ProComp Distributor problems-

[VBH289]

Hey all, so I ordered and received a ProComp 6100 series HEI style distributor for the 289 as the points setup was really really tired. wired everything up today and hooked up the one power wire it needs, and went to start and it has no spark. After going though the distributor, I found that everything that needs power is getting power, but for some reason Im not getting any spark. Here are links and pics, maybe one of you can guide me in a direction, Im sure it is something really stupid.

Is there a way to test a HEI coil out of the distributor? Anyone mess with a Chevy setup before and know anything???
THANKS!!!

Distributor Page

Installation Page

 

[TBS-POPS]

Make shure it has full 12 volts when cranking. The 'I' terminal on the starter solonid should be used as a hot lead also to enshure that it gets a full 12 volts when cranking along with your regular hot from the ign sw..

 

[VBH289]

Huh! So it absolutely needs the full 12v to spark at all???
My Bronco's battery is a little weak, Id say 10v or so...
I should wire that wire? I tested the key'd ign switch and it gets power while cranking as well, but it did flicker with the test light...

 

[TBS-POPS]

Yes, the electronic ign and high voltage coil on those dist need a good full 12 volts at cranking. sometimes the starter draws so much when cranking that it draws away the voltage the "keyed" ign wire gets. The "I" terminal on the starter solonid supplies the ignition with full voltage when cranking. Hook a wire from ''I'' on solonid to hot wire on dist along with the hot wire from your key.

 

[VBH289]

AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (light bulb lit- with a full 12v too)

Im going to try that first thing tomorrow. Is there anything else I should try if that doesn't work???

THANK YOU TBS-POPS

 

[TBS-POPS]

Yeah, put your battery on the charger tonight!! 10v aint cool!!

 

[VBH289]

It is!!! I guess I could start a build with a new battery, but I like the Napa piece I use that has met all 5 of my Broncos

 

[TBS-POPS]

BTW,,, ProComp dist are known to have problems... have seen a couple of them go in the trash. Not to burst your bubble. just a little fyi...

 

[Viperwolf1]

With the HEI you probably want to bypass the igniton resistor wire under the dash.

 

[VBH289]

With the HEI you probably want to bypass the igniton resistor wire under the dash.

Huh? Why? Where?

BTW,,, ProComp dist are known to have problems... have seen a couple of them go in the trash. Not to burst your bubble. just a little fyi...

Why

 

[Viperwolf1]

It might work ok with the resistor if the battery is strong but I wouldn't want it to leave me stranded in the mountains someday. GM didn't design the HEI system with an ignition resistor. You have one connected to your ignition switch. It's a short section in the red-green wire near the switch. If you pull the switch out and look at the wires it has some writing on it that says "do not cut".

 

[VBH289]

So like a fusible link is what you are talking about??? I chased that wire all over the Bronco- ended up all the way inside reading a magazine (J/K)... I cannot find any section that has that. Maybe 66' was different?

Ill keep looking!

 

[VBH289]

Well, after fighting with it, I still couldn't get a spark. you cant do more then to hotwire it to the battery. When I pulled it out, the distributor gear shaft broke off... so there ya go. Pulled it out with a pair of vice grips. Put the points back in and the thing works- So there ya go- another horror story

 

[behemoth]

The points thing works, but the duraspark II would work better and cause less heartache. Send that procomp back to summit head to a yard and find a blue strain relief module and wires from a Granada. they seem to be everywhere.

 

[VBH289]

haha Im not leaving the points in it! but it needs to be mobile and right now thats what I have to work with- Ill look into the Granada, I havent seen any around here though in a very long time

 

[TBS-POPS]

Put a Pertronix electronic ign. in your stock dist. It replaces the points. best thing I ever did to my EB OR Mustang... It works good, REAL good..Sorry to hear about your ProComp's suiside....

 

[VBH289]

You Jinxed it hahaha

That is what I am going to do I think- the way the stocker is working right now something has to work... right?

 

[av bronco]

I had a pro comp dist. do the same thing on me, replaced it with a msd,if you do a serch on pro comp dizzys you will see a pattern.

 

[DirtDonk]

You guys seen the "new" Ignitor III from Pertronix yet? Self contained multi-spark super-duper thingamajig.
I think the ad said that it's got 4 sparks per cycle all the way through the RPM range. Looked like a cooler setup.
I wonder if it is able to give full spark amperage all the way through? Not that most of us are using ours at high rpms much, but I'd be curious to see the specs on it.

Paul

 

[Viperwolf1]

You guys seen the "new" Ignitor III from Pertronix yet? Self contained multi-spark super-duper thingamajig.
I think the ad said that it's got 4 sparks per cycle all the way through the RPM range. Looked like a cooler setup.
I wonder if it is able to give full spark amperage all the way through? Not that most of us are using ours at high rpms much, but I'd be curious to see the specs on it.

Paul

If it still uses a single stock coil then you will get a weaker spark. The coil needs time to build the magnetic field (dwell) and if you fire it 4x as often it has less time to build it. The longer the dwell the more energy built up in the coil. That was the beauty of the old dual point distributors--you used offset points to increase the dwell time for a stronger single spark. Probably work good at low rpm (more time) but I think the spark would get weak up high.