I give up...

I installed the Magnecor 10mm spark wires today and the car ran great. I went to turn it off and it kept on running. It finally died after about a minute. The tach started to jump up and down and finally stopped working.

I checked the trailing coil with it running and it read battery voltage. I checked it while it was running and the key in the off position and it read 3.4 volts on the positive and the negative side. . I am running the MSD on the leading side. While the car is running it reads neg . 30 volts and while it is running with the key off it reads -.30 volts.

Help!!!! Car runs great with the key and will accelerate and everything. At least I know the Alternator works

I'm using a 81-85 distributor

 

Need more info on your setup. How are you running the MSD?

 

are you using the original dizzy harness, If so remove it and rewire the ignition system. The factory igniters are tied together in the stock harness

 

Right now I have the trailing ignitor running straight to the trailing coil. From there it goes to the dis. and then to the plugs. The leading; it goes from the dis. to the MSD box. Box to the coil and coil to the dis. I ran it back into the dis. because it ran alot smoother and had better acceleration then using the two coils straight to plug setup. It has ran fine the last week or so. It do this until I put the new wires on. I know the wires should not have anything to do with this problem but it just happened at the same time. All wires seem intack.

 

run new wires from your ignitor to the MSD box and then to your coils... you will have much better luck. Then you can do direct fire.

 

I thought you wern't supposed to use an ignitor when you used the MSD box. The MSD box was the new ignitor.

 

I changed the coil and no luck. Ok, If I cut it on for like 5 secs and then turn the key off it cuts off. Any longer it stays on. If I pull the power from the MSD box then it cuts off. If the dis. advanced is to much, could that keep it running.

 

Try to figure out which plugs continue to fire with the ignition off. If it's the leading plugs, the problem may be in your MSD trigger wire (wired to the ignition) - could be a short.
I've never heard of timing being a problem with "run on" on a rotary

 

OOps!!! I meant to say from the Distributor where the ignitor was... SORRY!!!

 

I pulled the the plugs and the leading plugs are continuing to fire. Now, right before this happened the tach started to junp and then died. The trailing is getting power to the coil so I don't think the ignitor is bad. I have made a new wire harness but have to wait until tomorrow to get the rght connectors.

 

I took a good look around and found that the previous owner had ran the ignition wire from an accessory fuse through the fire wall and to the coil. I don't know why it was done this way but it was. On closer examination I noticed that the wire had cut through and was grounding out on the firewall. I fixed the wire, ran through a new location and replaced the fuse which it had blown. I started the car up and again it stayed running after I cut it off. The tach still is not working correctly. I know the the trailing ignitor is still good because when I cut it off the idel starts the fluctuate and become rough. When I put it back to the on position it starts to even back out, you can hear it. I forgot one thing I did before this all happened. I'm sorry . I had switched everyhing over to the 3 coil setup. 1 trailing and 2 direct fire from the MSD box to the coil and leading spark plugs. Thats when the tach started to jump and all of this happened. I think the MSD box might be bad so I will swap another box in tomorrow. Inline fuses this time. I still have to check and see if there is power running through the ignition wire when I cut it off. Got to dark tonight.

 

I know won't shut up but I keep thinking. Whenn I cut off the engine the trailing coil positive was still reading 3.5 volts. That may not have been enough to run the trailing coil but is that enough to cut on the MSD box since they have the same cut on power source? After I check all that I think I will go ahead replace the trailing igniotr anyway.

 

I put the car into the on position and checked the trailing coil. battery voltage on the positive and negative terminals. Is that right. I switched the ignitor out and put in another one and it read the same thing except now the car dosn't stay running after I cut it off. I changed the wire leads and replaced them from the ignitor to the coil and still everything is the same.