Need Help with Ignition Problem

xsvstang

New Member
Apr 5, 2001
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BACKGROUND
I just swapped in a 3550 for the c4 in the 89 in the signature. Prior to doing that I did not disconnect the battery. During the process of removing the starter I hit the contacts a few times throwing some sparks. I also tacked up my crossmember with a welder after adjusting. I have bypassed the neutral safety switch. No electrical connections to the tranny at this time. The car is carbed and obviously no computer.


THE PROBLEM

Now the car will crank, but not start. The ignition is a msd ready to run distributor with a magnetic pickup and a blaster coil. The coil got very hot while trying to start the car and started sounded like it was sizzling.
I am getting power to the coil, but I am not getting spark from the coil.

WHAT I HAVE TESTED I ran through MSD procedures for testing the pickup in the distributor by measuring ohms and it passed.

The + side of the blaster coil has 10.75 volts.

I have replaced the blaster coil with a new one.
I have checked all my grounds to make sure when I welded I did not fry one.
I checked all the connections under the dash from where I did the pedal swap and everything looks good.

Where else should I be checking?
 
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The only thing to test, according to the msd troubleshooting guide, is the magnetic pickup, which I did test.


...if should have said tested the pickup in the distributor, not coil...it is fixed now.
 
Are you sure your getting spark? Remember you need air, fuel and spark for a engine to fire... I am missing the point of the tranny change causing the starting issues. I get the neutral safety switch but your cranking now and that problems should be resolved. I also guess beceuase we are assuming it was running before the tranny switch. Did you make the double swap of tranny and ignition?

Allen
 
The tranny switch should have nothing to do with it, as the car was running prior to the swap. It is only germane as that is when I arced the starter.

I put the old blaster coil on my other mustang. The car started. It is not the coil. This is a 4 cylinder to 408w conversion. The only wires going to the positive side of the coil is the 12v keyed source and the positive from the distributor. The only thing going to the negative post is the tach wire and orange wire from the distributor (per msd ready to run distributor installation)

I left the tach wire off and the car fired when I cranked it. I cranked it again and got a grinding noise as the starter bolt came loose from the bellhousing.

That lovely process wasted the starter.

So I am done troubleshooting until I replace the starter.