Electrical and ignition gremlins

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7dswinger

7dswinger

MOPAR's rule
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So my engine bay looks like a rats nest and I've finally decided to take care of it as I can even start my car any more due to a bad battery and possibly a bad alternator, getting 10v of charge at the battery and it drops as it runs :D

I've got to pull allot of stuff out as it's not being used and replace allot of stuff as well. For example I've got the MP orange ignition box in there but I'm running a 6A box so it's unused, I'm just not sure where to start on this as it's a bit over my head. Any tips on how I should get the factory harness apart so I can deal with it?

The other question I have is having to do with the ignition. I've got an MSD 6A box, E-Curve and Blaster SS coil (which I'm still waiting to here from MSD if it's compatible with the E-Curve). In the wiring diagram there's a brown wire that runs from one side of the ballast resister to the positive side of the ignition coil, currently I don't have this hooked up to the coil. Should I hook this up to the coil.
The other thing I'm wondering is that this thing is. I believe there's a wire running from the ballast resister to it as well, I just can't figure out what it's for and if I need it still. It's on the passenger side.
SAM_0187.jpg


Here's a small part of the mess I'm dealing with:
SAM_0188.jpg
 
My freekin Gauwaed that's a he'## of a mess!!!. Do yourself a favor if you do nothing else. Do not EVER EVER use "Scotchloks" for ANYTHING

Dam* things should be outlawed

(these thangs)

img4C.jpg



That might be the horn relay, I cannot tell by the wire colors. Does the horn work? Disconnect the relay and see if it quits working. Check the wire colors (clean them off) are they violet, black, and dark green?
 
uhhhhhhh I've used those a fair amount as I haven't found anything else to use. What should I use instead?
 
Best connections I've found... Solder and Shrink Tube.
 
^True that is the best connection to use.
I'll go about changing them when I can.
Any ideas about the brown wire from the ballast to the coil or the mystery box?
 
7dswinger said:
^True that is the best connection to use.
I'll go about changing them when I can.
Any ideas about the brown wire from the ballast to the coil or the mystery box?
Click to expand...

Read my first post about the relay

So far as the ballast, that thing is such a mess I can't follow it LOL

Here's the wiring for what is known as the later model "4 pin" ECU with "2 pin" ballast:

What is NOT shown in the diagram is the brown bypass wire, which comes from the ign switch, through the bulkhead, and to the coil side of the ballast

What year is your car??

Ignition_System_4pin.jpg
 
completely didn't see that my bad haha. My horn doesn't work but I'll see if it affects anything.
That's what my car is, it's 72. I'm running a MSD 6A box though so the ignition module isn't being used. Below is the wiring diagram that I used, as you can see there is no ballast resister in the picture so I don't know if I need it.
 

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Demon416 said:
Best connections I've found... Solder and Shrink Tube.
Click to expand...


Heck yea. My wiring was a cluster f&#k too 7dswinger. Nothing worked, no lights, ignition was hit/miss, etc etc....I just traced each wire one at a time, ended up removing about 12 feet of unecessary wire the PO's had in there. Many of the wires weren't even connected to anything! Spent this past Sunday soldering and shrink tubing all the splices that were made with twist on wire nuts!!! Or should I say Nutz!

Take it slow and easy and you'll get it done. :D A wiring schematic is your friend.

Pat
 
7dswinger said:
completely didn't see that my bad haha. My horn doesn't work but I'll see if it affects anything.
That's what my car is, it's 72. I'm running a MSD 6A box though so the ignition module isn't being used. Below is the wiring diagram that I used, as you can see there is no ballast resister in the picture so I don't know if I need it.
Click to expand...


I have a similiar set up..think you may need to jump the ballast...? But I am by no means an expert on this stuff. :cheers:
 
Use automotive rated wire of correct #size for current rating.

Crimp connections have advantage over solder when crimped correctly, insulated and sealed. I do not want to start a flame war, it has to do with corrosion, annealing, fatigue, and galvanic activity.

Route the wires as in the original harness, protect (grommets, looms, insulation), and strap them down.
 
No, you don't need the ballast.

Now you are one lucky you - know - what!!

Since your car is a 72, you can download the complete 72 Plymouth service manual for ..........FREE right here on this website, thanks to guys like AbodyJoe

The thread:

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=132309&highlight=manual,+download

Link for the 72 shop manual;

[ame="http://www.abodyjoe.com/pictures/Misc.%20car%20info/1972%20Plymouth%20Chassis%20Serv%20Man.pdf"]http://www.abodyjoe.com/pictures/Mis...Serv%20Man.pdf[/ame]

Look around in that thread, there's a lot of good stuff. Some of the links are broken, were fixed further down
 
I don't need it, huh interesting. Well that's one less wire.
Ya I just removed a bunch of wiring as well. Almost all of the previous engine harness, minus the coolant sensor is unused but I don't want to pull it out and actually have it do something!
Great I downloaded it, thanks.
 
Sometimes you are better off "going the other way."

Make a list of what you HAVE to have to run the car

Headlights
Turn signals
ignition
charging
temp gauge
oil gauge (light)
wipers

"niceys"
brake warning switch
windshield washer
heater blower

Then strip all that crap that looks like it's been added out of there and start over.

Here is an excellent article that points out the pitfalls of the problems with the bulkhead connector. At the very least you need to pull it apart, inspect it repair it, and it's an idea to cover the terminals with dielectric grease.

If you decide to do the "bypass" so much the better.

Then take your time and repair as necessary, marking off your "punchlist" as you get things working.

http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml

That wiring is likely a big mess under the dash, as well. Consider rewiring the car. There are many ways, and harnesses, and companies to do this.

You don't HAVE to spend 500 on a "Painless" harness.
 
I was hoping I wouldn't have to re-wire the car as trying to tap into the factory harness is a nightmare to me. Ya the wiring under the dash is even worse actually. The only thing I'm worried about with messing with the under dash stuff is getting the turn signals, ignition switch and stuff to work but the more I look at it the more sense it makes to just rip it all out and to start over.

What other companies are out there besides painless as it'd be nice to use something like this under the dash
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PRF-30001/
 
For that price you can get a "universal" harness with fuse panel. ABodyJoe likes I think it's "American Autowire." There's lots of ways to go besides painless. Hopefully, folks'll chime in.

Or you might want to do a search for harnesses here.

I did mine "a little different." A local guy had a Painless harness that someone had started in with, and abandoned. Some of the under-dash wiring had been cut, but not bad, and all the accessory junk was gone. Hell It was "GM" anyhow. I paid a hundred bucks for it.
 
That's a decent score. I'll look into American Autowire or whatever it is haha.

So I got a good battery hooked up and no backfire through the manifold. I changed the curve to a slower vac. adv. curve. But the power off idle sucks, bogs up and stumbles.
It's probably an issue with tuning of the EFI system, I can set the acceleration fuel higher or lower for this kind of issue, but should I go higher or lower?
 
Ok the kickback through the manifold is back, but not very bad so I'm on the right track. I'm going to see what timing is at and try retarding it a little and see if that helps.
 
^thanks, hopefully today I'll get it solved but then again knowing how things go on her......
I'm not very knowledgeable with engine timing so I don't always get what's going on lol
Am I correct on thinking that I need to retard the initial timing to solve the kickback through the manifold as the spark is coming too early? Or is it something else?
 
So I've figured out one reason why this could be happening, I've had the vac. adv. hooked up to the wrong port on the throttle body so it was always getting vac. So I'm off to the store to get more tubing as what I have is too short.
I also some how timed the thing so that if you unhooked the vac. adv. the timing would drop by 10* so I moved the distributor to 15* adv. at idle with the vac. adv. unhooked.
We'll see what happens.

Edit:
So I hooked it all up and it has WAY more power than I've ever seen it have and it runs great. Except it still backfires through the manifold under load, like going up a hill. But randomly, doesn't always happen, but still does happen. So my question still remains, what cause a backfire through the manifold? Can a lean or rich condition cause this to happen?
 
About that brown wire; when running a MSD 6A, the only wire hooked to the + coil terminal should be the orange 1 from the 6A.
 
Alright so after doing all that I'm still having a bunch of issues that keep coming back. At idle the engine won't idle smoothly, it'll rev up and down slightly, almost dying and then coming back up, idle is set at 850 right now.
I checked timing today and I was at 30* at idle! WTF, I set it at 18 a month ago and it moved? Rotated it back to 18* at idle and now it won't idle right.
 
You'll need to figure out what moved. Distributer turned ? Scribe mark on the balancer moved ? Either or both is possible.
 
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