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Ignition coils keep going bad?!?!

Ignition coils keep going bad?!?!

cj7771979

Jeeper
Posts
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Location
Hixson, TN
Vehicle(s)
1977 CJ7 304 3 speed automatic
So i just purchased a 1977 Jeep CJ7 ... Body is in awesome condition and it made it home just fine! I decided to try out the 4wd and when i went to flip the switch in the glove box like the other owner said to do... It died! Can't get it to start now have replaced the ignition module, battery, points in the distributor, ignition switch and ignition coil. The ignition coil keeps getting really hot and i have had to replace it 3 times just today!! I don't know what else to try or what could really be wrong! Any suggestions or has anyone had a problem like this?
 
So i just purchased a 1977 Jeep CJ7 ... Body is in awesome condition and it made it home just fine! I decided to try out the 4wd and when i went to flip the switch in the glove box like the other owner said to do... It died! Can't get it to start now have replaced the ignition module, battery, points in the distributor, ignition switch and ignition coil. The ignition coil keeps getting really hot and i have had to replace it 3 times just today!! I don't know what else to try or what could really be wrong! Any suggestions or has anyone had a problem like this?

What was the point of the switch?:confused:
 
gotta explain the switch in the glove box and what it has to do with the 4wd- sounds like a pretty serious short-
 
Quadra track?? not with a 3 speed . switch in glove box. :cool:
 
QuadraTrac switch, he shows a 3 speed auto in profile.
Short in switch? I thought it was a lever?
 
After a looking at my 78 manual the quardatrack Emergency drive switch in glovebox is a vacumm control switch that locks up the Transfer Case and is non electrical with the exception of the emergency drive indicator switch that would light the instument cluster, how that could effect the coil is beyond me and how you could install 3 coils on Easter Sunday the real hard part to see!
 
After a looking at my 78 manual the quardatrack Emergency drive switch in glovebox is a vacumm control switch that locks up the Transfer Case and is non electrical with the exception of the emergency drive indicator switch that would light the instument cluster, how that could effect the coil is beyond me and how you could install 3 coils on Easter Sunday the real hard part to see!

I remember the vacuum switch in the glovebox, but what that had to do with the electrical or ignition system.
I also agree you have a superior partsman.:notworthy:
 
It has quadatrack and he previous owner said you had to flip the switch to put it in 4wd... don't know much about quadatrack i had a 79 CJ7 and it didn't have it!
 
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There is an electrical connection between the quadtrack and the light on the dash. I don't know what that could have to do with this but it seems this is the only place it enters the circuit. Does the problem go away when the 4x4 is off?

It has quadatrack and he previous owner said you had to flip the switch to put it in 4wd... don't know much about quadatrack i had a 79 CJ7 and it didn't have it!
 
can you post pictures of your coil??just to confirm we are all talking about the same thing?:cool:

So i just purchased a 1977 Jeep CJ7 ... Body is in awesome condition and it made it home just fine! I decided to try out the 4wd and when i went to flip the switch in the glove box like the other owner said to do... It died! Can't get it to start now have replaced the ignition module, battery, points in the distributor, ignition switch and ignition coil. The ignition coil keeps getting really hot and i have had to replace it 3 times just today!! I don't know what else to try or what could really be wrong! Any suggestions or has anyone had a problem like this?
 
It did start and run before flipping the switch?
If so, Try disconnecting the switch temporarily and see if it'll start.
 
No it still won't start even when the switch is flipped back. will try to post pics later today!
 
No it still won't start even when the switch is flipped back. will try to post pics later today!

OK heres a wild thought... The switch in your glove box is vacumm and causes gears to move in the T case, when those gears go into lock it operates a switch that eluminates the light in your dash. If it died in that position it is gona take vacumm to move the gears and open the switch again to your previous running mode. try dissableing the switch with the two wires on your T case, that switch may have a short?
Did any fuses go?
how do you know your coil is bad?
 
The electrical switch may have only 1 wire not sure but it will be the only wire/wires on your T case.
 
yes it ran and started fine before i flipped the switch! will try to disconnect and see what happens. the coil keeps getting really hot so hot you can't touch it, and no fuses went at all. someone said something about a resistor block that could have went bad so i am going to try that too.
 
Sasquach, you may be on to something about the vacumn operation of the gears and where the light is switched from. he may want to disconect any wires going to the t case and see what happens.
 
I'm having a hard time seeing how that switch could cause the coil to get hot though? Seems to me the cluster fuse would burn if the switch were bad.

Does the quadra-trac light come on- or did it come on when the knob in the glovebox was turned to the right?
 

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