To fix it properly you need to trace the wires and find the fault . You can spend a lot of money throwing parts at it . Get a wiring diagram and start there.

 

I put the multi meter on the I terminal today it read 8.5 volts when I tries to start it the volts would drop well below that and I also put the meter on the S terminal and while trying to start it only went up to about 8 volts which don't sound like its getting enough juice to me I had a 600 cold cranking and battery in the truck with it charged at 12 volts but when trying to start it the battery don't last long I'm thinking I need a bigger battery with more juice to feed the system I also put the test light on the start wires from the back of the ignition switch while trying to start ans there is power there so I'm pretty lost on the problem at the moment.

 

Have the battery checked , ck the grounds and positive cable also . What you said your voltage was sounds like a voltage or ground problem .

 

OK I've got a new starter cable on it and the others a clean but Idk how old they are should I have a ground coming from the frame to the block? All I have is a ground from block to battery and back of motor to firewall it all worked fine till I hooked all the msd up I've been having to put the charger on the battery a lot been doin slow charges to it I also thought the starter might be dragging it is pretty worn and old I have a brand new one was gonna put it on in the morning see if that might help.

 

Back to the MSD . Still ck the battery . Most parts stores do it for no charge . Ck the grounds , starter ect . Back to MSD , this all happend after that install . Something with that wiring install still seams to be an issue . Loss of power in start position . You have a couple of issues . Work on the voltage issue first . Recheck your wiring to the MSD , make sure it is the correct unit . Cross ck factory power and ground supplies vs. MSD wiring .

 

By the way my 79 F100 has the factory starter . My 53 has only been rebuilt once !

 

Well cleaned and checked every connection and still nothing even run a ground from frame to block and put on new starter I had and still nothing only thing I haven't done is have battery checked which I might do in a bit this electrical stuff really makes my head hurt I'm still wondering if I need a bigger battery cause I do have a bigger electric fan out of a contour, a Holley blue fuel pump, and now msd.

 

fordman have you looked into the 3g alternator upgrade? with running fans and stereos and all the high power stuff we like to put in our old truck its the best thing you can do for it. if the battery is fairly new and tests good thats all you really need. the factory alternator can have a hard time keeping up with all this new stuff.

i know when i put my msd in i got my key power from the original coil wire. i unplugged my coil and ran my msd key power wire from that location and never had trouble. you should also be able to to tap into the red/blue wire in the two-wire plug that powers the original ignition module. if you look at a diagram the red/blue wires to the coil, module, and key all come together eventually at the neutral safety. you could also add a relay in between this connection to make sure you get full power to the msd in case your red/blue source is too weak(will still power a relay tho if it lights up a test light)

 

I've looked into the 3g upgrade I'm gonna put a 1 wire alt on it so I can rid of a lot of wiring I can get a 130 amp for 65 bucks new. Anyways I had the battery tested it was at 330 of 600 cranking amps so its getting a slow 2hr charge I'm thinking its the cause which I'll most likely just by a new 800 cranking amp battery. I also got the nss bypassed since I ain't running one on the trans right now.

 

Which key power wire are u talking about the orange wire that powers the coil?

 

You should not run anything that wants 12 volts from the original coil wire, because there is a resistor in between that location and the actual 12-volt source. As soon as whatever load you tie there draws current, the voltage will drop below 12 volts. I'm not saying it didn't work for you, but you should not recommend it as general practice. The reason it happens to work is because the MSD box likely draws the heavy-duty primary current through the hot-at-all-times wire that connects to the solenoid, and only uses the keyed power source as a turn-on signal.

 

Thats what the msd manual said to do they didnt care about about the resistor

 

no, orange and black from the msd power the coil. the msd has two red wires, one of course to battery which they designate HEAVY RED . the other red is what goes to keyed power, and in the diagram for ford duraspark they show the factory coil connector and to connect there.

 

I see that now; thanks for the correction.

 

What "stock ignition wires not plugged into anything" are you talking about? Think "unplugged wires" might be the cause of some problems?
You mentioned you did away with the neutral safety switch. Did you do that before or after the ignition work?

I really doubt the problem you are having has anything to do with the big electric fan, the Holley fuel pump the old starter or anything else not associated with the ignition work you did. Unless the wiring to any of those items was not correctly done.
I urge you identify and solve your current problem before tackling and new electrical projects, like installing a 1 wire alternator.

You, and several others, have commented that the problems started when you did the MSD install. You need to THOROUGHLY go through everything you did during the install. Confirm and identify every wire you worked with.

Previous posts have suggested you get a wiring diagram of your truck and confirm / double check all the wiring you have done. That is great advice. I suggest you take it. A lack of understanding of electrical circuitry can and will lead to frustration. A good / correct wiring diagram will help you understand and identify the routing and need for each wire

Electrical problems never fix themselves and rarely are cured by randomly throwing new parts at the problem. Typically, they are solved by a methodical process of elimination. That is what a number of posts have suggested and what I also suggest.

Hope this helps.

Roger Carter