aeromotive 340LPH, Stinger 3in DP w/Magnaflow 3in Race Series ler, Hallman Boost Controller, Corbeau Fixed Back Racing Seats, Rebuilt 35# Injectors, Kirban AFPR, Stinger's Front Mount Piping w/Big NPR Front Mount IC, 3/8 E-85 Fuel Lines, SPEC Stage 3+ Clutch, Explorer 4.0 Dual Core Radiator, Optima Red Top Battery
1988 Turbo Coupe (RIP)
1984 Cougar (RIP) :cougarsmily:
1986 Cougar XR7 5 Speed.  (sold)

Spark Problems

Reply #25
I'll help out with the writ up any way I can.

Spark Problems

Reply #26
Quote from: Carl;149365
as I said before, we already checked everything with the multimeter.

Voltage Ohms on everything that you mentioned and more.


Help me understand why this did not uncover the problem.

Spark Problems

Reply #27
Quote from: softtouch;149690
Help me understand why this did not uncover the problem.


b/c everything checked out fine.
2013 Focus (Daily)
1968 Cougar XR7
1987 Turbo Coupe
5 Speed, Stock IHI, Aeromotive 340LPH, Stinger 3in DP w/Magnaflow 3in Race Series ler, Hallman Boost Controller, Corbeau Fixed Back Racing Seats, Rebuilt 35# Injectors, Kirban AFPR, Stinger's Front Mount Piping w/Big NPR Front Mount IC, 3/8 E-85 Fuel Lines, SPEC Stage 3+ Clutch, Explorer 4.0 Dual Core Radiator, Optima Red Top Battery
1988 Turbo Coupe (RIP)
1984 Cougar (RIP) :cougarsmily:
1986 Cougar XR7 5 Speed.  (sold)

Spark Problems

Reply #28
Did ya ever time it. And did that solve the problem?

Spark Problems

Reply #29
Quote from: softtouch;149357
Your ignition module should have six wires to it and two plugs. If you have more or less wires you have the wrong module.

In the two wire plug:
The white wire should be hot in start only.
The red wire should be hot in start and run.


Maybe you can understand my confusion. You used the red wire on the coil to provide voltage to these two wires that you say "checked out" as having the required voltage on them.