Engine I'm about to throw the whole thing away...
mickey85
Jeeper
- Posts
- 21
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- Location
- Valparaiso, IN
- Vehicle(s)
- 83 CJ7, 258, T5, Dana 300, Dana 30 front axle, AMC 20 rear, Trac-Lock LSD
Alright, I posted a few months ago about no spark with my 83 CJ7 (AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l , manual Transmission ) that's still running the computer, stock ignition, and stepper carb. Still, no spark.
Here's the original thread: https://jeep-cj.com/community/threads/no-spark.63786/
tl;dr: 1. Does the computer matter for ignition?
2. Is there a way to test the computer to see if it actually works?
3. Is it worth dropping $100 for a remanned computer, or should I just wash my hands of this damn thing and get a DUI dizzy and Weber carb? While I'd love to leave it stock, I'm leaning this way, just to clean out the engine bay of all the vacuum and wiring nonsense.
4. While I can get antique plates, I would like to run normal plates, meaning it needs to pass smog. Visual doesn't matter - it's just a sniffer test. Can I get the Weber to pass the sniff test?
To get a few things out of the way - yes, I have the factory service manual, as well as a Chilton's, and a CJ restoration guide. I have vacuum diagrams and wiring diagrams, both black and white and in color. I've gone through the entire troubleshooting list.
So far, when testing, I've found that the power wire to the red coil wire works (and when cranking, the light blinks when testing the red wire). The green wire shows a signal and blinks when cranking. When testing the module, I get power to the module. I test the resistance at the distributor plug, and it's testing at 620ish.
When Dad rebuilt the engine, he replaced the coil, distributor cap and rotor, plug wires, and coil. I found he bought a new module, so I installed that. Thinking perhaps that sitting for a decade killed stuff, I replaced the module and coil.
I realized that the negative terminal for the computer wasn't grounded, so I found a spare bolt on the engine block and grounded the computer (because I couldn't initially figure out which was the ground and which was the high-altitude, I grounded both to test).
I checked the ground, which I have running from the engine to the hold-down bolt for the fuel line on the engine mount (the frame side), and it's tight.
I just checked my spark plug test light tonight on my Harley, and discovered that that's dead, so that's fun. I still believe it to be sparkless, as it is definitely getting fuel and air.
Here's the original thread: https://jeep-cj.com/community/threads/no-spark.63786/
tl;dr: 1. Does the computer matter for ignition?
2. Is there a way to test the computer to see if it actually works?
3. Is it worth dropping $100 for a remanned computer, or should I just wash my hands of this damn thing and get a DUI dizzy and Weber carb? While I'd love to leave it stock, I'm leaning this way, just to clean out the engine bay of all the vacuum and wiring nonsense.
4. While I can get antique plates, I would like to run normal plates, meaning it needs to pass smog. Visual doesn't matter - it's just a sniffer test. Can I get the Weber to pass the sniff test?
To get a few things out of the way - yes, I have the factory service manual, as well as a Chilton's, and a CJ restoration guide. I have vacuum diagrams and wiring diagrams, both black and white and in color. I've gone through the entire troubleshooting list.
So far, when testing, I've found that the power wire to the red coil wire works (and when cranking, the light blinks when testing the red wire). The green wire shows a signal and blinks when cranking. When testing the module, I get power to the module. I test the resistance at the distributor plug, and it's testing at 620ish.
When Dad rebuilt the engine, he replaced the coil, distributor cap and rotor, plug wires, and coil. I found he bought a new module, so I installed that. Thinking perhaps that sitting for a decade killed stuff, I replaced the module and coil.
I realized that the negative terminal for the computer wasn't grounded, so I found a spare bolt on the engine block and grounded the computer (because I couldn't initially figure out which was the ground and which was the high-altitude, I grounded both to test).
I checked the ground, which I have running from the engine to the hold-down bolt for the fuel line on the engine mount (the frame side), and it's tight.
I just checked my spark plug test light tonight on my Harley, and discovered that that's dead, so that's fun. I still believe it to be sparkless, as it is definitely getting fuel and air.
