cudak888
Well-Known Member
First, a few specs:
(if you can't figure out why I'm talking ignition, hang on to your horses)
I was dealing with some intermittent ignition issues on said '68. It runs a simple HEI conversion using a stock '70s Mopar electronic distributor, GM 4-pin module underneath the distributor (w/a Designed2Drive adapter), and a Ford TFI coil as recommended by SlantSixDan. The ballast resistor was maintained for show, but in place of the coil was a thick copper wire soldered onto each terminal.
This setup always had an intermittent misfire, so I recently perma-deleted the ballast resistor and wired in a relay to get solid 12V from the starting solenoid to the coil and module. All wires were soldered using butt connectors removed from their plastic + heat shrink - it wasn't Roadkilled.
I also ran ground straps from the firewall to the block and the HEI module, and to combat the questionable reliability of the spark plug-to-distributor interface, I also put a male-terminal distributor cap on. It's running Pertronix 7mm stocker-look, HEI-compatible wires so I can retain the '68 valve covers with the wire guides.
In the process of doing this, the generic spade connector that had been fitted to the oil pressure sender wire kept popping off the sender, generally driving me nuts. I'd knock it off every time I'd stick my hand down around the dizzy. Eventually, I left it disconnected as I worked on the ignition and wiring.
Mind, I knew the sender was working prior to doing the wiring for this relay conversion, as it'd always light up on key turn, and shut off once the engine fired.
Anyway, after I put the whole ignition mess back together and got the idle perfect, I picked up one of the Mopar repop spade connectors on eBay and plugged the blasted sender onto the wiring harness for the last time.
Or so I thought.
Now the oil light remains on. This is regardless of whether the engine is idling, revved in place, or put under load. If it's firing, the light is on. I wasn't terribly concerned as there were no audible indications of clicking hydraulic lifters or other low oil telltales, and to be on the safe side, I plumbed in an el-cheapo Bosch oil gauge temporarily and got 58 lbs of pressure at idle. Nothing to worry about.
But, of course, plumb in the sender, connect it, start up the car and get the same result - oil light lit.
My question is: Could anything relating to the removal of the ballast resistor or electronic ignition have created an issue where the oil pressure line is seeing constant ground, and thus a constant oil light? Personally, I like to know what's going on before I start throwing parts.
I'm guessing that I probably just need to simply shove a new sender in this thing and call it a day. I'm really tempted to dump the factory connector for a sender with a vertical spade connection (such as the sender type used on '56-87 Chevrolets). The round top is never going to be as reliable as a flat spade connection.
vs.
-Kurt
- Car is a '68 Satellite with an '89 360.
- Stock bottom end and cam, new lifters when refreshed.
- Has about 780 miles on it since. There have been no oil related issues since plopping it in the Satellite from its original camper van home.
- Oil sender is off the original 318 that got plucked out of the car.
- Intake is a Mopar M1 dual-plane. Same oil port routing as any stock intake.
(if you can't figure out why I'm talking ignition, hang on to your horses)
I was dealing with some intermittent ignition issues on said '68. It runs a simple HEI conversion using a stock '70s Mopar electronic distributor, GM 4-pin module underneath the distributor (w/a Designed2Drive adapter), and a Ford TFI coil as recommended by SlantSixDan. The ballast resistor was maintained for show, but in place of the coil was a thick copper wire soldered onto each terminal.
This setup always had an intermittent misfire, so I recently perma-deleted the ballast resistor and wired in a relay to get solid 12V from the starting solenoid to the coil and module. All wires were soldered using butt connectors removed from their plastic + heat shrink - it wasn't Roadkilled.
I also ran ground straps from the firewall to the block and the HEI module, and to combat the questionable reliability of the spark plug-to-distributor interface, I also put a male-terminal distributor cap on. It's running Pertronix 7mm stocker-look, HEI-compatible wires so I can retain the '68 valve covers with the wire guides.
In the process of doing this, the generic spade connector that had been fitted to the oil pressure sender wire kept popping off the sender, generally driving me nuts. I'd knock it off every time I'd stick my hand down around the dizzy. Eventually, I left it disconnected as I worked on the ignition and wiring.
Mind, I knew the sender was working prior to doing the wiring for this relay conversion, as it'd always light up on key turn, and shut off once the engine fired.
Anyway, after I put the whole ignition mess back together and got the idle perfect, I picked up one of the Mopar repop spade connectors on eBay and plugged the blasted sender onto the wiring harness for the last time.
Or so I thought.
Now the oil light remains on. This is regardless of whether the engine is idling, revved in place, or put under load. If it's firing, the light is on. I wasn't terribly concerned as there were no audible indications of clicking hydraulic lifters or other low oil telltales, and to be on the safe side, I plumbed in an el-cheapo Bosch oil gauge temporarily and got 58 lbs of pressure at idle. Nothing to worry about.
But, of course, plumb in the sender, connect it, start up the car and get the same result - oil light lit.
My question is: Could anything relating to the removal of the ballast resistor or electronic ignition have created an issue where the oil pressure line is seeing constant ground, and thus a constant oil light? Personally, I like to know what's going on before I start throwing parts.
I'm guessing that I probably just need to simply shove a new sender in this thing and call it a day. I'm really tempted to dump the factory connector for a sender with a vertical spade connection (such as the sender type used on '56-87 Chevrolets). The round top is never going to be as reliable as a flat spade connection.
vs.
-Kurt
Last edited:
), has the proper 1/8" NPT threads, looks mostly the same, but has the connector I want on top.
