Car has no spark after 2.3T swap

[nicklats]

I have a 93 2.3 and swaped in a 2.3T from a T-bird, I followed Stingers wiring diagrams. when i tried to start the car it would not fire. i have fuel but no spark, i checked the pins for the computer to make sure the distributor plug and everything is wired right and that is fine, and my battery is good and it cranks fine. I put a different distributor in and same result. What should i check now???

 

[bhuff30]

did you use the same TFI on both distributers? Most auto parts stores can test the TFI for you.
Does the tach move when you are cranking?

 

[Bogus SVO]

are ya getting 12 volts to the coil?

 

[nicklats]

The car is a 93 so it had 2 coil packs, im not sure which distributor i used ( it may be from the 88 Tbird or from a 2.3 mustang). The coil has 12 volts. I'll have to check if the tach spins when I crank it.

 

[nicklats]

If the tach wire is hooked up wrong will it cause it not to start???

 

[KenneBell]

I am also about 2 days away from finishing my Stinger swap into a 92 2.3. Hope I get spark! Did you hook all the red/green wires together that went to the DIS coils there should be 4 I think? Also The new wires going to the coil are tap spliced on so they run to the computer, the TFI module and the coil. Which computer are you using?

BY THE WAY!! I noticed that stingers wiring was upside down for one of the TFI layouts! Stock layout before re-pinning His Grey connector says that the top is Orange/Red, but it should be tan/yellow and read from bottom to top not top to bottom.

Also Check that you didn't splice into (red/light blue (or blue/tan)-->(crank 12v) This should just run from the TFI to that little screw on the top of the starter solenoid.

Hope this helps, please let me know, as I might need your help, lol!

 

[bhuff30]

If the tach wire is hooked up wrong will it cause it not to start???

no, but if the trach doesn't move, you can start tracing the problem down to the TFI.

 

[nicklats]

the tach does not spin, i think i might have used a regular 2.3 distributor and not the one from the turbo coupe.

 

[bhuff30]

the tach does not spin, i think i might have used a regular 2.3 distributor and not the one from the turbo coupe.

This means...
1. The TFI is bad. This is the modual attached to the distributer
2. The wiring to and from the TFI is bad.
3. The distributer driveis broken and not spinning the distributer at all.

 

[nicklats]

changed the distributor and still no spark, i re-checked the wires to and from TFI, there fine. Are there any distributors for a 2.3 T that have points and pickup???

 

[nicklats]

By the way, thanks for all your help guys, I wouldn't know where to start without your ideas.

 

[bhuff30]

Have the TFIs checked. Just because you have 2 distributers with 2 TFIs doesn't mean you have a single good TFI. These things crap out all the time it seems.

changed the distributor and still no spark, i re-checked the wires to and from TFI, there fine. Are there any distributors for a 2.3 T that have points and pickup???

 

[nicklats]

i checked the TFI and it was bad i bought a new one and still no spark. I just order a dual point distributor from race walsh so i can get the car on the road, later ill try and find the problem.

 

[Stinger]

That's not going to work...you need to have a stock style distributor so the computer can retard timing under boost...with a points style dizzy you will blow it up in a matter of days...if not less.

 

[nicklats]

Thanks for the info. Ill send that back. I was reviewing your notes for rewiring the harness and i did not put a capacitor inline with the coil wire harness could this be my problem???

 

[Stinger]

I doubt it...that's only for noise suppression for the radio...

 

[Dr_EluSivE]

triple check your TFI wiring, i know stinger used his 91 for wire color reference and on the 92's are probably 93's as well the wires colors were slightly different. It should look like this..

This is what mine looks like and i flipped the key and the car started instantly.. with no problems at all.

You also MUST spice all the old coil pack wires together. just put all like colored wires together.

Dr.

 

[nicklats]

I did this part of my wiring alittle different, I pulled the distributor wires(from the TFI plug to the computer) out of an 88 mustang 2.3 harness. I removed my entire harness out of the car and pulled the distributor wires threw the harness to the computer and then repined them where Stinger's notes said. The harness that can be separated from the main harness is still plugged in but the unused wires like the crank trigger sensor and coil plugs are all bundeled up. The only difference is that my distributor wires do not run threw the removed harness they are in the main harness.

The only other thing that could be causing this is when I did my motor swap I put my battery back into the car backwards and I didn't realize it till i tried to connect my battery terminal and it sparked. I could of fried something? All the fuzes are good, what else could I have fried????

I called ford tech line yesterday and they said since my injector are working then its my coil pack, im going to change the coil this weekend.

I really dont know what else to check or do.

 

[Dr_EluSivE]

I did this part of my wiring alittle different, I pulled the distributor wires(from the TFI plug to the computer) out of an 88 mustang 2.3 harness. I removed my entire harness out of the car and pulled the distributor wires threw the harness to the computer and then repined them where Stinger's notes said. The harness that can be separated from the main harness is still plugged in but the unused wires like the crank trigger sensor and coil plugs are all bundeled up. The only difference is that my distributor wires do not run threw the removed harness they are in the main harness.

The only other thing that could be causing this is when I did my motor swap I put my battery back into the car backwards and I didn't realize it till i tried to connect my battery terminal and it sparked. I could of fried something? All the fuzes are good, what else could I have fried????

I called ford tech line yesterday and they said since my injector are working then its my coil pack, im going to change the coil this weekend.

I really dont know what else to check or do.

Im not sure why you did you Dist wiring that way, its MUCH harder then just repinning the existing harness. I bet your problem lies there. Did you splice together the old coil pack wires? Hooking the battery up backwards is a Sure way to kill a computer.. Could be that too.

Dr.

 

[nicklats]

I did not have the computer hooked up when I connected the battery.