okay well we tried to trouble shoot again tonight to no avail. We used out volt-meter, but it turns out I dont think it was reliable (wouldnt read any voltage coming from my BRAND NEW BATTERY!!, didnt replace to solve problem, just replaced because old one started to corrode badly).

Here is what I have noticed and what caused us to make repairs on car:

Car was running fine on freeway then suddenly dies (completely) and wont restart.
Upon inspection, rotor on dist, NOT turning when engine was cranking, worn out nylon timing gears, replaced with double roller and metal everything.

Dist was removed, but replaced (after cleaning and lubing)

I have electronic ignition.

Everything is buttoned up and we attempted to crank. Swapped another working ballast, and nothing, put original back.

Still no spark from coil wire (that goes to dist).
Checked fuses, all are okay.

INspect wires, find a burnt connection at the plastic connector that is over the passengar bank on the engine, the bigblack wire that goes to the negative side of the alternator was fried, cleaned and reconnected, then tried to start; nothing.

What the frick?!?!?!?!

Okay questions:

test light? what is that? where do I get one?

What else am I missing? Coil is wired with black with yellow stripe on positive and brown wire on the negative (according to what I can tell this is correct).
I have been using remote starter with key in "on" position to start, and there has never been spark.

What can I do? (going to get my other multimeter tomorrow so I can see what is getting power and what isnt, unless that one isnt working either).

Help please, my swinger needs to see some road time badly.

Caesar

I know this isnt a slant, issue per say, but my mopars are BOTH out of comission and I am bummed.

When you buy a wiring kit fuses, connectors, wire, etc.(comes in a plastic box) they usually include a test light. It looks like a ice pick but has a bulb in the handle so when you attach the alligator clip end to ground, what ever you touch that has voltage will make it light up. A very handy trouble shooting tool.

That big black wire ultimately goes to the alternator. As it passes through the fire wall those connectors see allot of abuse and probably fried as well. On my car the entire wire melted the enamel off all the way to the firewall. So I replaced it and the fire wall connectors. Bought the spade male and female ends from our local auto parts store. That solved my problem with low voltage and starting problems.

_________________
Aggressive Ted

http://cid-32f1e50ddb40a03c.photos.live ... %20Swinger


74 Swinger, 9.5 comp 254/.435 lift cam, 904, ram air, electric fans, 2.5" HP2 & FM70 ex, 1920 Holley#56jet, 2.76 8 3/4 Sure-Grip, 26" tires, 25+MPG

Pull distributer look at the nylon gear on the endof it.

_________________
Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

that one specified). So far everything checks out okay, coil (new and good), battery is new and good, connections are good. Going to replace and the connections at the point of failure, but all in all, every other wire is great, used my test light from home depot ($4) and all other wires are good, even the other alternator wires, the ballast is good, everything.
Going to check the Dist ground, and the ECU next.

Thanks,
Caesar

car runs, ECU was bad. replaced with spare laying around and all is good.

The wire that burnt from the alternator, what would cause this? Should I be concerned about the state of voltage regulator.?

Thanks again people,
Caesar

It's possible the wire burnt from having a loose connection. Bad connection=resistance=burnt wires.

Might be a good time to check the bulkhead connector at the firewall as mentioned before. I had an intermittent no-start on my red car that turned out to be the light blue wire through the bulkhead being corroded.

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

when we reconnected the wire, it still heated up REAL hot REAL fast and was smoking the insulation.

Caesar

the wires and connectors at the bulkhead are A-Okay. THe wire at the point of breakage we removed the connectors, cut the wire, put on brand new connectors (male and female) and installed them in a seperate plastic housing to protect them.

I replaced my voltage regulator, thinking that it was causing a buildup of electrical current from the power wire of the alternator. We start the car and run it at just above idle. I smell plastic burning, ever so slightly, and the wire and the new connectors got extremely hot again.

What gives? The wires themselves checked out with my test light, they are continuous and unbroken. I dont want to run the car with this wire heating up the way it is due to the fact that I am sure it will melt the insulation, the exposed wire will hit the engine (which is grounded) and that will short my system again and leave me stranded.

What on earth am I missing? Could one of the fields on the alternator be bad?

ALl grounds are good and clean. all wires are checking out continuous (read unbroken), and all components for ignition and charging are checking out okay (they have either been tested or replaced if failing a test).

please help.

Caesar

Take the large wire off the large post on the alternator. Check the resistance from the post to the case of the alternator. You should have very high resistance in the mega ohms range. If you have very low resistance you have shorted diodes in the alternator.

Are you sure the large wire you are connecting to the alternator runs to the bulkhead connector on to the ammeter and then to the battery? If you pull the + battery cable and the large wire off the alternator the alternator wire should have very high resistance to ground. If not you have a short somewhere in that path.

Another possibility is that your battery is low and your voltage regulator is bad. When the engine starts you are just putting too much current through that wire. More than 14.5V at the battery with the engine running at a fast idle is too much. Make sure the regulator is good, the regulator is well grounded and that neither field wire is shorted to ground.

_________________
Joshua

Well after a few days of investigating, and poking and prodding, we have solved the problem: Bad ground from alternator case to the engine AND loose connection at the terminal of the alternator.

We filled the paint and grime off of the block and alternator and secured the wires, double checked all connections. Checked resistance and turned on the key.

Car started right up and we set the timing and adjusted the carb (still needs more adjustment) and took it for a cruise. Stopped after cruising the freeway for about 10 minutes and pulled over to pop the hood.

Hood up and I grabbed the problem wire and it was the same temp as the rest of the engine compartment, warm, but not hot. It stayed intact and everything is running fine.

Thanks to everyone for all your help.

Caesar