Hey guys,

I just finished the Swap in my '78 F100. Dropped a 351W in it with a C6 Transmission. Everything went in great...hooked up all the electrical (I could find), jumped in to start it up...turned over, but NO SPARK! Rechecked all the wires, ground, starter, alternator, Distributor, Pulled a spark plug wire, checked the ignition coil (which-by-the-way, the one on the Modified that was in the truck, had a "relay looking switch" coming off of it, the W doesn't) Still nothing... Here are the questions I have...

1. Coming out of the box attached to the truck (Electrical Brain) there are two hook ups. (I did pull the old wiring off the 351M I Pulled Out, which was running when I pulled it out). One of the wire hook ups (male, 2 Prong, black connector, pictured below), I have no clue what hooks up to it...



2. The 351W has an electric choke. The negative side is attached to the block. The positive (red wire)...where does it attach. It wasn't attached when I pulled it...for the most part it is in the same place it was when I bought the engine. Does it hook into the fuse panel, or does it hook into the hot side somewhere?


3. On the C6 that came with the engine (both came out of a '85 Club Wagon XL van) It has 2 female connectors that come from an adapter on the shift linkage (sorry if that is the wrong terminology, only thing I could think of)...have no clue what it plugs into, and if I even need it? The area it comes out of is a whitish gray, half moon looking thing. The van did have cruise control, of course the truck doesn't, and wont. Don't plan on driving but about 30-50 miles round trip each day.

So the main problem...NO SPARK...secondary, the wiring harness (possibly the same problem)...last (for now) - C6 wires???? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

According to my Haynes manual, a plug with orng/yel, blk/grn, ppl/blue goes to the distributor with a grn/yel going to the negative side of the coil. It looks that that is hooked up, right?

The other plug contains two wires - red/blu that traces to the starter relay and is tee'd through the neutral safety switch or backup light switch from the ignition. The second wire is blue and connects to red/yel and junctioned to a red/grn wire to the alternator regulator's "I" terminal.

The choke needs a ground and the power wire goes to a switched 12v source.

- I hope that helps.

 

run the wire for the choke to the s terminal on the alt.

 

I will look into that tomorrow...but shouldn't their be a female connector that plugs into the open connector?

 

In your first pic, do my eyes deceive me but isn't there a female connector above and behind the unconnected male plug coming out of the igniton module?

 

Yes, if you are looking at the one coming out of the firewall...Never has been plugged in, when I got this truck over a year ago, it was a farm truck...I have about talked myself into coughing up the $$$ and buying a new wiring harness...just so everything can be correct! To be honest, I don't know what it runs to either. Everything in the truck works correctly...Lights, Radio, Wipers, Seat Belt Buzzer, Cigarette Lighter, etc...so not really sure what it goes too.

As an update...the lights on the outside of the truck all work as well as the inside light...

 

Could my issue be a ground issue? The wiring from the solenoid is as follows...(from the best of my memory):

From the negative side:
- cable from solenoid to block, to alternator.
- cable from solenoid to starter
- cable from solenoid to negative terminal.
From the positive side:
- cable from solenoid to positive terminal

Do I need more grounds? If so where? and where do they attach?

 

I swapped the wire harness from a 75 into my 77 truck and had no spark with the original ignition module. Turned out that I had to use the module from the 75 to make it run. Don't know if this applies, but I thought I'd mention it to you. Different color grommets on the modules.

 

I thought of that as well early this morning (like around 1:00). If I can't figure it out...I will probably try that as well....

Any thoughts on the Lines coming from the transmission? And what to do with the Red Wire From the Choke?

 

WE HAVE IGNITION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had to run home during lunch today to pick some stuff up for the wife (I actually forgot it, and she called to thank me for getting it for her, oops), anyway...have been thinking all night and day about what to do! Pulled the "Electrical Box" pictured in Pic 1 in 1st post. Pulled it out of the van, to check it's connections...same identical things. So I grabbed the wire harness from the van no female connectors on it that would fit the 2 prong male adapter mentioned above either. So I had the bright idea to "TRY" the 3 prong female adapter to see if it would work in the 2 Prong Male adapter...of course I used the van's Electrical Box, just in-case it decided to blow it up...jumped in the truck, WHAM!!!! She fired up and RAN!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!! So I shut it down, plugged my box in, and tried it again, WHAM!!!! SO it is officially started and running! Now all I have to do is install the fan blade, radiator, hoses, and put the hood back on...(reason I didn't have that stuff hooked up, just in-case I wasn't able to get her started, I wanted to make sure I had some room to work and diagnose in problems. Only let her run about 5 seconds each time, didn't want to crack her or lock it up)

But here are some pictures of my little helper yesterday. My "brother-in-law" (actually the wife's brother-in-law, but whatever) had the day off, so HE and HIS little girl (18-19 months old) helped get it in. She was Awesome...a future little grease monkey, that loves a good ole Ford Truck! She was absolutely FILTHY, grease, grime, dirt, oil, transmission fluid all over her, walked up to us, and clear as day said..."I'm PRETTY!!" I love my little Niece! While we were moving the engine, we put her in the cab, and let her "DRIVE" Bo-Bo's (that is my nickname from the nephews and niece) Big Truck! Afterwards, she proceeded to work on the cherry picker...we would be looking for her, and she would have one of the wrenches and all you would hear was...tink, tink, tink, tink..."wrkn" Family is Awesome...I have thought about leaving this first picture on my truck and sealing it in...it is just too Awesome!

Emma Driving

Emma Being Pretty


Thanks guys...I'm Sure I will have more questions...but we are good for now!

 

Good for you. Mines finally running again. Should have everything replaced that was giving trouble. Should have anyway. Enjoy.

 

Putting everything back together this morning! How fun & exciting! So ready to have it back and running again