Kind of a new one for me..... any ideas ???

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318willrun

318willrun

Utube channel 318willrun
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Lets get right to the details. '74 Duster. Was slant, now 318. It did this with the slant and the 318.
  • IF I let the car sit for a period of time (two weeks to a month??), it will turn over great by the key but no spark. I've replaced ballast, ecu (and grounded well), coil. That little "starter red button" deal that the '74's have is bypassed.
  • To start it right up, I run a jumper wire from the +coil to +battery. It pops right off and runs great. Then I remove the jumper wire right away with it idling and then the issue is gone. It will start every time with the key as long as you at least drive it once a week.
  • Any ideas? (besides start it every 3 days...LOL) thanks
 
If I understand you correct, your "not" using a external starter switch? If this is the case maybe you have a bad connection in the ignition switch and it's not turning on the coil on when starting it.
 
Catch it next time if you can BEFORE you do "anything." Carefully and gingerly get your voltmeter, open the hood, all set up, and turn the key to run. Probe the coil + and see if it has voltage. Should be somewhere between 6 and say, 9V and not much higher. If coil is "same as battery" voltage then the coil is not drawing current and either the ECU box is not grounding, or you have an intermittent at the ECU connector

If you don't have coil voltage move back to the ballast and probe it without wiggling anything. If you have voltage from the switch, and none going to the coil, "it's right there."

If the top two check out, not sure where to go next. Work the ignition connectors in/ out several times---the ECU, the ballast, and even the voltage regulator, and ABSOLUTELY the pickup/ distributor connector

If that resolves nothing, suspect the ignition cranking/ bypass circuit. Again, try and catch the problem before you mess with it. Clip your meter to the coil + Turn the key to run. Should have 6--9V or so. Now crank the car using the key. Should have "same as battery" while cranking, and not below 10V absolute minimum. If not, it's the bypass circuit, a (usually brown) wire goes from IGN2 on the switch to the coil+ side of the ballast. Might be ignition switch, connector, bulkhead connector
 
I think everything listed by you guys are possibilities. thanks for all the input so far. I do rule out the coil/distributor as bad because as soon as you bring power to the coil, she pops right off. I just don't understand why immediately I can shut if off and it will start by key every time. Because I started it today, it will be a while before it fails to start by key again.
 
The above listed items are possibilities. 67 dart dialed it in for you. Check your battery as well, could be loosing voltage while sitting.
 
DesertRat said:
The above listed items are possibilities. 67 dart dialed it in for you. Check your battery as well, could be loosing voltage while sitting.
Click to expand...
I did forget to mention, I've changed voltage regulators and battery has been swapped too. However, the batteries always have whipped it over no problem.
 
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