My key is in dash by the lighter.

The adapter that pulgs into the key tumbler assembly is a big fat round rascal with two slide clips.

How are you inserting the pics in the post? In your gallery and linking???? I'll post a diagram from Detroit Iron here once I figure that out.

I'll check the tach thing in a bit.

Will a spark plug wire fire from the coil to ground? If no prob with that I'll use that to test and verify the coil to dizzy is good.

 

1. You have power to the coil and it looks correct.
2. You replaced the module. We can assume it's good, but the next time you go to the parts store it would not hurt to verify the module you are using is good. Autozone has a tester.

I would pull the dist cap and make sure the dist is turning when you crank the engine. If it does, then one piece you haven't replaced is the dist pickup inside the distributor.

 

 

I can't get it to crank until there's some fire to burn the fuel

 

Tried the tach test. I used a fused voltage tester. THe kind where the fuse link glows if ther eis voltage. I got a little dimmer under crank load but not by much and there was clearly no blink visible with the naked eye.

I also recal when using a voltage meter yester day that the only variation I could see in the reading is the voltage was 2 volts higher under crank load which think is expected. The voltage reading may have varied a couple of hundredths but I don't think that indicates an on off state.

Advance doesn't have the plugs for this module to test it so if auton zone doesn't have the plugs either I'll trade this one in for a new one and see.

 

Found some nice troubleshooting instructions for Duraspark troubleshooting on Autozone.com. Trying those.

 

That looks just like the diagram I use while making the diagram above.

 

Like this one.

 

I believe that's my switch Subford

Added new module. No change.

Went through the autozone troubleshooting guide that I could without starting the engine. Got to the last thing which its says the voltage to the white wire from the ignition switch should be within 1v of battery voltage when under crank load. I get battery voltage with the key on but it drops to between 6 & 7 under cranking load.

I pulled a bunch of the tape off under the big harness under the dash and found that there's at least something wrong with the heater fan circuit. I could wiggle things around and the fan would go on and off. Don't know that that has anything to do with it but it sure makes me suspect something to do with ignition switch of wiring. Mainly because the fan is supposed to circulate air in a low setting any time you turn the switch on, right. Well this wiggle causes that to even go off so suspect the ig switch.

So, I dragged that ******* around where I get it in the shade of the garage and a concrete floor with my tractor. One Ford leading a helpless Ford. LOL

The wiring in there is crap so I'm tearing all of it loose and checking everything. There's a bunch added ono over the years before I had it so all that is out of here. Check it all and retape it, replace any that needs it.

There's a short in this thing somewhere. I sear the harness wiring was hot feeling. That could be the summer heat but ..................

 

You had voltage to the coil. All you need after that is voltage on the red wire to the module, and it should fire up. That ends the ignition switch's role in the engine having spark. If you check the voltage on the battery during cranking, you probably only have 7 or 8 volts there, so that's why you only have 7 volts on all the wiring during cranking.

During the autozone tests, did they have a test for the pickup in the distributor? You also didn't say if the rotor is turning when you try cranking it with the dist cap off.

 

Actually I have not checked to see if the dist was turning. If it isn't wouldn't that mean a busted timing chain, or worse?

The battery voltage is 11+ volts. The white wire off the ignition switch going to the module should be within 1 volt according to the autozone thing. It's way more than 1 volt off when I hit the starter.

This problem was intermittent until it just quit firing at all. I don't think things that stop the dist just go on and off?? Yes/No Lots I don't know but I'm learning fast. :-)


I've got dist pickups on the parts list for tomorrow. I'm just going to change them out since they look like the orginal. I did not do that test.

I untaped a ton of stuff this afternoon under the hood and cleaned it up and retaped it. I didn't find any shorts, etc. in the main harness. I've left all the secondary stuff like lights etc. unplugged just in case.

 

I noted that the diagram you posted also shows a Red/Blue stripe wire going into the Ignition Module and not a White like on my 82 and 83.
Do you have the White wire at the Module or is it a Red/Blue stripe wire?
I take it that was a 1978 diagram you posted?

 

I've looked at this thing long enough I should recall but.......... I do know the white wire coming from the ig sw doesn't pass through to the white wire going into the module. Can't figure why they'd do that but that's the way it pins out. I don't recall the two wire colors that connect to the two white wires. I'll check it for you tomorrow.

 

But the battery voltage will not be 12 volts during cranking. The starter will pull the voltage down, depending on the condition of the battery. I didn't want you to think you had wiring problems because you have 7 volts on some wiring during cranking, when you probably only have 7 or 8 at the battery while cranking.

Yes, I know you don't want to think about it, but it does happen. What happens more frequently is the oil pump locks up, which strips the dist gear and it will not turn anymore. It just takes a couple of seconds to check, and hopefully thats not the problem.

 

First thing happens tomorrow is the dist cap comes off and I spin that 460.

If it doesn't turn it will be a few days before y'all hear from me again. I'll be in mourning. :-)

So if the dist doesn't turn the coil will not fire? I'm checking "fire" by grounding a bare sparkplug. Used to see the spark that way when this problem was intermittent.

Is it possible the dist would turn sometimes and not others?

What makes the coil get hot merely by leaving the key on?