I'd rather do boating in the lake rather than in my garage... (ignition question).

[incrediblened]

A couple of years ago I parked the '79 Chaparral in storage. I got it out today to get it started and out on the water. It won't start. It turns over, no spark though.

Mercruiser 470, Petrtronix Ignition Installed.

1) Positive lead on coil = 8.5 v.
2) Positive lead on battery = 10.5 v.
3) My multimeter might be bad old charger only says 11v, Van says 10.5, Boat says 10.5)

My coil wire sparks intermittently against a ground... not a steady *spark* *spark* *spark* *spark*. It's more like. *spark* *spark* *(nothing) *(nothing) *spark* (nothing) (nothing) nothing) *spark spark* nothing nothing, spark, nothing, nothing, nothing.

Anyway, thanks for helping resurrect the beast. Ryan

 

[thumpar]

Re: I'd rather do boating in the lake rather than in my garage... (ignition question)

Are you running the pertronix module separate from the coil? Your coil runs off a resistance wire but the module needs a full 12v.

 

[incrediblened]

Re: I'd rather do boating in the lake rather than in my garage... (ignition question)

No. I put the red Pertronix module wire on the positive lead on the coil. (It had a nice little terminator that fit right on the post), right length and everything. Are you saying I need to run it all the way back to... say the solenoid?

 

[thumpar]

Re: I'd rather do boating in the lake rather than in my garage... (ignition question)

You need to feed the module a full 12v but leave the coil on the resistance wire. I would run a new wire back to the spot on the starter that the resistance wire is hooked to. When I did mine I changed the coil to a internally ballasted coil. All I had to do was change the wire that supplies a full 12v to the coil when cranking to the spot that the resistance wire was.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: I'd rather do boating in the lake rather than in my garage... (ignition question)

Do you have the ignitor II with the flamethrower coil?

 

[thumpar]

Re: I'd rather do boating in the lake rather than in my garage... (ignition question)

Do you have the ignitor II with the flamethrower coil?

That is what I used but it sounds like the OP is using the standard coil.

 

[incrediblened]

Re: I'd rather do boating in the lake rather than in my garage... (ignition question)

I do have the flamethrower coil. I don't remember if it's ignitor II or not.

So I'm going to run the ignitor all the way back out of the distributor to the the 'S' on the solenoid. The positive on the coil is connected to the "I" on the solenoid by way of the beige wire.

But if I run the ignitor back to the 'S', what's giving it power when the key is in the run position?

 

[thumpar]

Re: I'd rather do boating in the lake rather than in my garage... (ignition question)

I am not sure of the labeling on the solenoid. Look at where the resistance wire it hooked to now and run the new wire to there. That is what provides the coil voltage in the on or running position it is just lower because of the resistance wire.

 

[Don S]

Re: I'd rather do boating in the lake rather than in my garage... (ignition question)

As I recall, the Pertronix module has 2 wires, the red goes on the coil + terminal, and the black goes on the - coil terminal.
Not the solenoid, or the starter or anything else.
the coil is where the module picks up it's power.
Now, how the coil gets power from the ignition switch and starter is another problem.

First, you have to have a fully charged batter for electronic igintion systems to work. Plus, the engine has to crank over fast enough for it to work.

Loose connections, corroded terminals, or even a corroded coil wire can cause intermittant fire.

Get things cleaned and tight and checked out and you may have good consistent spark.

 

[thumpar]

Re: I'd rather do boating in the lake rather than in my garage... (ignition question)

As I recall, the Pertronix module has 2 wires, the red goes on the coil + terminal, and the black goes on the - coil terminal.
Not the solenoid, or the starter or anything else.
the coil is where the module picks up it's power.
Now, how the coil gets power from the ignition switch and starter is another problem.

The install manual says to run a full 12v to the module separate from the coil and resistance wire.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: I'd rather do boating in the lake rather than in my garage... (ignition question)

"So I'm going to run the ignitor all the way back out of the distributor to the the 'S' on the solenoid. The positive on the coil is connected to the "I" on the solenoid by way of the beige wire.

But if I run the ignitor back to the 'S', what's giving it power when the key is in the run position? "


No! That is wrong, 470s are different. You need 12V from the ignition switch to the + of the coil. It already gets 12V from the slave solenoid when you start, but as soon as you release the key and it returns to run that 12V stops. Remove and tape off the resistance wire. Splice a wire into the choke wire and run it to the + side of the coil. You will get 12 volts there whenever the key is on. The flamethrower coil is designed to run with 12V. Ignitor Red wire on coil +, black wire on coil -. 12V on coil + when key on run. That is basically how mine is set up, as instructed by my Petronix dealer and it works fine.

 

[thumpar]

Re: I'd rather do boating in the lake rather than in my garage... (ignition question)

That is basically what I was saying just a different spot to get the 12v.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: I'd rather do boating in the lake rather than in my garage... (ignition question)

Look at where the resistance wire it hooked to now and run the new wire to there.

The resistance wire on a 470 is connected to the choke wire at the choke module, and gets 12V there when the ignition is on, so you are absolutely correct.

 

[thumpar]

Re: I'd rather do boating in the lake rather than in my garage... (ignition question)

This is from the installation manual.

Q. The engine will not start or runs rough. Are there any tests that I can do?
A. Yes, remove the red Ignitor? wire from the coil positive terminal. Connect a jumper wire from
the positive side of the battery directly to the red Ignitor? wire. If the engine starts and runs
well, you may have a low voltage problem. Remember this is just a test and not intended for
permanent installation. Read ? How to correct a low voltage poblem?
Q. How to correct a low voltage problem?
A. First, if you have an external ballast resistor, connect the red Ignitor? wire to the ignition wire
prior to the ballast resistor. Second, if you do not have a ballast resistor you must locate a 12
volt source that is controlled by the ignition switch to connect the red Ignitor? wire to.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: I'd rather do boating in the lake rather than in my garage... (ignition question)

First, if you have an external ballast resistor (resistor wire in this case), connect the red Ignitor? wire to the ignition wire prior to the ballast resistor.

That is exactly what you are doing when you splice into the choke wire.