New fuel pump, Half a full tank of gas, Won't Crank

[65SportFuryGuy]

Well a lot of great replies. A lot to things to think about and look at. One thing this spring I'll be pulling the tank and having it vatted out and sealed and the gas lines blown out and the rubber hoses replaced along with the sending unit. I talked to my friend this morning and said he's going to check the entire ignition system just to be safe. His thinking is that I may have fired the coil when I first removed the fuel pump because I like a dumbly didn't disconnect the battery. I have done 3 cars and 1 truck since I built my Plymouth and used the Pertronix I ignition system with the Flame-Thrower Coil on all of them and have had no problems at all with any of them before I installed it on my Plymouth in early 2015. In fact I'll be installing it on the truck that I'm doing now.

 

[65SportFuryGuy]

Well guys bad news. Three strikes and you're out. It's more than the coil. It's the module and the distributor cap as well. Let me explain.

My friend came over this afternoon with his test light, 2 sets of jumper wires red and black, Voltmeter, old 4 inch long Phillips head screw driver and 2 drawings.

He started with the battery. It was good. Then moved over to field side of the Alternator to the Alternator regulator to the ignition ballast to the coil and to the ignition switch terminals IGN and IGN2 and everything was good.

Then he checked the coil using the test light, screw driver and a black jumper wire. If the coil is good when he hits the remote starter the test light lights up indicating that the coil is good. But It did not light up. That means the coil was fried. (strike one)

How he did this is he unhooked the coil wire from the distributor. Plugged in the screw driver, clipped the lead from the test light to the screw driver then hooked the tip of the test light to a jumper wire and then to a ground.

Then he unhooked the red and black wires from the coil. Hooked the test light to the black wire and ran a jumper wire from the pointed tip to the + side of the battery. From the - side of the battery he ran a jumper wire and clipped it to the base of the module.

Then he ran a jumper wire from the + side of the battery to the red wire from the module. As he touched the jumper wire to the red wire from the module he hit the remote starter at the same time. The test light came on and should have started blinking on and off as the engine turned but it did not. Meaning the module was also fried. (strike 2)

He then inspected the rotor cap and found what looked like black burn marks on the the top where the rotor button touches the distributor cap where the coil wire attaches and the contact points for the plugs had the same look as the other contact points in the distributor cap did as well. (strike 3)

He also told me to check the ohms and the continuity of the plug wires or just go ahead and replace all the spark plug wires as well just to be safe.

He also said leave the Ignition Ballast where it is but don't connect it back to the coil.

Well guys, I'm screwed. About a 250-300 dollar fix for me.

 

[Big_John]

Then he unhooked the red and black wires from the coil. Hooked the test light to the black wire and ran a jumper wire from the pointed tip to the + side of the battery. From the - side of the battery he ran a jumper wire and clipped it to the base of the module.

Then he ran a jumper wire from the + side of the battery to the red wire from the module. As he touched the jumper wire to the red wire from the module he hit the remote starter at the same time. The test light came on and should have started blinking on and off as the engine turned but it did not. Meaning the module was also fried. (strike 2)

Which version of the Pertronix do you have? That particular test, per Pertronix, only works with the original Pertronix module, not Igniter II or III. PerTronix Technical Help Desk

 

[65SportFuryGuy]

I have the Pertronix Ignitor Kit # 1381A. When I originally installed the conversation kit I sent a photo of the top of the distributor with the points and condenser removed and the type of car and engine I have and they said I needed the 1381A and the 40001 Flame-Thrower Coil. I just got a reply from Pertronix concerning the Ignition Ballast and they said do not connect the Ignition Ballast back to the coil. The Ignition Ballast is not needed with this coil. But leave the Ignition Ballast in place for looks.

 

[65SportFuryGuy]

Just checked the Pertronix section on JEGS. The 1381A is for the 1960 to 72 small and big block Chrysler engines with a single point system. The Pertronix II and III are for pointless or dual points systems. The Flame-Thrower coil 40001 can be used with the 1381A, II and III also. In fact they recommend it for better starting performance. I also found the 2 ways my friend used to check the Flame-Thrower coil and 1381A of YouTube and checked the drawings against the videos to see if the hook ups were the same and they were.

 

[Big_John]

OK, you have the Ignitor and it can be checked that way... Simple enough.

Having a coil and the module fail at the same time is curious at best.

 

[1978 NYB]

That's why I use the standard electronic ignition distributor Chrysler used from 73-75. Never have any problems.

 

[Polara_500]

These are pretty reliable too.

 

[70NEWYORKER]

Having a coil and the module fail at the same time is curious at best.

Got asked to diagnose a 72 Pontiac Trans Am that would not start. No spark and no dwell. Did some digging and found the coil was a dead short. Replaced coil, still no spark or dwell reading. Removed Pertronix gizmo, installed points and condensor. Car fired up!! Shorted coil smoked the module.

 

[Big_John]

Got asked to diagnose a 72 Pontiac Trans Am that would not start. No spark and no dwell. Did some digging and found the coil was a dead short. Replaced coil, still no spark or dwell reading. Removed Pertronix gizmo, installed points and condensor. Car fired up!! Shorted coil smoked the module.

OK, now that makes some sense.