Won't start,no power on positive wire to coil

[AAA]

I have a '77 CJ5 with the stock Prestolite ignition and it hasn't been starting for the last few days,the engine will just turn over and over.Problems started a week or two ago when I was driving down the road and the engine shut off,it would restart but die as soon as i let go of the key.I towed it back to the house and after a few days of not messing with it I decided to see if it would start and it did suprisingly and it ran for about 30 seconds in idle so I decided I was going to drive it down the road and it stalled again when I was backing up in the driveway,but now won't start at all.I checked the positive wire going to the coil and got 0 volts with a multimeter.I've read that it should be getting power so what do you think I should check next?


P.S. I also noticed there is an arcing sound only sometimes coming from around the coil or distributor when the key is in the run position I can't exactly pinpoint where it's coming from but it is definately somewhere around the coil or distributor whenthe key is in the run position with the engine off(which I know is bad for prestolites).

 

[Lumpy Grits]

:ww:

How hot did the coil get when it died? Could you keep you hand on it??
If the coil didn't get that hot, then try this-
Run a jumper wire from the +(POS) of your battery, to the +(POS)terminal on the coil.
Does it run now? Don't run it for more than 5 minutes this way. Pull the wire to stop the engine.
If it runs-The issue may well be in the IGN switch or circuit.
LG

 

[AAA]

Sadly I have no idea how hot the coil got as it never occurred to me to touch it.I'll try doing as you said tomorrow after work if I can find some jumper wire,I know I have some,I just don't know where.

 

[jp360cj]

Here's a link to the '77 TSM section for the electrical system. Igntion starts on page 40. I briefly browsed and it appears to have a good testing procedures.

http://oljeep.com/gw/77_tsm/06%201977%203-Electrical.pdf

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Sadly I have no idea how hot the coil got as it never occurred to me to touch it.I'll try doing as you said tomorrow after work if I can find some jumper wire,I know I have some,I just don't know where.

All you need is some 14-16 ga stranded wire for this.......
Good luck,
LG

 

[AAA]

Well,I did as you said Lumpy Grits and it started and ran(thanks).However, after I disconnected the wire and it shut off I then put the positive wire that's supposed to go on the coil back on and it started again and ran like normal.Do you have an idea what this could mean?Do I likely have more than one issue to be fixed?It wasn't starting at all before connecting the jump wire but now starts like normal even without it.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Sounds like bad connector at the coil.
It's not the 'horseshoe' connector, is it?
If so-Get a new coil that uses ring connectors and crimp some new connectors to the wiring.
LG