Ford Ignition Probs

[byroncobra]

It's driving me crazy......

From day one I've had no start or engine dying problems with the ignition system on my '93 5.0 engine.

I started with a new MSD distributor and coil.

I've replaced 2 faulty coils and one TFI module.

Off to the local car show yesterday, no problem starting but after 10 km the engine dies. I popped the bonnet, did the obligatory wiggling of coil and TFI plug connections, turned the key and she started, closed the bonnet, jumped in and it stopped.

Up with the bonnet again and fortunately a couple of guys in a Holden ute who were off to the show pulled up. Given my experience with this bluddy problem...no spark, plenty of fuel pressure, etc etc. I called the local Repco boys and they had a coil in stock...that's a start. So off we go jammed in the ute, grabbed the coil, stuck it in, turned the key, and she fired.....woohooo.

Put the tools away, told the boys to follow me to the show (they were from the Goldy) jumped in and........it fekkin stopped.

I waved the blokes goodbye, rang home for a pickup, grabbed the trailer and now it's back in the shed.

SO....I'm yet to bench test the TFI module, but i'll bet it's that or the PIP sender in the dizzy.

If so, what's the best way to go to eliminate all this grief? MSD hasn't really impressed me with their sh1tty quality although quite a few guys run their 6AL module it seems. I'm tempted to toss their distributor, coil and leads and start from scratch.

Thoughts please.......

[dhs.buckley]

Mine had massive problems with coils and the dizzy (1996 5.0) , just before I got it they replaced the dizzy with a mallory and I have had not a single problem with it 5500klm in all sorts of weather from 3 degs to 43 degs so couldnt recommend the mallory dizzy anymore highly. Previous owner wished he had done it years ago

[renovationinnov]

Byron cobra as above we had trouble with msd dizzie from day one
in & out of the car ,,,we even had the dizzie on a graph & just played up like a Korean watch
Mallory is the way to go... we had no problem after the change & the dyno shop even recommends Mallory
rob

[dhs.buckley]

this is the unit i have on mine, the only draw back is they sit very high and it may interfere with your air cleaner.

[sideshow]

tfi modules are the most things that fail on those old fords
seriously throw it out
get an aftermarket ecu and fit a decent dizzy and ignitor or ls1 coil with inbuilt ignitor

if u do it properly it should not fail again

or u could throw the whole thing away and fit an ls1 engine

msd is like autometer
they make ****loads of them and quality aint as good as what it was 20 years ago

u also have to be careful with mismatched dizzys and coils

[byroncobra]

Thanks fellas

That Mallory isn't a TFI but they do make one to suit my setup

Jim, maybe you're on the money, I've been considering a tuneable ECU, what do you recommend?

Maybe we can talk about it after you get that Busa loom sorted for me

[sideshow]

ah ok hehehe
haltech is good price and can do most of things
use ls1 coil and keep it simple
can probably use all orig sensors on the 302

[byroncobra]

like this one.........

Haltech E11V2 ECU Computer Increase Performance OF Your Vehicle | eBay

[sideshow]

the e11 ecu is about 10 or more years old
best of getting a platinum sport 1000 or 2000

[darkside]

i can say i have had no end to problems with a wolf 3d 4.0 version,was told that it would run an au2 motor but have had it sent back to factory ,because it wasnt able to read fords pickups has had several other add ons ,apparantly the new wolf version does read the au2 motors but so far we have had several headaches with the older version,and we wont get into the service part...but buy a haltech you could do worse...doc

[sideshow]

unfortunately the only thing I would ever use
the old wolf 3d for is for something to throw
into the pool and the kids can go find it and pick it up
and then get it out and hammer the fk out of it
with a ten pound hammer
the person who said to get that ecu should be shot
hehe

[sideshow]

u should find a good tuner and ask them
what they like to tune
no matter what price ecu costs
it's only as good as the tuner

[olddog]

Let's back up a bit and make sure the accused is guilty.

Two coils failing is quite unlikely. Two coils and now two TFI, makes me think the problem is elsewhere. How are you determining that there is no spark? Where are you checking if there is no spark (at coil or at the plug)? Even if there is no spark at the plug, the coil could be working perfectly and it is lost in a wire, rotor, or cap. You get my point.

If you are basing this on the engine does not run, no fuel or too much fuel will kill an engine, same as no spark. ECU, MAF, TPI, or a loose ground can all cause this. Believe me, I replace everything in the ignition system and the ECU, before I realized it was a fuel problem.

The TFI modules have a bad reputation, and they do fail if they are in too much heat. Ford later moved them to a heat sink on the fender well. You can find instruction on moving the TFI with a google search. I moved mine and is stays cool to touch, where it used to get too hot to touch on the distributor.

The Ford part are excellent stuff. You should not be having all the problems that you are. Are you certain the parts you have replaced were indeed bad?

[byroncobra]

Jim you're a classic with some of your solutions.....you're pool must have a lot of stuff on the bottom

I've tested the TFI and it's within specs and the hall sensor is triggering PIP signal with an LED test light.

SBFTech.com TFI Module/Hall Sensor Testing Procedure

If I kick it over it occasionally starts for 2-3 seconds then dies. I pulled a plug and i can see it sparking the same.

I'll go and check the coil i spose but a can't be that surely given its brand new

One thing that i thought was odd was that the fuel pump primes as usual at key-on, it normally pressures up and then turns off. However, it is cycling on and off....bit wierd

[albanycobra]

sounds like a bad connection, check your earths....

[Towmaster]

Greg I had the same problem with first an MSD then the Mallory. The ford based stuff doesn't seem to be able to cope. Pete, John & myself all run the autronic with a dual sync dizzy to 7k with no problems. All those problems I was having at muscle car was the (new) Mallory dizzy.

[Rossba]

What dizzy and coil are you using?
I have a MSD dizzy and have no problem but their canister coils are crap.
Run a E coil. I have been running a E coil for near 10 years and still working.

[byroncobra]

Thanks Ash, I'll do some research on ECUs.

Rossba, the MSD billet TFI dizzy and originally the 8227 coil that has been replaced after crapping itself with a generic Repco unit.

What's an E coil?

[sideshow]

its abit of work to setup but you can always run 8 ls1 coils

there was a light green olive coloured square Cortina at the summernats last year
and also in street machine magazine

it has a 351 with a morrison crossram inlet manifold
it has a crank trigger sensor on the front of the crank
then it has a modified au cam pickup sensor where the dizzy would go
so its sort of like a dizzy without the rotor putton or cap, just the electrical sensor

so I wired up a haltech to it with 8 ls1 coils

[Rossba]

Greg,
This is the MSD style.
I run a Holley version but I think Holley don't make them anymore.

http://www.msdignition.com/Products/...ies_Units.aspx

I ran it with a standard Ford electronic dizzy for 7 years.
This is my Dizzy I have been running for the last 3 years

Ford 289/302 Ready-To-Run Distributor
Part No. 8352