Today i decided to change out the stock coil for a 50,000V coil from summit on my 86 TPI. When i put the new coil in, i put the conductor/spring on first in the cap and put the rubber isolater in afterwards, and put the coil on top of it. I was not at home, and i forgot whether or not the isolator goes on first or the spring, and i guessed...ooops.

I turned it on and i heard an arcing sound, a dull bzzzzt sound and i scrambled to find out where it was coming from, and all of a sudden it....died. I took it all apart and realized the mistake, and put the isolator on first and spring second, and it cranked and backfired. Then it would just crank and backfire, it wouldnt try to start.

I am pretty sure i cooked the ignition module, but do you think i zapped the pickup sensor as well? Also i called autozone, advance and oreillys and they all have to special order the distributor. I am weary of pulling the distributor out, since i am afraid of not being able to install it again correctly, does anyone know how to do this without too much trouble? My dad told me to mark the position of the rotor tip in relation to a physical mark on the engine in pen or nail polish, but i have heard everyone always putting the distributor in one tooth off.

Thanks for your help

 

The brush goes in first, with the spring up; then the insulator washer; then the coil. Smear a thin layer of silicone dielectric grease on the washer.

Yo had it right the first time. You probably haven't hurt anything serious by putting it together the 2nd way you described.

Most likely, the rotor is now damaged, and that's all you need. Although it's possible you might have hurt the cap. Sounds like the cap was cocked off to one side slightly and hit the inside of the cap, and the contact on the rotor tip is now broken off.

There's no need to take the dist out to work on any of that stuff. For that matter, even if the ignition module was smoked (highly unlikely), you wouldn't have to take the dist out to change it. The pickup coil you WOULD have to take it out; but the odds of damaging that by what you did are so tiny that it isn't even worth thinking about. That's near about as close to "impossible" as anything ever is.

The reason it's backfiring is probably because when you put the dist back in, you got it in wrong. Once you get it back in right, quit taking it out to work on the cap and rotor, it isn't necessary.

 

Maybe i wasnt very clear on the first post. I replaced the stock coil in the distributor by taking the dust cap off, removing the ignition coil, and my friend took the coil off while i wasnt looking, trying to help, so i didnt know how the order the spring/conductor and the isolating washer went when i reinstalled it. So i put the conductor in the cap, the isolator on top, and then the coil on top of that, and reinstalled all the wiring etc. I have never taken the distributor off. Matter of fact, i never removed the cap to do this.

I removed the cap last night, and the cap looks ok, so does the rotor. In fact there are no arcing tracks, or anything that indicates that high voltage was flying around inside of it, just the normal deposits on the terminals.

I am going to have the ignition module tested, as someone told me that autozone tests them for free....

 

"weary" means "tired"..... made me think you had already done it a time or 2.

You had it put together right the first time.

Yes, AZ (and lots of the other parts stores) will test them for free.

Good luck!!

 

Yes, little button first (button down, spring pointing up) and then the insulator donut on top of that with the spring stickign through the middle, then the coil. It doesn't stay fully seated until you put the coil in on top of it- the rotor is pushing up on the button.

It's common to see them assembled in the wrong order. Rarely does any immediate harm even if it's assembled wrong.

 

So i did put it together right? So i dont understand what happened then...

I pulled the ignition module out and they tested it at autozone and it failed, and they replaced it under warranty. I did notice on the capacitor that has a connector that goes to the module, the black wire came out of the connector, so i bought a new one of those two. I do not remember whether or not it was disconnected when i pulled it out to look at the module, but an exposed wire might cause an arc.

I made a typo, i meant wary, as in i am afraid to screw it up. My friend mentioned that if i stick a rag in the #1 plug hole and bump it to TDC, it will pop out on the exhaust stroke leaving it right at TDC and i can point the rotor to cylinder #1. Hopefully it was just the module and the pickup coil is ok.

 

I got a new rotor and cap, and replaced the ignition module and capacitor and it fired up. It stutters badly with the 50,000V coil, i am starting to think those plug wires cant carry the voltage. I swapped in the stock coil and she runs smooth.

Thanks for your help guys

 

Aftermarket ignition coils typically have a higher primary current than a stock HEI switching module can handle. When installing an aftermarket "performance" ignition coil, changing to a heavier duty module is almost a necessity. Is there some reason you removed the original coil? Was it failing?

 

Hey Vader,
Thanks for responding. I just wanted higher voltage at upper RPM, and better overall gas mileage. Ooops, so better plug wires and an aftermarket ignition module are in order. Oh well live and learn.