Hello, this is my first post here on this site. I avoided posting for days as I was reading all the old threads on No spark situations and don’t want to waste anyone’s time with basic stuff. I’m afraid I must now do just that. I’m new to the testing equipment, consider that please. I used a guide on a site called troubleshoot my vehicle/how to test ICM to do the following, as well as prior threads on this site to test things.

My 1992 has always ran very well. owned for 8 years and It last drove 2 weeks ago. It cranks but there is no spark off the main coil using HEI tester.
COIL
-Both sides of the plug in to the coil have 12v while key is in "on" position.
-Tried a spare coil I had (MSD 8227#, same one I’m using now). Both coils ohm out approximately the same. did the following with both coils:
-Used 2 different coil spark wires (high tension wire) to HEI tester using brake line or battery terminal as Negative
--Test light on the passenger side terminal of coil plug to + positive battery during crank to test ICM. Test passed by test light flashing during crank

ICM (fender mounted, grey, Motorcraft)
-replaced unit with new identical unit listed above.
-tested wire harness continuity, good.
-LED tested the PIP signal on top wire of ICM, (or wire 6 PIP input), led flashed during crank
if I did this correct, it shows that a PIP signal is present right?

outside of these tests I unplugged Spout, ECM, in separate tests to see if I gained spark at coil. No spark.

outside of all this, I've checked fuses. Tried to remotely plug in a new distributor looking for spark at the coil using the HEI tester at coil, again no spark, I Heard a arcing noise when spinning distributor. distributor body directly wire clamped to negative battery terminal. all the new distributor tests were done with and without SPOUT as well as with and without ECM plugged in.

I believe I will need to give up and have it towed somewhere in shame, as all my tests are passing, but I have clearly overlooked something or I am not doing the tests correctly. Feel free to pick apart my tests and ask the basic questions. Im willing to retest things and suffer the basic questions.

A few final Ideas that I never saw mentioned anywhere, that maybe someone could chime in on is a possible bad Ignition switch? could that cause a no spark? The last time I drove the truck I raised the steering column, could that have done anything in the column to cause a no spark?
thanks for the read-

 

Please tell us how you are testing for spark? Have you tried starting with starting fluid in the TB to be sure no spark is your problem?



This is not correct. How are you testing this? The coil has a + side and - side. Your - side could light the test light, if that is what you are using, as the positive side is trying ground thru the light. On the - side, it should flash on and off while cranking.

 

You are correct, the orange / yellow stripe on passenger is Negative and the red is positive on connector. I have it unplugged with key on. Spark test I’m using HEI tester on coil with the high tension wire. I’ve tried two wires that have maybe 4-6 ohms impedance

 

Not sure what you are saying here but it sounds like you have spark (arcing noise).

Were you using another distributor not mounted in the engine and spinning it wired to the ignition system?

 

New distributor, yes, I was. I think I was hearing the spark in the distributor.

I have a embarrassed conclusion after the comment about the coil plug polarity.

just putting everything back together to be sure I can say something

 

The conclusion is a bad coil and a bad coil plug. After a third coil was tried I had spark on the hei tester. After cleaning the connector and pushing it together so that it had a better connection, I had the original coil working, but not the replacement.

 

In your defense...its Monday, and at least you got it