Complaint: Cranks no start sometimes it will start after lots of cranking & waiting.

Diagnosis: Spark tester shows no spark while cranking. Pink wire to coil has power with key on and while cranking. tested coil checks out OK. tested pickup resistence 811 ohms -ok spec. 500-1500. replaced ignition module twice, autozone had no tester so they just gave me a new one. engine is getting fuel and compression testing shows no problem. Voltage of battery is 12.4v. It has had a MSD6al but I took it off and returned it to stock. It has a crime guard Alarm that takes out the starter if you try to start it with the alarm on. I can't get it started but when I have after lots of cranking & waiting it will run without stalling.

What else can I do to fix it?

 

Bypass the "Crime Guard" thingamabobs to return the wiring to stock, then report back. It's raining, therefore a good day to spend in the garage.

I'm guessing it may be something related to a "professionally installed" alarm system.

 

Did you check the actual voltage going to the dizzy? maybe its dropping too much while cranking it over...

 

I did some tests from a diagnostic chart from alldata and I got to the bottom and it said to replace the coil and if that didn't fix it then it was the ignition module. I replaced the coil and it still has no spark and I have already replaced the ignition module. I have hooked it up to a scan tool and it will scan and give me good live data like the TPS goes up and down normally, but it shows 0 RPMs while cranking. I'm thinking its the pickup coil or pole piece. If I connect a digital multimeter to the pickup coil wires what should I see while cranking it?
Vader _ I agree in theory, return it to stock to diagnosis but it was a very hard to install and it is working normally, so I have not bypassed it yet, but I may have to if the pickup coil and pole piece produce normal results.
84z What is a dizzy?

 

distributor

most people here will refer to them as a dizzy

 

The power to the coil and dist. drops about 3v during cranking. I have a batt. charger on it and power was 14v and 11v during cranking. I think I may have found the problem, The wires to the pickup coil are cracked and green with corrosion. I started to take apart the dist. today and the pickup coil is falling apart. The odd thing is that the resistance checked out and while cranking the pickup coil produced .9 ac volts. Even if it is not the pickup coil it is in such bad shape that it would have crapped out soon.