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76 440 ignition problems... no spark

10K views 8 replies 3 participants last post by  freak007 
#1 ·
I just bought a 76 chassis with a 440 on it and I'm trying to get it to run, the previous owner said it ran fine when he pulled the body off... The distributor on this 76 440 has points in it instead of a pickup coil.  I suppose the previous owner changed it back to points, but I'm not sure why.  So I hooked up battery positive to the + of the coil and hit the starter but no spark.  I tried a different coil, cap, and rotor, but nothing.  I figured the points where probably shot so I yanked the distributor out of my other 440 (77 RV motor) with the pickup coil still in it.  I pulled the ECU out of my 85 RC and clamped it to an engine bracket for ground (this ECU is not being used in the RC since I went MSD).  I grabbed the old harness and wired the four pins up to their respective locations: #4 and #5 to the pickup coil, #1 to the battery ( I skipped the ballast resistor so far), and #5 to the - on the coil.  With nothing else connected to the coil I measured + battery voltage on both the primary post on the coil.  The FSM wiring diagram shows that the positive side of the coil goes to the top of the ballast resistor and splices into a battery feed from the ignition switch.  But if I do this I will be supplying + battery to both of the primary post on the coil is this right???  I really want to hear this thing run so any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Dave
 
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#3 ·
but the diagram shows the power feed wire to the ECU going to the bottom of the ballast where a direct feed from the battery goes as well. 

The diagram shows two poles on the ignition switch I1 and I2;  I2 goes to the top of the ballast and splices into the wire that goes to the + terminal on the coil.  I1 goes to the bottom of the ballast and splices with the power in wire to the ECU.  This is confusing to me, what is I1 and I2, is that start and run?  And if I just hook the ECU to the battery should I get + battery volts at the coil primaires with only the wire from the ECU hooked to the coil and nothing else??

Dave
 
#6 ·
ok since I don't have an ignition switch with this truck, I can just wire this up like its in the run position and with battery voltage to the bottom of the ballast with the feed wire to the ECU and then the coil positive is hooked to the top of the ballast.  That should work to start too right? 

I did this last night except I didn't have anything connected to the coil +, I didn't get any spark when I cranked it over, but there was + battery voltage at both sides of the coil.  So I assume that the ECU supplies battery voltage to the coil "-" as well is that correct? 

Thanks for the diagram thats clearer than mine, and for what its worth the distributor I'm using is a 76 single pickup, but the ECU and ballast is for a dual pickup out of an 85, but I don't think that matters???

Dave
 
#8 ·
yup I checked the distributor in fact I pulled it out because it had points??? and put in one with the pickup.

I got a spark with it after I grounded the ECU real well and hooked up the ballast and coil as shown in Dodgeboys diagram THANKS!!! it stumbled once and then I changed plugs and wires and VROOM it fired right off!!

Thanks for all the help
Dave
 
#9 ·
DODGEBOYS said:
the ECM wont run without the ballast or if it does run will burn out quick
She'll run without the ballast resistor... but I burned my orange box out in about 3 minutes when I bypassed my ballast resistor ;)
 
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