Great help 440roadrunner, but needs a little proof reading:
Please change the first IGN1 to IGN2.
Otherwise, great explanation.
Thanks and done
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Not yet. I am thinking that is the next thing to do. I might have to swallow my pride and round up some of the brand X guys around here to help shove this beast up the driveway until a new one arrives.
I am looking up different wiring diagrams in the meantime. I'm telling y'all, what I have wired here us not normal and I have found multiple methods. None that match what I currently have. However, what I have is exactly what my instructions said to do. And it worked! Now it don't. So, we all know this story in some way or another.
OK, here is the deal. SOME diagrams you find online are "mirror" at the ECU harness connector that is looking INTO the plug instead of "down at' the ECU itself.
Also realise that the ORIGINAL points resistor wiring is UNCHANGED. That's right, there is no change to the old ballast wiring.
Here is a good diagram, I assume you have a new kit which is a so called "4 wire" ECU The top right going off the page is the original blue "IGN1" or "run" wire. What is not shown is IGN2 (brown) to the bottom of the resistor. That will be there in your car. NOTE this diagram is looking DOWN at the rear of the harness plug as it is plugged into the ECU
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Some checkpoints............
The ECU MUST be grounded. (So must the VR). Scrape around the mounting flange on the rear, and around the bolt holes. Mount using star lock washers
SOME CHECKS
With the key in "run" check voltage at coil + and coil -
Coil PLUS will be somewhere between 4-8 volts because it is going through the ballast resistor. It it is "really high" like "same as battery" then the system is NOT drawing current through the coil. Either ECU is not grounded, coil is bad, or miswired, or ECU is bad
If the above is OK take a grounded probe (even a 12V test lamp) and hold into the top of the coil tower. Take the ECU end of the distributor harness connector and touch the bare terminal repeatedly to ground. Each time you do so, a "snap" spark should occur.
If that happens plug in the distributor. "Work" the distributor connector in/ out several times to scrub the terminals clean. Get yourself a BRASS .008" (inches) feeler gauge and check the reluctor gap. Check in under there for damage, strike damage, rust, or foreign debri. Crank the engine and see if you have spark
If not, jumper 12V direct to the coil POS terminal and try again.