SPONSORED LINKS

1979 Ford E-Series Van Losing Spark

Tiny
RV LUCKY
  • MEMBER
  • 1979 FORD E-SERIES VAN
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 165,000 MILES
Have replaced the actual key switch, all plugs, wires, cap and rotor, coil and module. Starts and runs but then shuts down. Checked for spark and when the key is turned on I get a spark, and another when turned off. No spark when actually cranking. After a few minutes I will get spark back and will start. Does not shut off while going down the road at high rpm, only at low rpm, when slowed down and stopping or turning. This is a small RV that sat for over a year in a tow lot.
SPONSORED LINKS
Friday, July 17th, 2009 AT 12:33 AM

9 Replies

Tiny
RACEFAN966
  • MECHANIC
  • 5,029 POSTS
Ok on the fender or near the battery there is a starter solenoid it should have the poss battery cable going to it and then from it to the starter then there is an S term and and I term are you useing both of these smaller term? If so then I would like you to check for power at the I term duing crank when you don't have spark. Let me know what you find.
SPONSORED LINKS
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Friday, July 17th, 2009 AT 8:58 AM
Tiny
RV LUCKY
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
Ok, turn key on and have power at I term, crank and test light gets brighter, stop cranking and light stays on, turn off key and light goes out.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Friday, July 17th, 2009 AT 8:53 PM
Tiny
RACEFAN966
  • MECHANIC
  • 5,029 POSTS
Ok what I need you to do is check ohm's of resistance at the coil check resistance between + and - terms then check resistance between the + and the center and the - and the center. Let me know what you find.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, July 20th, 2009 AT 5:15 PM
Tiny
RV LUCKY
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
+ to - Ohm= 1.4
+ to center Ohm = 9.73
- to center Ohm = 9.73
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, July 20th, 2009 AT 10:35 PM
Tiny
RACEFAN966
  • MECHANIC
  • 5,029 POSTS
Ok the coil ohms out good to it isn't a bad one. Now if you would unplug the the distributor harness and then ohm the pick up coil. Just simply ohm it across the term in the distributor plug you should get 400 to 1000 ohms if not the pick up coil is bad and needs to be replaced. Let me know how it goes.
SPONSORED LINKS
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009 AT 9:02 AM
Tiny
RV LUCKY
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
648 Ohms cold. Always dies when I warm it up, so started her up and got her good and warm. ALWAYS starts when shes cold. Shut it off for 5 minutes and tried to restart, nothing. Crank no start. Re-chech Ohms and I get no reading? That sound like a bad distributor? Got to be loosing connection or something to not get a reading right?
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009 AT 3:13 PM
Tiny
RACEFAN966
  • MECHANIC
  • 5,029 POSTS
It is the pick up coil in the distibutor causing this. When it gets warm it is loosing continuity and so no spark. Now you can replace the pickup coil itself or the distributor if you don't want to take the distibutor apart to replace the pick up coil. Let me know how it goes.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009 AT 8:55 PM
Tiny
RV LUCKY
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
Purchased a pick up coil from my local NAPA store, took about 20 minutes to install. Now for some reason I can't get it to die?
Thaks a WHOLE bunch for all your help, coudn't have done it without you.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 AT 3:41 AM
Tiny
RACEFAN966
  • MECHANIC
  • 5,029 POSTS
Great it lives and thanks for being pateint with the tests to make sure what was wrong. Thanks again for you support and have a wonderful day.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 AT 9:30 AM

Please login or register to post a reply.

Related Engine Idle Low Content

VIEW MORE

Sponsored links