Alright, I searched around here for a good while, and never found an answer to my question. I spent nearly all day looking through wiring diagrams and wires, so I come here...

I just swapped a TPI setup to my '86 camaro, bought a new distributor, cap, rotor and separate coil. The coil I have wired to my ignition, grounded at the clamp. I get 12V there, no problem. I put a plug into the coil wire, and tested it the only way I know how- Have a friend try to ground it and watch him jump. Ok, I got some power there! The BAT wire going into my distributor has 12V to it. The rest is wired up right, assumably (TACH wire is right next to BAT, goes to tach), and the 4pin harness deal going to the ECM. Check. Now, I get no spark after that. Everything is new, and unless the rotor is not spinning, everything works there too. Anyone got any ideas? The ECM/Harness are from a 90-92 I am assuming, since there is a MAP sensor in it. Anywho, a little aggravating. I always thought that coil in, spark out, not really anything between the two. Could the ECM control that? Figure someone here went through this, I'm down to looking under the hood and scratching my head. Thanks in advance!

 

did you ever get an answer or figure it out?

 

Just wondering if you figured it out i have the same problem and no one here like to take guesses at it!

 

I had a similar problem with my TPI Camaro. I had power going to the coil but none comming out. I finally figured out that it was the spark pickup in the Distributor, I replaced that and never had a problem. Also you might want to have your Ignition module in the distributor checked to see if that is working correctly. You can have it checked at your local auto parts store, Advanced auto.

 

I am having the same problem on an 88 TransAm, the coil checks out fine, the dist is a replacement. I get power to the coil but no spark. you mention a spark pickup in the dist, what is that? The old distributor had a plastic shield under the rotor, the replacement did not. I thought it was just a noise suppressor????

 

Is the replacement an MSD by chance? I took my ignition module off and had it tested at autozone it is the plastic box in the dizzy where your harness wires plug into it. there are 2 screws take them out then go to autozone. Testing chart DR140 i believe (if that is good then it is the pickup in the dizzy MSD you have to send it back to them or go to the store for a replacement other dizzy i am sure you can replace them.

 

No it is not MSD. The dist is a reman, I will bring it back for testing.

 

Two people can be idiots.

I was not able to get the car to start after the engine swap, no spark, After weeks of head banging I determined the connectors were wrong on the wires from the coil to the Dist. They did not make the connectors idiot proof. The connector from the wire harness to the IAT temp sensor is the same as the connector from the coil to the dist. so I connected them backwards. eventually, due to comments on this site, I fiigured it out and swappped the connectors to run the wire from the coil to the dist and the connector from the wire harness to the IAT under the air plenum for the TPI.