1974 duster 440 wont start HELP

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danho440

danho440

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OK i have a 1974 duster with a 440 it was running fine then just died on me ... after some checking i have no spark at coming from the coil SO i replaced the ballest resister, the module, the coil, still no spark from the coil, now i have a new battery in the mix .. still no spark . working on it today and was having my son trun the key i got one little spark ( i had the coil wire pulled and was grounding it) only one little spark...

ok here is my question i am at a loss . please anyone give me some ideas

i am going mad
 
there is no spark going to the distribitor. no spark leaving the coil
 
Not the big external spark coil. The small pick up coil inside the distributor that takes the place of the points.
 
ok i dont understand. how would that prevent spark from the coil
 
You can check the gap(like points) but you must use a brass/wood/paper/plastic feeler gage-nothing that will react to a magnet.
 
danho440 said:
OK i have a 1974 duster with a 440 it was running fine then just died on me ... after some checking i have no spark at coming from the coil SO i replaced the ballest resister, the module, the coil, still no spark from the coil, now i have a new battery in the mix .. still no spark . working on it today and was having my son trun the key i got one little spark ( i had the coil wire pulled and was grounding it) only one little spark...

ok here is my question i am at a loss . please anyone give me some ideas

i am going mad
Click to expand...

Check to see if you have 12 volts at the positive side of the coil when you are cranking. You should have around 9 volts when you let go of the key. When you're cranking the ignition switch will provide a full 12 volts to make for a hotter spark so that the car starts easier. After letting go of the key the voltage is now coming through the ballast resistor and therefore is at a lower voltage. This is done so that the coil isn't damaged. You can try jumping 12 volts to the positive side of the coil and see if that makes it start. If it does I would suspect the ignition switch. P.S. Do not leave the 12 volts jumped to the coil for a long time as this might damage the coil.

Good Luck!!!
 
i have not replaced the pick up coil... but yes there is power everywhere.
 
ok just so I am getting this straight if the pickup coil is bad there will be no spark from the coil to the distributor
 
I would check the pick up coil first-unplug the two pin plug/wire coming from the distributor and ohm them out (check for continuity ) you should get a few hundred ohms reading. If it checks ok plug it back together. now check the gap (see the warning about no magnetic feeler gages). Some one help me I do not remember the gap reading but it should be close but not touching.
 
i will do that .. also i just order a new pickup coil .. why the hell not its all new anyway...
 
I think the first thing I Would do is check all the grounds if you only have one ad two more at lest.. of all the years I have had mopars I have never had a pickup in the dist, go bad unless I was welding close to it with a bad ground hook up.I have had the control boxes go bad(orange box)but most of the time it was because of a ground..that's if your getting a weak spark..try to hot wire it that should tell you if its any of the things you have dun.and if you get in the dist,poking around make shour you have a brass feeler gage.most feeler gage sets have them in there..dont give up I'm shour it's something were over looking.hay maybe it's the ignition switch its self??
 
now i am way pissed. tried messing with it this morning. when i went to take the battery out the positive terminal was super hot to touch, is there any way to replace the pickup coil without pulling the whole dist


i am at my end of my rope now
 
godfatherofchry said:
I think the first thing I Would do is check all the grounds if you only have one ad two more at lest.. of all the years I have had mopars I have never had a pickup in the dist, go bad unless I was welding close to it with a bad ground hook up.I have had the control boxes go bad(orange box)but most of the time it was because of a ground..that's if your getting a weak spark..try to hot wire it that should tell you if its any of the things you have dun.and if you get in the dist,poking around make shour you have a brass feeler gage.most feeler gage sets have them in there..dont give up I'm shour it's something were over looking.hay maybe it's the ignition switch its self??
Click to expand...


add the grounds where
 
so if the terminal of the battery is hot, you have a bad connection (or so i have always been told) clean the cables (both ends) and your grounds real good
 
you would think its a bad connenction but it turns over fine and lights are bright just no spark
 
I run no less than three ground off the motor to the frame one off the back of the block to the firewall off the front to the frame one from the oil pan to the frame and usually from the alt.bracket to the frame I run my batteries in the trunk the ground to the frame a welded bolt to the frame.and I use 1OT welding lead for the main cable (hot) I know this is over kill but I lost a race in Ohio because car would not start the same dam problem your having.an old friend took a jumper cable from the battery to the frame and the car started up.and I swore I would never have that problem again.I'm not saying that's your trouble but it shour doset hert to have them.....And Ialso make shour the ign.box has a good ground...Artie
 
Put my battery in the trunk, grounded to new subframe. Then started melting ground wire on the firewall. Took the old pos cable, and grounded the engine to the k frame. Problem solved.
Check your grounds, if the cable is hot. Probably too late for the ignition...
 
new battery cables to add to the list of stuff changed....

Is there any way to change the pickup coil without pulling the dist
 
green1 said:
Put my battery in the trunk, grounded to new subframe. Then started melting ground wire on the firewall. Took the old pos cable, and grounded the engine to the k frame. Problem solved.
Check your grounds, if the cable is hot. Probably too late for the ignition...
Click to expand...




what do you mean to late for the ignition
 
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