Help, Old Red won't start.

[crazyhorse]

I will try to keep it short, with out going into unneeded detail.

My truck, Old Red, is a '72 Ford Ranger XLT short bed, '69, 429, C6, aluminum 4 barrel intake, Edelbrock 4 barrel carb.,
Flex O Lite Black Magic Xtreme 185 electric fan, MSD 6AL ignition box, MSD Blasted coil, MSD 8477 Pro Billet distributer.
I drove it about 20 miles to town at night . Stayed about 1 hour.
When I tried to start it up the battery would not turn the motor over.
I put a new battery in it and it turns the motor over but the motor will not hit a lick.
I am getting gas to the carb , but no spark to the plug wires.

A few years ago the magnetic pickup module inside the MSD distributer went bad & it did the same way then.
I would like to find the problem first, then buy the part, instead buying parts and hoping that is the fix.
I have compression, timing still good, distributer turns normally.

If you have any advice/ideas/information that could save me some time I sure would appreciate it.

It has been starting very good with no problems.

I will try to work on it some time next week, hopefully .

[sargentrs]

See if you have power going to the coil first. I carry a jumper wire in my toolbox as a diagnostic aid for these situations. Run it from the + post of the battery to the + post of the coil and try to start it. If it runs, then you know the problem is not in the distributor, coil or ignition box. Then start systematically checking voltage from the coil back through the starting circuit. Common culprit is the starter solenoid. If it doesn't run, then the problem is most likely between the coil and the distributor, and ignition box back to the ignition switch. Check voltage going into the ignition box first to eliminate the ignition switch as the source of the problem.

[Ranchero50]

Sadly MSD 6AL's are pretty much junk. I would take a spare points dizzy and wire it in and see if it'll fire the coil. If so, throw the other stuff in the bed and install the points setup to get yourself home. I'd venture the regulator or alternator pooped and the low voltage required more current than the 6al could handle and nuked itself while trying to start.

[crazyhorse]

Mr Sargent, Mr Ranchero, thank you.

I appreciate you taking your time to give me the information

I HOPE to work on it next Saturday.

This is the best site period.

[crazyhorse]

Well I worked on "Old Red" a little while.

Put a new solenoid on but still motor will not run.
I checked the switch wire (yellow with red strip) coming from the firewall near the master cylinder , not any fire on it.

How is a easy, simple way to check the switch wire for voltage? Do I have to remove the ignition switch?
Which wire coming in from the battery side supplies the fire to the switch?
My wires under the hood have been painted black which makes it more difficult.
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Thanks again for all the help//information.

[Ranchero50]

http://fordification.com/tech/wiring/wi ... _quick.jpg

Power to the coil is red / green in normal applications. You need to sort through the MSD wiring and figure out what you are missing.

This is a Google image search for 6al wiring diagrams.

https://www.google.com/search?q=msd+6al ... mrDuhoM%3A

For voltage checks, buy a decent multimeter with longer leads. The cheaper ones will work but the 2' leads will drive you crazy. I got a free one (with coupon) through Harbor Freight and it's OK other than the leads being too short and not being very well built. Any of the Fluke meters are good. The 77 series will last your lifetime.

[crazyhorse]

Mr Ranchero , thank you for taking your time to reply.

I have volt meters .
I put this MSD distributor, MSD 6AL ignition box & MSD Blaster coil on several years ago.
About 2 years ago the magnetic pickup module inside the MSD distributor went bad and I FINALLY was able to track it down & pin point it, ordered a new one and all has been good up until now.

My problem is NOW I have forgot how to track the fire from the battery to the switch and from the switch to the ignition box or the coil.

Correct me if I am wrong but I THOUGHT the wire coming from the firewall near the master cylinder carried fire when the switch was on.

As stated in a earlier post all of my wires are painted black and inside a coiled cover.

I hope I am making sense.

If I need to give more information please tell me.

I only have time to work on it a few minutes before bedtime on maybe 2 nights a week.

Thank you again for you reply.

[Ranchero50]

Use the MSD diagrams I posted to figure out where you do and don't have voltage. If you are missing something, hot wire it to get it running and then T/S the problem. Once the aftermarket is thrown in it's difficult to help T/S from a distance.

[crazyhorse]

Well I worked on Old Red a little tonight.

I have fire from the coil wire to the MSD 8477 distributor cap, not fire to the spark plug.

I think it MIGHT be the MSD magnetic pickup module inside the distributor..

My ohm meter does not work so I can't check the magnetic pickup module.

I tried to loosen the 2 nuts that hold the module in place but the bolt studs are turning with the nuts, so gonna have to remove the MSD distributor & try to remove the 2 nuts that hold the module .

Does anyone know of a simple/quick way to remove the 2 nuts that hold the MSD magnetic pickup module without removing the distributor?

[crazyhorse]

I put in a new magnetic pickup module in the MSD distributor and it did not fix the problem, it is like it was , no start.

Will some of you electronic gurus help me solve this problem?

I have fire/spark from the coil wire to the distributor cap center/coil post.
I have NO fire/spark from the spark plug wire to the spark plug.

Thank you in advance .

[crazyhorse]

Bump

[Ranchero50]

Well I worked on Old Red a little tonight.

I have fire from the coil wire to the MSD 8477 distributor cap, not fire to the spark plug.

I think it MIGHT be the MSD magnetic pickup module inside the distributor..

My ohm meter does not work so I can't check the magnetic pickup module.

I tried to loosen the 2 nuts that hold the module in place but the bolt studs are turning with the nuts, so gonna have to remove the MSD distributor & try to remove the 2 nuts that hold the module .

Does anyone know of a simple/quick way to remove the 2 nuts that hold the MSD magnetic pickup module without removing the distributor?

Explain this better What, when, how, why?

Simplest thing is to pull the dizzy and spin it with the key on to test the various parts.

[crazyhorse]

I double posted , sorry

[crazyhorse]

I put in a new magnetic pickup module in the MSD distributor and it did not fix the problem, it is like it was , no start.

Will some of you electronic gurus help me solve this problem?

I have fire/spark from the coil wire to the distributor cap center/coil post.
I have NO fire/spark from the spark plug wire to the spark plug.

Thank you in advance .

Mr Ranchero , I don't know how to explain it better .

I pulled the coil wire out at the distributor cap , turned the ignition switch and spin the motor and it has a spark from the coil wire to the distributor cap where the coil wire plugs in the distributor cap.

There is no spark on the spark plug wires that go from the distributor cap to the spark plugs.

I was told by a mechanic the problem would be the MSD magnetic pickup module inside the MSD distributor, so I bought a new MSD magnetic pickup module, installed it per instructions and it did not solve the problem.

Just ask if more information is needed .

Thanks for your reply.

[carnuck]

If the spark goes into the dist, but doesn't come out and cap isn't cracked and the rotor still spins, replace the rotor. I've had 5 or 6 burn through to the dist shaft in the past 10 years with MSD spark.