No start

CAMPOS14

MEMBER
1975 JEEP CJ5
4.2L
100,000 MILES

Vehicle only starts and runs good with a test light hooked to negative side of ignition coil.

Friday, February 21st, 2020 AT 11:23 AM

11 Replies

ASEMASTER6371

MECHANIC
52,797 POSTS

Good afternoon.

I would say you have a bad ground. I would try running a wire from the battery to the motor and see if it runs. The test light is providing a ground for the coil.

Roy

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Friday, February 21st, 2020 AT 11:55 AM

CAMPOS14

MEMBER
8 POSTS

I have grounded the car from the battery to the body as well as from the battery to the engine block and the frame. This is an old jeep that someone was putting together. I read somewhere that you have to have a matching ignition coil and resistor.

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Friday, February 21st, 2020 AT 12:51 PM

ASEMASTER6371

MECHANIC
52,797 POSTS

No, that is not true.

Do you still have point in the distributor?

Roy

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Friday, February 21st, 2020 AT 12:54 PM

CAMPOS14

MEMBER
8 POSTS

No points. This is a Prestolite distributor and an Omix ignition module and a 1.4 ohm ceramic resistor. I have 2 different test lights one brighter than the other and it runs different with one test light as opposed to the other.

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Friday, February 21st, 2020 AT 1:00 PM

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,004 POSTS

External resistor is not needed.

Here's info from a 1977 with the same system.

I also made you some screenshots from Advance Auto Parts of the correct coil.

I had so many problems with Prestolite and it's distributor, I broke down and upgraded to "Motorcraft", problems now are non-existent!

The Medic

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Friday, February 21st, 2020 AT 6:12 PM

CAMPOS14

MEMBER
8 POSTS

Thanks for taking the time to help. Motorcraft distributor and ignition module or just Motorcraft distributor?

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Friday, February 21st, 2020 AT 6:49 PM

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,004 POSTS

Are you inquiring on changing up to the Motorcraft system?

The Medic

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Saturday, February 22nd, 2020 AT 8:17 PM

CAMPOS14

MEMBER
8 POSTS

Thank you for helping me. And yes if that's what it going to take to make this Jeep run reliably.

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Sunday, February 23rd, 2020 AT 6:40 AM

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,004 POSTS

Here's one post on converting (I'm looking for a few more, my explaining isn't the best so combining other one into the mix might make more sense!).

As far as changing distributors out, I have posts that will explain how to do it and it not become a nightmare! Let me know when you get to that point!

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/prestolite-to-motorcraft-conversion-1976-cj7#last

Here's a real good one, I hope all of the links are still current and working.

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/ignition-problem-75208814

Keep in touch with progress or if you need more information.

The Medic

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Sunday, February 23rd, 2020 AT 9:22 AM

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,004 POSTS

How are we doing?

The Medic

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Friday, March 20th, 2020 AT 3:57 PM

CAMPOS14

MEMBER
8 POSTS

I'm doing great, thanks for asking. How are you guys? I fixed the Jeep I was working on. I put a HEI distributor and and plug wires. It was so easy only one wire to hook up should have done this from. Day one. And it only cost me $100.00 for all the complete set.

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Friday, March 20th, 2020 AT 5:01 PM