Everything should be tight. If you have the type of coil with the plain posts were the connector just slips on, that set-up is a little hard to deal with. I wonder if the parts store or Ford carry this connector? The only other option I see is soldering the wire directly to the coil.

 

Thats the kind I have. The one with the half circle plastic connector. I will see if I can get the new metal wire connector that snaps inside the plastic one, see what the parts store has.

 

I replaced the U shaped coil connector with a new one from a local parts store $5.00. Although that connection is tighter it is not my problem. I finally had some time yesterday to pull out my haynes manual and do some of the duraspark tests in chapter 5.

Ignition coil (run) supply voltage + = 6.8, good!
also tested this with a light. in "Run" (+) low light, in "Start" strong light.
In "Run" (-) no light, in "Start" no flashing light until I started to turn key off!?

Red module wire= 11.34 in "run", 7.2 in "start" (jumping to 10+ when turning key off) ??
White module wire= .18 in run, 10.9 in start. good?

Primary circuit continuity-
voltage green module wire (Run) = 1.27; should be 1.50 volts, NOT good.
Ignition Module ground circuit
voltage Black module wire (Run) = .19; should be 0.5 volts or less- o.k!

Because of the Green moduel wire volts are to low the manual says to inspect the wiring harness and connectors between the module and the coil for a short circuit ( will I have to have the engine up to normal operating temp. to check this? I am assuming so). Do those pigtail connectors come apart on the male side? If I find out the pigtail conn. is bad can I purchase a new one at local parts stores?

Thanks,
Eric

 

If you have a Tachometer disconnect it at the coil, it or its wires may be shorted to ground, you will have these wires leaving the coil even if you do not have a Tachometer.

You might try temp. jumping the white wire to the Pos Post of the battery to see if the Neg side of the coil flashes while cranking, it will start this way but the timing will be off.

 

Here is a wiring diagram.

 

Subford-
I do not have a TACH on my truck. I only have 1 wire on the NEG side of the coil (green) that runs to the Module.
What white wire are you referring to to temp. jump to the POS side of the battery?
Thanks for the diagram. I can't read it to good though. The print is to small.

 

There should be two green wires at that plug by the module and one goes to the dash for a tach even if you do not have one. The one coming out of the module.If you would email (not PM) with your email address I will email it to you.

 

This doesn't sound correct. The green wire going to the negative coil terminal should have a flashing voltage when the engine is turning.

When you did your checks, did you do it with the engine warm and it would not run, or did you do it cold?

What I would do is do all the checks with the engine cold, when the engine will run. Make a note of what you have. Then do the checks again when it will not start, and compare the readings.

What is happening now is everything is getting very confusing with all these checks. It can happen to the best troubleshooters. What I would concentrate on, is all the voltages coming in, which would be the red module wire, and the coil + wire. It looks like you had voltage on them when you did your tests, but would the engine run at that time?

If you can do the tests, and check for the incoming voltages when the engine will not run, and you do have the incoming voltages, then you know the problem is in the area of the module, the dist, and the wiring between the two. When you know this, you can tear everything apart in this area, looking for problems.

 

Yes I believe it is supposed to also. It flashes when I start to turn the key from start to run!? I am thinking my problem is either a short in the green wire circuit from the module to the coil or.... a bad coil. I guess I have not yet ruled out the stator assembly/connector. Right now I am leaning towards the green wire circuit. I will try to locate a problem there. Is that where you would start?
How do I test for a short in a circuit? I am sorry, electronic testing for dummies. I am learning alot from trying to troubleshoot this problem though.

 

I did the tests after I drove the truck around and let it sit for 15 minutes. I will double check again while cold and then hot.
In order for spark I would have to have constant voltage, in Run and Start, to the + side of the coil and a pulsating voltage to the - side of the coil. Is this correct?

 

Yes this is true.

A non working system when you put voltage on the coil (turning the key on) and nothing happens (no pulse) and when you remove the power from the coil (turning key off) can and does cause a coil to spark.

I have emailed you the above diagram, let me know if you get it.
I emailed it to the esgaleusa address.

 

Yes, you are getting a handle on how it works now. You can actually take a battery charger, put the positive cable on the + of the coil, and then touch the negative cable of the charger on and off the - of the coil. Everytime you do this, you will get a spark out of the coil if you hold the large coil wire near the case of the coil.

 

Thanks for that diagram. I can read it great.
I am still double checking all my meter readings both cold and hot. I think it may be the pigtail with the green/orange/purple/black from the module/coil.

Q 1: Have any of you taken one of those pigtails ALL the way apart to reveal the wires?
Q 2: Where can I get another pigtail? I think Ford calls it C323. Or what are my options? I checked at my local salvage yards and no one had any from a 1983.

Eric

 

C323 is a Connector and what you are calling a pigtail is the DS II Ignition Harness.
The C323 end plugs into the four pins plug (O, P, BK/LG, LG) of the DS II Ignition Module and the other end has a plug C322 that plugs into a three pin plug (O/Y, P/LB, BK/LG) near the base of the Distributor. It also has Three branch wires with two of them going to a two pin plug C311 (BK/LG, DG/Y) form the two plugs C322 and C323. The other branch wire from C323 (DG/Y) goes to the C318 that clips onto the Ignition Coil. The other wire in C318 (+, R/LG) goes to Connector C325 a four pin Plug.

A lot of trucks have this same harness but some where you will have to cut a wire or two to splice into your harness.

If it is bad and I would doubt that it is, it would be easier to just repair yours unless it is burned up and it does not sound like it is.

 

How do I get it apart to repair it?