Spark Problem

[CharlieM]

I have a 92 Bronco 5 speed. It has MSD Ignition, a stock distributor MSD plug wires and coil. I get a no spark condition when the wire from the coil to the distributor is attached to the distributor, but if the engine gets turned over and the coil wire is laying on the intake manifold I get spark. It appears to be some kind of grounding issue, but the starter works so I'm assuming that the engine block itself is grounded. Does anyone have any ideas why I would be experiencing this problem?

 

[budster 95]

I've seen the rotor shorted to the distributor shaft once before, pull the rotor off, and look underneath inside. or there must be a short in the distributor somewhere. Let us know! Good luck

 

[CharlieM]

I've seen the rotor shorted to the distributor shaft once before, pull the rotor off, and look underneath inside. or there must be a short in the distributor somewhere. Let us know! Good luck

I just got it to produce spark consistently, I think the MSD controller went bad but I still can't get it to start and it's 20 degrees outside. I'll probably be able to get it going tomorrow, I hope. When I disconnected the MSD box, I started getting consistent spark, but I think that the distributor is 180 degrees out of time.

 

[Rons beast]

Why not start at the begining.

When did the problem start? and what did you do so far and what were the results in order.

It doesn't make sence that a dist. would suddenly get 180 out.

Were you changing the dist. oor what?

Fill us in and someone will help.

 

[CharlieM]

I had to change the fuel injectors, so I had to take the manifold out, and to do that I took the distributor out. When I put it back together, no spark. So now, I think the battery is just too low to kick it over hard enough to start it. I disconnected the MSD controller and now I get consistent spark, but it wont start, and I think it's the distributor 180 degrees out or just that the battery is too low.

 

[Krafty]

if your timing is wayyy too off the trying to ignite on the compression stroke or exhaust stroke will just make your engine act like a huge paperweight.

did you at least mark the distributer base/ manifold before you removed it so you would know where it was?

 

[BroncoJoe19]

I may not be following you correctly, but if you get spark from the coil to the dizzy, but not from the cap to the plugs, then the problem is in the connection between the coil wire to the top of the cap, through it to the rotor, and then out through the cap, through the wires and finally spark at the plugs. If your dizzy is 180 degrees out of time, the engine won't start, but you will still have spark.

Try pulling your cap, and observing whether or not the rotor is turning as someone cranks the engine.