I need a hand with my DurasparkII wiring. My shop manual is in the mail, but I was hoping to start tackling this particular job this weekend.

I have 1979 F100, 302ci v8, c4. No A/C. The engine fires up just fine, but idles high. Haven't done much road testing yet (the truck is new to me)

The Duraspark module has 3 dongles coming from it. Currently, only two of them are connected:




the one left unconnected has 2 prongs in it.

On the engine, there is a bit of funny business:
-the two wires from the coil I believe go to the back of the alternator (there's a lot of electrical tape so i need to start peeling off the layers)
-the dongle coming from the distributor is wrapped in tape with new wires, and the wires go somewhere.
-the vacuum advance is plugged on the distributor.

taped up dizzy dongle, and plugged vaccuum advance:




Can I get a hand plugging things in where they're supposed to go? I suspect the previous owner had ignition problems, so I was leaning towards replacing the duraspark box altogether. Are all the durasparkII boxes the same? (if anyone has part numbers I can order, I'd appreciate it )

Insight on where the coil and dist should be wired to would be great too. I'm new to the Duraspark world here, so be gentle

I'm not sure if the vacuum advance on the dizzy is broken (do these break?) or should this go to an outlet on the carb somewhere?

edit: to 'fix' my wiring, it might be easier just to buy new wiring harnesses/dongles and plug things in properly. Can I get these somewhere?

 

No, all DS II modules are not the same, there are several different versions. The DS II modules are identified by the color of the plastic grommet that surrounds the wires where they exit the module housing. Blue is the most common and the best version, that's the one you should have, unless, I believe, you had high altitude emissions. Then your truck would have a yellow grommet with three pigtails. That looks like that's the one you have, but I believe it's incorrect for your truck.
The module shouldn't have anything to do with your high idle. I would first, check the idle adjustment at the carb. Then check for vacuum leaks.
Vacuum advances do go bad, the diaphragm can crack and cause vacuum leaks and not function like it should.

 

yellow, eh? Mine more dirt colored



I'll for sure check out the carb. I thought I'd take care of this wiring mess first, since it's currently at least running so I should be able to get it back to this state again before I start fiddling with other things.

So in theory I should be able to get a 'blue' DS II module and perhaps a new set of wires/dongles for the coil+distributor, and be good to go? I'll be digging deeper this weekend, but don't want to mess around with a DSII module that's probably the wrong one anyway.

 

Mike, the high altitude module's plastic grommet could be brown or yellow as Ford replaced the 1978 D8AZ-12A199-A module with the 1979 D9AZ-12A199-C module (Motorcraft DY-237-A).

The C/D catalog does not show this 1979 module or the updated part number for the blue module.

1U2Z-12A199-AA (replaced D6AZ-12A199-B & D7AZ-12A199-B & D9VZ-12A199-A) .. Ignition Module-Blue plastic grommet (Motorcraft DY-893).

 

so I should be ordering: 1U2Z-12A199-AA : Ignition Module-Blue plastic grommet (Motorcraft DY-893)
THANKS!

any part numbers for the wiring to coil and dist? There's a dongle on the distributor wires, but there must be a part that connects it to the ICM?