pertronix trouble shooting?
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Athens, GA, USA
Originally Posted by 49fordpickumup
You spoke of removing valve covers. Can't you use a screw in compression guage or your finger to find the compression stroke on #1, then put a long stick in through the spark plug hole to fine tune TDC? Old method.
Have a great day,chuck
Thanks,
doug
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Athens, GA, USA
Originally Posted by sparky
Do you have another coil to try? Reason I ask is it sounds really familiar to the probs I had when my coil failed.
I even checked the resistance and got close to the correct values 1.5 or so ohms primary and approx 7000k ohms secondary.
Soon as swapped out the coil all was well, until it overheated again...then I added some resistance to the coil + circuit and another coil.... hasn't failed again :-)
I even checked the resistance and got close to the correct values 1.5 or so ohms primary and approx 7000k ohms secondary.
Soon as swapped out the coil all was well, until it overheated again...then I added some resistance to the coil + circuit and another coil.... hasn't failed again :-)
I really hope this turns out better than it feels like it's going to.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 1999
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From: Comox Valley, Canada
Hope so too............ I guess if you have tried the basics... and you have good spark, fuel, and compression... all that is really left is timing....although if it was running good when shut off then failed on the next start.........how did the timing change??????? Unless the gear let go as the engine tried to start...........hhhhmmmmm
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Elder User
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From: Athens, GA, USA
Originally Posted by sparky
Hope so too............ I guess if you have tried the basics... and you have good spark, fuel, and compression... all that is really left is timing....although if it was running good when shut off then failed on the next start.........how did the timing change??????? Unless the gear let go as the engine tried to start...........hhhhmmmmm
just kidding.
Valve train is working. TDC on #1 Cylinder is very close to where my distrubutor is set. Rotor is turning. Mechanically it all seems to be in time.
If I try to start it and nothing happens I can turn the distributor a few degrees and discharge the coil, a cylinder will fire or I get tremendous detonation out of the exhaust. So, I think I have spark.
I am beginning to wonder if someone stopped by and played a little joke on me by moving my plug wires around.
Too much to do over the next couple of days. Saturday morning I'll start from square one.
wish me luck guys.
Elder User
Joined: May 2006
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From: Kansas City, Mo
No start
You mentioned spark plug wires. Are the wires old? Has it been raining? Check wire locations like you said. Might try to start at night to see if you have spark plug wires bleeding to each other or to ground. Good luck,chuck
Last edited by 49fordpickumup; Aug 22, 2007 at 10:04 PM. Reason: corrections
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Elder User
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From: Athens, GA, USA
Originally Posted by 49fordpickumup
You mentioned spark plug wires. Are the wires old? Has it been raining? Check wire locations like you said. Might try to start at night to see if you have spark plug wires bleeding to each other or to ground. Good luck,chuck
Like I said, it time to go back to square one and star all over. Still it makes no sense to me since it was running perfectly Saturday afternoon, then Sunday it would not do anything.
Elder User
Joined: May 2006
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From: Kansas City, Mo
No start
Your right, kind of crazy. Maybe a compression check on all cylinders to confirm valve train,cam, cylinder rings, head gaskets. Looks carb over for loose bolts,base gasket, general condition. Don't give up, more ideas will come from others. Someone will hit on the fix or like you said ,shoot it in the head, I've a good 44 if you can borrow.chuck
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From: San Jose, CA
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From: Sacramento area
You might try putting a continuity test lead on one side of points,
the other lead on other side of points. then turn engine over slowly
with big wrench. When points close, stop and check timing marks.
If close to 8* btdc, your timing is pretty close
the other lead on other side of points. then turn engine over slowly
with big wrench. When points close, stop and check timing marks.
If close to 8* btdc, your timing is pretty close
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Elder User
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From: Athens, GA, USA
Ok Guys, I win the "BONEHEAD OF THE WEEK" award!
I'll give you the long version so you can feel my frustration. I had some co-incidental things going on. My ignition switch had very high resistanct across the contacts, so not enough voltage to the coil. Replaced the switch. Found shorted wire. Ran new ignition wire. New Accel coil, plug wires, distributer pickup, new main battery feed wire to the instrument cluster/main circuit breaker (mounted behind instrument cluster) found gas guage Runtz voltage regulator shorted (to afore mentioned main battery wire), repaired. Blown fuses, etc...repaired.
It all started with the short circuit behind the intrument cluster and mushroomed from there.
Now for the bonehead of the week.........When I replaced the pickup in my distributer the other night, it was getting a little dark and difficult to see, so when I put the rotor back in the dizzy, I missed the keyway and didn't have it seated all the way down. It was about 40 degrees off from where it's supposed to be.
Long and short of it, BACK ON THE ROAD!!!!!!!
Thanks for all of the encouragement and suggestions, it makes me feel like I had all of my friends working on it with me.
I'll give you the long version so you can feel my frustration. I had some co-incidental things going on. My ignition switch had very high resistanct across the contacts, so not enough voltage to the coil. Replaced the switch. Found shorted wire. Ran new ignition wire. New Accel coil, plug wires, distributer pickup, new main battery feed wire to the instrument cluster/main circuit breaker (mounted behind instrument cluster) found gas guage Runtz voltage regulator shorted (to afore mentioned main battery wire), repaired. Blown fuses, etc...repaired.
It all started with the short circuit behind the intrument cluster and mushroomed from there.
Now for the bonehead of the week.........When I replaced the pickup in my distributer the other night, it was getting a little dark and difficult to see, so when I put the rotor back in the dizzy, I missed the keyway and didn't have it seated all the way down. It was about 40 degrees off from where it's supposed to be.
Long and short of it, BACK ON THE ROAD!!!!!!!
Thanks for all of the encouragement and suggestions, it makes me feel like I had all of my friends working on it with me.
Glad to hear it is running again and you didn't need a new engine.
Elder User
Joined: May 2006
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From: Kansas City, Mo
No start
Happy to here you are on the road again.For those of us, like me, just starting on the long road of a rebuild it feels good to assist someone in the repair of their truck. Seeing others on the road gives incouragement to us in the process of rebuilding. Have a great day,chuck
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2007
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From: Spartanburg, SC
Pertronix
First off, take your Pertronix off and throw that sucker as far as you can! I told a friend at work I was going to put one on the 455 Olds engine in my '56 F100 (yeah, I know, Ford in a Ford) and he advised against it, saying his '63 Chevy with Pertronix broke down on I85 headed for Atlanta. I scoffed at the idea and did it anyway. One Fri night about 11:00 my wife and I were on I85 in SC and had the same thing happen to us! As long as I was basically cruising it ran fine. But if I had to pass a semi (ever been on I85 between Charlotte and Atlanta?) or otherwise step on it that sucker backfired and snorted and everything else! My wife kept asking if the truck was gonna break down and I, sweating bullets, said nah, it's fine. We made it home and the next day I found out the ring that fits on the dist. shaft had somehow come apart and a clear plastic piece had come out. I have no idea how the engine ran for 15+ miles. I run points now.
As far as your engine being 45 degrees off leads me to believe the timing chain or belt ( I'm not sure what system was used) broke or somehow slipped.
Good luck on finding the problem, tho.
As far as your engine being 45 degrees off leads me to believe the timing chain or belt ( I'm not sure what system was used) broke or somehow slipped.
Good luck on finding the problem, tho.
I'll have the Roast Duck
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 9,622
Likes: 110
From: Northshore, MN
me too....odds are it's the ignition switch staying on, which drained the battery that first night.(Sat. to Sun.) Is this the original wiring, or EZ, or Ron Francis, etc... ? IIRC, Pertronix was sold to a different maker some years ago? I've never seen problems with them, but haven't bought one in about 5 years. Lastly, I once forgot to tighten down the dist. bolt on my 351M, and had timing issues too, so don't feel bad, lol.
fwiw, the duraspark II uses a resistor, whereas the tfi uses 12v. in stock form, the dsII equipped trucks have the resistor built into the run position wiring(start bypasses it), and the tfi equipped trucks use no resistor. So when building your ignition system using one of these, one has to keep the resistor in mind. just food for thought.
Glad you got it going with no expensive repairs needed.
fwiw, the duraspark II uses a resistor, whereas the tfi uses 12v. in stock form, the dsII equipped trucks have the resistor built into the run position wiring(start bypasses it), and the tfi equipped trucks use no resistor. So when building your ignition system using one of these, one has to keep the resistor in mind. just food for thought.
Glad you got it going with no expensive repairs needed.
Last edited by havi; Aug 26, 2007 at 11:49 AM.