No spark off coil

Your 1979 Jeep CJ, in my opinion, is the best year that AMC made, pretty much everything was perfected and the computer stuff had not been incorporated in yet.

Your coil could be dead, but that is the last thing I would guess.

Pictures 1 and 2 are the way to test (these are the values for the original 1979 Jeep CJ Motorcraft system)

The Accel values are "1.2 ohms" and "89 k ohms"

I have a few more possibilities.

This is the one I lean towards the most.

The ignition module.

Is it's body grounded well?

Not that easy?

Let's take it off,

The service manual prescribes grabbing the wires on either side of the connectors and giving them a firm pull. Digging at the connector locks will do no more than break them off, then you'll have to use wire ties to keep them together.

Take it to an auto parts store (my pics are in Advance Auto Parts)

Have it tested five or so times in a row, if it fails at all, replace it.

Yep,

I've seen several new ones be failures too.

If you get another one, test it while you are there, otherwise you will go insane wondering why the whole Jeep could be at fault, after tearing everything down.

Wow, it was a bad "New" module the whole time.

Your module will have blue plastic around the wires as they exit the modules. Other colors are for other vehicles.

Send some news.

I will stay with you until it is running!

The Medic

This is the place!

Others read this stuff.

Others are happy when they fix their problem.

Especially when someone else had to bravely tear into theirs to obtain that magic information that could save them time and money.

Small bolts should ground it fine, shine up where the bolts hit.

The Medic

Roger that!

You don't just have it fa-dangling, hovering over the fender?

The Medic

See you then!

The Medic

Process of elimination:

Eliminate the problem at hand.

Eliminate the employees at your auto store. Go elsewhere.

This picture is the tester at Advance Auto Parts.

You can see the pigtail beside it where the two Motorcraft connections plug in.

The other pigtail is for testing the Prestolite (1978 and earlier).

Other stores have similar testers.

The Medic

So,

The test was to see if the old one was good or not.

The test would have been easy, simple, and of course, quick!

This would keep you from buying an unnecessary part.

Check this out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ_1aF-X7fc&t=246s

Yep,

You will probably want to shop around and buy one instead of the DIY testing! $30.00 to $45.00 is the norm.

If this does not fix it, we still can continue on trouble shooting.

If it does not fix it, you will have a spare module!

You need stuff anyway! I've roadside assisted (found them in my travels) a Jeep needing a fuel pump and another one needing the ignition module. Countless other vehicles needing tires plugged or fuel. They are at your mercy! Or they can walk, or they can wait for others!

I keep tools, gas, a fuel pump, a coil, and an ignition module all as spares. I have an on board compressor for my train horns also adapted to fill my tires. I keep tire plugs, water, and so many other things in Mr. Jeep.

Let me know when you are ready.

The Medic

Maybe this?

This is the connector half to the distributor.

Checking for continuity from the "crossways" terminal to the distributor body. One lead on the pin, the other on the distributor body.

Now check the "side by side" pins (one lead on each pin) for continuity. These go through the pickup coil.

Picture 3) see the leads are touching (this is a complete circuit). If you put a wire length (etc.) Between the leads, this should be a complete circuit also.

Picture 4) Now we have a "broken/ cut" wire between the leads. The circuit is not complete. There is "no continuity". Hence, the wire between the leads is an "open circuit". In our case, we would have a bad part.

I made these pics long ago, I was just getting a little computer competent. Ask me if you are lost!

Results?

The Medic

Distributor seems fine.

Any luck finding a module tester?

Did you go ahead and buy one?

Buy a tube of dielectric grease too, smear some on the connection pins before you connect them. You can use it on other electrical stuff too, such as fuses and light bulbs.

The Medic

Roger.

See you then.

The Medic