t bear

well, i wired it every way i could think of and it still ran perfect... up to 2700r's. must be broke. went and bought a chincy sunpro tach for 40$ and rigged it in the cluster. it looks okay, but at least it works. thanks for the ideas.

it's a stock unit from an earlier 620, so that shouldn't be an issue unless there was a 1973 datsun skunkworks 620 V6. man, that would be rad. i'll try the other side of the coil, but i'm pretty sure it's supposed to go on the pos side. not today though... man it's nasty out. thanks for the ideas.

for the record, my rockauto matchbox (i think it was $80) has been working rad. if you can't come up on a good used one, it's a solid option.

got an older induction tach wired in (through the signal to the coil), spent the better part of a day dashboard wrestling, once it was in and showed idle speed i finished the loom all nice and buttoned it up. on the first freeway trip i realized that the tach won't go over 2700 r's, anyone have any idea what to look at? to much juice from the electronic ignition? no idea what to do, but i'll be bummed if i have to take the dash apart again. thanks for looking.

nookie's first adventure...

been struggling with getting spark, see WTB ad: My link tried damn near everything. new coil, wires, pickup coil in dizzy, adjusted clearance on breaker plate, two new hei units, new ignition switch... i cant get spark when cranking. it sparks when i ground the coil, and i get power to the coil when the ignition is on and when it's cranking. i think the issue lies in that when i put a test light across the positive and negative terminals of the coil and crank i get no signal, but when i test light the positive side and ground i do. this blue wire is fucking me up. so the coil isn't getting a ground signal from the distributor, but the pickup coil (the new one, installed at the proper clearance and ohms out within spec) appears to be doing what it's supposed to as far as the low voltage AC signal while cranking. i'm lost. the dizzy isn't telling the coil to fire, and i can't figure out why. any bases i haven't covered? here's a pic of my hei setup, i thought maybe my stock ignition module was pooched so i put this in: Uploaded with ImageShack.us thanks... and if anyone has a spare matchbox distributor for sale please hit me up.

thanks for the offer, if i can't sort it out (or find my ass with both hands) i'll hit you up. i did a little more troubleshooting today and decided i should move this process to the appropriate thread: My link

i really appreciate you guys taking the time to help me sort this out. icoblue- yep, it's a factory remote module distributor. i burned something up trying to install an old induction style tach, and now i'm trying to figure out why i can't get it to spark. i have a in line spark tester (the type that illuminates) that i've been using, and i double checked that it worked on my van. i've tried two new hei units, so that probably isn't it. datzenmike- sounds like you know this system inside out. as i mentioned, i get 12v to the + side of the coil with both ignition on and while cranking. i'm definitely using the appropriate parts- it's a stock remote module dizzy form 1978. to run the HEI i pulled the wires from the plug into the stock ignition control unit and put them in the correct spades on the hei (per the diagram), then grounded the backing plate (double checking continuity to ground). one thing you mentioned could be an issue- i replaced the coil with a new one from carquest (i broke the terminal off the factory one overtightening it like an asshole). i'm guessing they know that a 78 620 is elec ignition, but they could have somehow given me a points coil. i'll double check the part number... but the guys at my local parts shop are pretty good. this puzzle sucks. i miss being able to drive my pickup.

thanks, i've tried to hook up an HEI setup and i can't get it to spark, so i'm thinking the system with the fewest wires will narrow down the potential problems. it seems like such a basic system, but either i just don't have my head wrapped around it completely or i'm missing something super obvious. everything i can think to test checks out: power to the coil when cranking, an AC voltage signal from the pick up coil to the HEI unit (which is grounded) when cranking, and continuity from the negative side of the coil to the hei unit. i double checked everything and it's hooked up per the diagram, but i'll be damned if i just can't get the thing to make fire. coil, cap, rotor, wires, plugs, ignition switch, pick up coil, and hei unit are all new. seriously, i got frustrated and just started throwing parts at the thing- they are cheap enough. if anyone has anything else i could test i'd be stoked to get some suggestions... i'm also into replacing the distributor if one turns up. thanks!

rad, thanks for the heads up! been out of town for five days and off the craigslist hunt, so that was way helpful. i'll check that one out.

the title says it: i'm looking for a matchbox distributor for my 78 pickup camper project. i managed to roach the stock setup somehow (i'm a wizard at breaking shit) and while everything checks out i still can't get spark. i'd like a matchbox setup for simplicity anyway. so, let me know if you have one, and if you are in the portland area, even better. thanks!

i did try the hei- with the remote ignition unit it's super easy. jumper to ground i have not tried, interesting idea. so i'd disconnect the blue wire and leave it hanging, then jumper the neg side of the coil to ground and in theory that should make the coil fire to test it? can't run the truck that way though, because the timing of the coil firing would be all wonky? thanks for the ideas, and the heads up on junkyard status. i'm waiting to hear back from someone parting a truck on CL, maybe that will pan out. i love going to the yard but it tends to eat up a whole day.

behold: my shimmering diamond of a housecar... the 1978 chinook gazelle. edit: it runs again! i'm not sure what was wrong with all the setups i tried (the two hei modules, new distributor guts, etc...) and that makes me a little crazy, but i ordered an aftermarket matchbox unit complete from rockauto, plugged it in, hooked up two wires, and bam! missed this thing. now it's on to rebuilding the weber and humping in the 5spd that are chilling in the garage, and starting to get all the fabulous RV accoutrements working. picked it up a couple months ago and i've been working out the kinks. new shocks, leafs re arched (benz spring in portland is the jam), got the brakes working reasonably well, adjusted the valves, new alternator, clutch slave, fuel pump, fixed rusty leaking tank (hopefully), built a fresh exhaust, etc. lots of work, and i haven't even started on the interior or rv portion yet. needs some fiberglass work and something other than funky ass orange carpet for flooring, but i'll get into that later. i also need to repair the rear door because i tried to launch an engine out of the back. think spy hunter. next steps (after i get it fucking running again) are to rebuild and install the used weber i picked up, and put in the 5spd that i keep tripping over in my garage. my plan is to get it all sorted so the lady and i can get out of town for a month or so in the spring and not need a sponsorship from an arab oil tycoon to do so. its a super rad truck. i've put a couple hundred miles on it and it's way fun to drive, and from what i can tell gets reasonable fuel economy. so, as for the question/plea... naturally i fucked something up. i was trying to wire up an induction tach without using my brain and cooked a bunch of stuff. it's got the electronic ignition with the seperate control module that lives under the dash. i hooked up the tach to power and cooked something, then started throwing parts at it to get my spark back but not having any luck. what i'd like to do is find a good used matchbox distributor and be done with it, as i cant seem to track down why mine isn't firing and i miss having the car run. my troubleshooting has led me here: my ignition switch is burned up- it doesn't send power to the coil when the engine is cranking. for now i'm using jumper wires, but i ordered a new one and it should be here in a couple days, along with some new plug wires for good measure. so, power to both sides of the coil with ignition on when cranking, but no spark. i replaced the coil with a new one not because it was suspect, but because i broke of one of the studs like a hamhanded asshole. i thought maybe i cooked my control box, so i wired in an HEI unit. still no spark. then i tested the pickup coil in the distrubutor (low AC voltage output while cranking to the green and red wires) and it wasn't putting out, so i replaced that. still no spark. i don't know what to try next, other than just put in a matchbox distributor and be done with it. so, anyone in portland want to sell me one? i guess there is the plea part. went to foster u pull it yesterday but they didn't have shit. hi!