'85 Bronco XLT... The curse!!!!

This thing is just cursed to never run again. Ok, here is everything I have done to this thing in the last month...

- new spark plugs (Autolites gapped to .045)
- FRPP 9mm plug wires
- new coil
- new cap and rotor
- new distributor
- new ignition control module
- new neutral safety switch
- timing is good at 12* advance
- engine has a good solid ground
- new battery terminals and new battery wires
- all new engine relays

yet despite all this....

IT STILL HAS NO SPARK!!!!

I'm baffled! I'm just so confused as to what the issue could be. Why doesn't it have spark??? It's nickel and diming me to death yet still not running and my wife is looking at getting fired cause tomorrow will make the 3rd straight day that she just hasn't been able to get to work. If anyone has any clue what the issue could be, please help us out. We have to have this thing running!

You have to trace it back

Do you have power to the dist?
Are you getting power from the coil?
Lots of places to check.

Just have to trace it

Its carbed so there isnt much. Coil, control module and distributor. Its rare but the pickup in the distributor can go bad. But what will said. check for power

I think I just have a really bad short somewhere. I'll check the entire system starting at the ends and working my in and get no power anywhere. Then I'll just randomly turn it over and it'll fire. It'll idle for 3 seconds and die. Then right back to having no spark but this time, I'll get power to the distributor and nothing else. Then when I turn the engine over, I lose all power to everything again. It's very weird.

If it runs and stops seems like ign relay bad ground.

TT_05_Stang wrote:If it runs and stops seems like ign relay bad ground.

I tried to explain this to Bryce, but no dice

Lone Star wrote:

TT_05_Stang wrote:If it runs and stops seems like ign relay bad ground.

I tried to explain this to Bryce, but no dice

James, I put two different new relays in that spot and even replaced the ground wire. It has a very solid and healthy connection. I tried that last weekend as one of the first things. That has been long eliminated as being the issue.

I hope you figure it out soon.

Me too!

I'm trying to remember, but does it have the TFI on the side of the disty? If so, that can cause a no spark, usually due to the pickup going bad in the disty...

No, it's mechanical pickup and vacuum advance. It has a hot box on the driver's side fender instead.

hot box....Ignitor? check ur coil. Those things can go bad. check ur pickup. and double triple check all the wirring.. How is a 85 bronco giving you so much crap when you have ur focus....With much more crap to go wrong.

Wasn't this running before you put the msd box on?

chrisverneuil wrote:hot box....Ignitor? check ur coil. Those things can go bad. check ur pickup. and double triple check all the wirring.. How is a 85 bronco giving you so much crap when you have ur focus....With much more crap to go wrong.

Hot Box = Ignition control module. It's an old school term.

It has a brand new coil and distributor on it. The pickup is fine as well. I've already quadruple checked all the wiring. I see no reason it shouldn't have spark.

TT_05_Stang wrote:Wasn't this running before you put the msd box on?

It doesn't have an MSD box, just OEM replacement.

I can come over this weekend and give you a hand. All week I am working late in DC

RDY4WAR wrote:

chrisverneuil wrote:hot box....Ignitor? check ur coil. Those things can go bad. check ur pickup. and double triple check all the wirring.. How is a 85 bronco giving you so much crap when you have ur focus....With much more crap to go wrong.

Hot Box = Ignition control module. It's an old school term.

It has a brand new coil and distributor on it. The pickup is fine as well. I've already quadruple checked all the wiring. I see no reason it shouldn't have spark.

TT_05_Stang wrote:Wasn't this running before you put the msd box on?

It doesn't have an MSD box, just OEM replacement.

Well there is something wrong with ur control module then. If you got power and ur pickup is fine then its the control module. or maybe you have no fuel....Just a thought. How are checking to make sure you got spark?

It lives!!!

The issue was a bad ground wire from the coil to the distributor ground. Now I have an issue of timing. I have no idea where the timing is. It fires up and runs fine but idles high and acts lean. It also wants to stumble when I rev it. I'm guessing it's too far advanced. It's still not driveable as I just stuck a wire across the coil to get a spark and start it. I'll have to actually replace the wire tomorrow evening. Basically the entire system wasn't grounding out.

I was checking the spark by putting a new plug in the end of a random plug wire and grounding it to the side of the motor to see if it sparked. I then too a test light to the coil and saw no spark. But this has now been resolved.... hopefully.

sounds like this Bronco don't wanna be riden.

I tried to check the timing last night but my timing light isn't working. It's a cheap one from Harbor Freight so I'm not really surprised. The balance is really rusted but I'm going to get under it this evening and try to find the timing marks.

I did mark the timing when I pulled the dizzy. The issue was when I tried to get the oil pump to line up. I ended up going off by one tooth on the gear. I didn't really care as I was just looking for any kind of spark at this point. Well, I got spark and it was pulling way retarded. I could tell just by how it was trying to start that it was way retarded. As a quick fix, I just moved the plug wires forward one position on the distributor (#1 wire to #8 cylinder spot, #3 wire to #1 cylinder spot, etc...). I turned it over and it fired right up and runs fine. I'm just concerned because I don't know exactly where the timing is now. Since I have some room to adjust the timing around, I could do one of two things. I could either try to adjust the timing as is and just make a note that the plug wires are rotated one position forward. Or I could pull the dizzy back out, realign it to that one tooth back, and then time it from there. The only real benefit to option 2 would be the #1 plug would be back on the #1 position on the cap.

Come on Bryce do it the old fashined way. Retard timming till it just about dies. Now advance timming to where she idles well about 800 or so rpm. Disconect vacume advance though and plug the hose. once ur set. plug vacum advance back in. Then take it down the road WOT pull. If you get no ping or det ur good. You can even advance it more if you want. Who needs a timming light......

RDY4WAR wrote:It lives!!!

The issue was a bad ground wire from the coil to the distributor ground. Now I have an issue of timing. I have no idea where the timing is. It fires up and runs fine but idles high and acts lean. It also wants to stumble when I rev it. I'm guessing it's too far advanced. It's still not driveable as I just stuck a wire across the coil to get a spark and start it. I'll have to actually replace the wire tomorrow evening. Basically the entire system wasn't grounding out.

I was checking the spark by putting a new plug in the end of a random plug wire and grounding it to the side of the motor to see if it sparked. I then too a test light to the coil and saw no spark. But this has now been resolved.... hopefully.

HAHAHAHAH and you said you checked everything

chrisverneuil wrote:

RDY4WAR wrote:It lives!!!

The issue was a bad ground wire from the coil to the distributor ground. Now I have an issue of timing. I have no idea where the timing is. It fires up and runs fine but idles high and acts lean. It also wants to stumble when I rev it. I'm guessing it's too far advanced. It's still not driveable as I just stuck a wire across the coil to get a spark and start it. I'll have to actually replace the wire tomorrow evening. Basically the entire system wasn't grounding out.

I was checking the spark by putting a new plug in the end of a random plug wire and grounding it to the side of the motor to see if it sparked. I then too a test light to the coil and saw no spark. But this has now been resolved.... hopefully.

HAHAHAHAH and you said you checked everything

I did. The only thing left to do was go through and actually rewire the entire system. This is when I found that the ground had corroded inside it's own insulation about halfway between the coil and the distributor. It would make contact intermittenly, which is why it would randomly stumble and fire and then die again when engine vibration shook it loose. I had no way of seeing this from the outside of the wire itself. Now, if you will cut the smartass remarks, all will be good.

come on. All threads need some humor;) lol.

Chris, I think Bryce took it like you were kicking him while he was down.

You got insurance? I say light the bitch on fire and get wifey a Mustang. Problem solved.

So speaketh the Trunk Monkey.