<style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> Bare with me fellows I am new to the Forum and to this site.
I have been a Ford fan for years I grew up learning to drive in a 61 uni-body pickup.


I have a 1966 Ford F100 with 352 5.8L V8, with four on the floor.


I recently installed a Pertronix Distributor with a Flamthrower Coil and a new 1.6 ohm Ballast Resister. The reason I replaced the original Distributor was because of a cracked housing, on the distributor, which I have never seen before, yet there is was. Since I did that I figured I would replace the coil. I followed the instructions to the tee, yet I am having trouble starting. I acts like it is not getting enough “spark”? I have an Edelbrock ASV 750 Carb on it and it is getting plenty of Fuel.


It sputters and coughs, Yet it won't fire/start!


Any suggestions would be appreciated.
JYP

 

I have a couple of thoughts...
1. I don't think the flamethrower coils require a ballast resistor...the one I installed in my '67 mustang didn't. I don't think adding one would cause the problem you're describing, but it may not be helping the situation.

2. Do you think you might have installed the distributor off by a tooth?... it's easy to do.

 

Start over and make sure the engine is in time.

Number one TDC on the compression stroke.

Pull the valve cover and make sure.

Sounds like you are a tooth or two off on the timing.

Garbz

 

I have the same distributor / coil on my 352, recently installed, I did have to find top dead center, pulled #1 plug and bumped it until the paper towel plug I made flew out...
Makes a lot of spark.. you can gap your spark plugs wider too...

 

Wait a second. I assume you used one of their Billet distributors which is to be used with a Flamethrower II coil of 0.6 ohms of resistance. That is the internal resistance of their coil unlike our standard Ford coils which need external resistance.

So I am going to make an assumption here. You have a 1.6 ohm ballast resistor on top of their 0.6 ohm internally resistance coil. A further wild guess deals with the stock Ford pink wire which is adding more resistance from switch to coil. Lots of resistance from what I am guessing on the info you supplied. I would then bet you are nowhere close to 11v at the coil when the ignition is in the start position. You are probably under 9v at the coil (+) which means the engine will never start.

So run a jumper wire from battery to the red ignitor wire and start. A volt meter can verify your voltage as I have gotten real good at doing that on a Mopar engine switching out one electronic system for another. If this test works then dump the ballast resistor (mandatory) and bypass the pink wire which is easy and get 12v to (+) coil terminal.

 

ALL 1960/72 FoMoCo vehicles already have a resistor, this:

COLF-12250-A .. Resistor Wire-Ignition Coil (Motorcraft DY-37)

61.49" long / Color coded pink / 1.30-1.40 ohms resistance / #20 gauge wire.

Why would it be necessary to install a ballast resistor since the truck already has this resistor wire?

 

I like garbz2/mikulh's 'off by a tooth' answer, better.

 

You're right, my bad just wasn't thinking clearly. However with the ballast resistor in place anything is now possible. Combine this with the fact that no coil gets 12V during start even with the resistor wire bypassed. Did too much voltage testing in order to learn that. Between resistance in the start wire and old wiring you might get only 9V in start from some cars. The ballast resistor could easily drop him under 9V since my Mopar, with ballast resistor, only saw 9V at start. Bypassing that resistor and I get 11V at start. Easier to test this first before pulling off a water pump and timing cover.

 

If the new ballast resistor was installed right before the coil, then yes that would reduce voltage in start position. Being off a tooth, 180* out, firing order incorrect still are all good possibilities. Do not understand reasoning behind pulling timing cover and water pump.

 

I was reading garbz2 and wasn't paying attention to his off a tooth remark. He was talking distributor and I was thinking timing chain. How I came up with that is the bigger mystery...

 

Thanks Gentlemen, I will endeavor to check all possibilities this weekend. Much appreciated.