Last weekend I had my 95 E-350 warming up. After a few minutes it dies. I crank it again and it starts right back up. After another minute it dies again, but doesn't start. I determine it is a spark issue. The fuel pump is new, new fuel filter. Basically, it is getting fuel. Plugs and wires are new. Cap and Rotor as well. I check for spark both off of the coil, and off of the #8 plug wire. Negative on both.

It has a 351 in it. My first thought was the coil went bad. While trying to remove it the plug disintegrated. So I pick up a replacement plug but no coil yet thinking maybe the plug was just too corroded. (118,000 miles and its all original.) Then I get to thinking that it might be the ignition module mounted on the distributor. Fast forward to today I take everything apart so I can get to the distributor, there is no module. This might be a silly question but if there is no ignition module, is it the computer that is controlling spark, or is the module mounted somewhere else? I've never come across this on the old windsor V8's so I am a little perplexed.

Is the coil the main culprit here? After replacing the plug the van actually started up, but I did not replace the coil yet. I'm a little pessimistic on the coil being the actual problem. I'm thinking maybe the surfaces got a little oxidized and caused a bad ground or something.

Anyone else have any ideas? I'd like to make sure I have the problem cured so I am not driving down the road and she just dies on me.

 

The Ignition Module (ICM) is located on the drivers fender.
Both, as I said above the ICM in on the fender. If the SPOUT shorting bar is in the computer can advance the spark but the spark is controlled by the ICM. The SPOUT shorting bar must be removed to set the timing.

I would not think so most likely it was the plug. When this Ignition system goes bad the first thing is that plug or Ignition wiring and then the PIP sensor in the distributor followed by the Coil and then the ICM in that order.