Ignition problems again. Please help!
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Ignition problems again. Please help!
My 85 302 is converted to carb and has an HEI distributor in it. I had the module burn up so I replaced it and everything else in the distributor with Petronix parts. It had been running fine until today I went to take it out for a drive and it died on me. Lost all spark. I let it cool down for about 30 minutes and I got it to fire up, but it was only running on 7 cylinders. I limped it home and let it cool down again. I fired it up to move it closer to my garage and it fired up on all 8 and idled real nice until I went to move it. It dropped back to 7 cylinders so I just shut it off for tonight.
I'm tired of the HEI and I want to switch it over to an electronic ignition system. I found this one for a nice price (Ford Race ProDistributor6AL Ignition Box & Coil:Amazon:Automotive)
How much work is it to switch from a vacuum advance to an electronic system like this? I'm pretty ignorant to everything electric and it's my least favorite thing to work on with this truck. Is it as simple as just buying the Kit and following the directions to install it? This truck is driving me crazy.
I'm tired of the HEI and I want to switch it over to an electronic ignition system. I found this one for a nice price (Ford Race ProDistributor6AL Ignition Box & Coil:Amazon:Automotive)
How much work is it to switch from a vacuum advance to an electronic system like this? I'm pretty ignorant to everything electric and it's my least favorite thing to work on with this truck. Is it as simple as just buying the Kit and following the directions to install it? This truck is driving me crazy.
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HEI is a GM electronic ignition to the best of my knowledge and your link showed what looks to me like a HEI adapted to fit Ford.
Strictest sense all ignitions are electronic.
My '85 has the DSII ignition, which has always performed well for me. Recommend staying close to OEM unless doing major changes like building a hot rod.
Strictest sense all ignitions are electronic.
My '85 has the DSII ignition, which has always performed well for me. Recommend staying close to OEM unless doing major changes like building a hot rod.
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HEI is a GM electronic ignition to the best of my knowledge and your link showed what looks to me like a HEI adapted to fit Ford.
Strictest sense all ignitions are electronic.
My '85 has the DSII ignition, which has always performed well for me. Recommend staying close to OEM unless doing major changes like building a hot rod.
Strictest sense all ignitions are electronic.
My '85 has the DSII ignition, which has always performed well for me. Recommend staying close to OEM unless doing major changes like building a hot rod.
I've thought of going back to a duraspark type but I'd like to go a step above stock. Any recommendations?
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Guess is coil not well grounded or not getting 13+ volts, or coil not good when heated. I suspect that simply changing the dizzy will mean another bad dizzy. I'm not good enough to guide you through all the steps over the net, but check/change the coil and check the input voltage at the coil.
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I forget. I did whatever the Haynes manual said. .44? They're champion RC12YC plugs as recommended by Edelbrock. I'm just waking up so I'm gonna get some breakfast and get out there and start looking at things.
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From: Virginia
This missing. Is it only at idle? Is it constant thump thump miss and a putt putt in the exhaust or a random engine shake and random puttering out of the exhaust?
Remember, you converted this to carb to make it simple. Keep at it.
Remember, you converted this to carb to make it simple. Keep at it.
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The previous owner did the conversion years ago and I'm bringing it back up to snuff. I ordered a new HEI dizzy for cheap on Amazon instead of a second tune up Kit. I'm gonna start fresh. The plugs are now new, I'll probably grab another set of wires too even though I did those last August.
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smoke? carb? What did the plugs look like when you pulled them? some pics here of what they might look like; NGK Spark Plugs USA
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It only blows black smoke when it isn't firing right. I have a holley red pump pushing 7psi into the carb. I have a snorkel on the truck so I think at idle it just doesn't pull enough air through it. I have the idle air screws set as lean as I can get it.
All the plugs had carbon all over them. That was about it. I figure that's just from the way it idles. I haven't even gotten to drive it much. It's always just idling in my driveway.
Edit: the carb is a holley truck avenger 670. I put it on the truck right out of the box and didn't mess with the jets any. The only thing I did was put a different accelerator pump cam in it.
All the plugs had carbon all over them. That was about it. I figure that's just from the way it idles. I haven't even gotten to drive it much. It's always just idling in my driveway.
Edit: the carb is a holley truck avenger 670. I put it on the truck right out of the box and didn't mess with the jets any. The only thing I did was put a different accelerator pump cam in it.
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From: Virginia
It only blows black smoke when it isn't firing right.
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I have a new way for you to think about it; "When it blows black smoke it doesn't fire right". Go out to your weedeater or lawnmower, get it running good, and then slowly apply the choke. It starts blowing black smoke and starts missing correct? Open the choke back up and it clears up.
I had my timing light on it to see if it had somehow slipped but I was at 10* btdc with the vacuum advance plugged and then the strobe on the timing light started cutting out. I confirmed that I had a good connection on the #1 plug wire so I have intermittent spark on #1 at least.