I have an 84 Ford F250 with a built 351 windsor in it. My problem is the distributor.......DOESNT ADVANCE!!!!!! WHY!!!! Its the 500miles mark after the build and I stuck a timing light on it to see where she was at. It was still cold so I figure I might as well look. WHAT??? its still running 12 degrees at 1500rpm. The heck? so I rev farther.....still 12 degrees. 4000rpm still...................12 degrees.

Its a TFI distributor so no mechanical or vacum advance that I can speak of. Just a huge plug that goes in the front of the dizzy.

Is my Ignition module the problem?<O</O

What controls the ignition advance on these distributors?

Please help! I wanna race around in it already! <O</O

 

Your computer under the dash, behiond the ashtray, handles the timing. The computer is probably no longer working. Which will affect the distributor advance.The truck will still run. However, not as well as it normally should. It won't pass emissions because of this. I had the computer go out on mine when it had the TFI ignition in it.

 

I don't think the ignition module is the problem. Your problem has to do with your truck's computer. For some reason, it is not getting a signal from the carburetor that it uses to make adjustments to the ignition timing.

My guess is that you changed the carburetor from stock to aftermarket? If you did, more than likely your new carburetor isn't a feedback style carburetor, which means it is incapable of sending a signal to the computer, therefore the computer isn't advancing your timing on the distributor.

If your computer is still stock (feedback), then check the carb electrical connections that feed to the computer, the distributor, then check the computer itself.

 

If you have no vacuum line on the dist, then you do have a computer controlled dist with no advance weights and no vacuum advance can on it. You probably have gotten rid of all the wires and sensors on the engine correct? It will never work properly without all the original sensors and other stuff.

Your options are to get an older duraspark II dist and module, and wire it up, or you can drop in one of the new fangled one wire HEI distributors. You could also go totally MSD, Mallory, or another aftermarket type dist. If you have the money, I have always heard good things about the MSD 6 ignition system. You can buy the MSD 6 box, and trigger it with a MSD dist, or any other type dist you decide to buy.

 

thanks for the replys. Yes I have all aftermarket stuff on the engine. Problem was when I got the truck almost all of the harness was previously hacked up.

With a one wire HEI dizzy. what is it going to be connected to? IE what wire?

Is it simple tro convert to a different distributor. Also I already have an MSD 6AL box.

Also my friend has a blown 351M with a vacum advance dizzy in it. its an 86 Ford F150 Ranger. Would this work in mine?

 

351m dist won't fit. The 351w is an oddball, related to the 289/302 dist, but with a larger driveshaft for the oilpump.

With the one wire HEI, you will run a new 12 gauge wire from the switched power source in the fuse box, to the new dist. You already have a hot wire out at the dist you could use(I think it's white/blue) but the Chevy guys always recomend running a heavier wire for the HEI, and GM runs a heavier wire in the OEM harnesses.

 

Im looking into this distributor. Would this work for me? What do these 3 wires go to hanging off of it? Will I still use my current coil on the engine or does this dizzy have one built into it? Thanks

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

 

If you read really close you will see this is a "direct factory replacement" dist. So they have it setup to plug right into a duraspark II module harness. That's why it has the strange plug on it.

Go to the MSD site. I think the MSD box can be driven directly by this dist, but you will have to look to make sure. Otherwise to use this dist, you are going to have to get a duraspark module and wire it up. This dist by itself will not drive the coil.

 

would my friends 86 F150 with a vacum advance dizzy have that module on it? What does the module look like and where is it at?

 

I don't think it will. I am pretty sure even the 351W uses the TFI ignition in 1986. The TFI is used on all EEC-IV computer engines, and Ford started using EEC-IV engine control in 1984 for 302 engines, not sure on the 300s or 351s. If your distributor has the igntion module mounted on the side of the distributor, you have a TFI igntion, which needs the EEC-IV computer to advance. If you have a vaccum hose coming off the distributor, you have a Duraspark igntion, and the igntion module will be located on the driver's side inner fender.

To wire up a Ford Duraspark ignition, you will need a 1983 or older distributor. The ignition module you are looking for will be mounted on the driver's side plastic inner fender. It will be a little silver box with wires coming out of it. These igntion modules will be found on 1983 and older Ford trucks. If you can't find one at a junkyard, look for one at a parts house that has a BLUE grommet. That is the main advantage to using the stock Ford Durasprk igntion system; parts can be found in ANY parts house in ANY part of the country, unlike those specialty one-wire-hookup jobs. Do a search in these forums for "Duraspark." Many members, including myself, have made the swap from TFI igntion to Duraspark II with success.

Other advantages to using Duraspark II igntion system vs. one-wire hookup igntions:
- All factory FORD parts
- Parts can be found in ANY parts house in ANY part of the country
- Very reliable; used across the board for Ford vehicles in the 70's and '80s
- Spark retard function to aid in hot starts
- Parts are generally cheap and plentiful in junkyards
- Duraspark II IS a high-energy igntion system

 

wow good info! My friends 86 does have an vacum advance dizzy in it. Not sure why it does but maybe it was converted before he got it. Ill got take a look.

Could I buy a whole new duraspark ignition at a part store? ie dizzy, module,and what ever else I would need to complete the swap? I am not 100% familiar with all fords ignitions as this is the only ford I have owned. Thanks for all the replys!

So to convert my TFI, I want to make sure I got it all. I need: Duraspark module, duraspark distributor (are the only vacum distributors?) and wiring harness. Or can I just fashion my own harness? Thanks for all your guy's help!

 

You could buy everything in the store new, and wire it up yourself. But you may need to cut some of the plugs off.

Your best bet is to go to the junkyard and get everything you need except the dist. Any car or truck, any engine, so long as the module is blue, will work. The part you cannot get in the store is the wiring harness connecting the dist to the module. That, and if you could find an original motorcraft module would be reasons to go to the junkyard.

But, there is one reason you may not want to go with a Ford system. The Ford distributor. You have modified your truck for power, and if you want to get the maximum out of it, you are going to want to mess around with the timing advance curve. The Ford dist is a real pain when it comes to this, since the advance weights and springs are down inside the dist, and whole thing has to be disassembled to change them.

Tuning a certian combo requires a lot of trial and error, and the timing curve is no exception. Taking the dist out and apart many times for experimentation gets old very quick. The advantage of the aftermarket distributors is the weights are on top, and very easy to buy kits for and change. Just take the cap off and you are staring at the advance mechanism.

 

Why does the module have to be blue? Just curious.

Yes I understand the weights are a bit of a pain to get to in these distributors but id be willing to go that route.

Can the harness be made to work? As I dont have any junk yards within 50miles.

Im trying to figure out with autozones online search to get a price for those parts. What truck could I use that has a Duraspark ignition?

 

Ok I think I have the parts I need from napa and autozone. Do these look right?

http://napaonline.com/masterpages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=470&LineCode=NRD&PartNumber= 482895&Description=Distributor+(Electronic+w%2fo+M odule)+-+Remfd

I know there isnt a cap or rotor with this dist. Can I use my Cap and rotor from my TFI dist.? There both brand new so I kinda hoped to use it.

http://www.autozone.com/R,APP37018/vehicleId,1691203/initialAction,partProductDetail/store,1199/partType,00029/shopping/partProductDetail.htm

Is this the correct module? Ive done alot of reading trying to find the right one. I think this is the correct one. Thanks.

 

My computer is not working, or the link is not working, but just pick a car around 1980, and that should get you everything you need. You cannot pick an older truck, since they did not come with 351w's, they had 351m's. Car or truck, it doesn't matter. They did start putting 351w's in Bronco's and pickups somewhere around 1983, so if you wanted to punch one of those in, you could see if they have it. So long as it has the vacuum advance can sticking out of the dist, and it's for a 351w, it will work.

I would think the cap would fit, but to be sure, look your truck up as stock, and see what the numbers are for the cap and rotor. Then look these same parts up with the other year vehicle you found, and see if they are the same part number.

If you end up using a duraspark II module, the reason you want blue, is that it's the latest revision that is a simple no frills ignition. There are other color modules that Ford made, that have extra features like altitude compensation and timing retard features that you do not need, and just add to the confusion.