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By MG Cook - 13 Years Ago
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Thought I had all fixed yesterday when I finally got the car to turn over, but when you turn the key on the starter engages automatically. Don't know if my ignition switch just went bad or other issues are at fault.
Also when it was turning there wasn't any indication it was firing.
My best car show this Saturday, was going to wait until after the show to start the conversion
but I had all the parts just sitting there and thought this can't be too bad, was I wrong . At least it started fine on 6volts just had terrible head lights and I was caught out a couple times and the dim lights are dangerous at night on 2 lane curvy roads.
All input appreciated!!
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By charliemccraney - 13 Years Ago
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Sounds like you may have the ignition wire going to the starter solenoid and the starter solenoid wire going to the ignition.
Start tracing your wires and make sure they go where they need to go. I can't imagine that it is a whole lot different than it was with 6volts. Check the switches with a volt/ohm meter to make sure they're doing what they should. Make sure you have not forgotten to plug a connector together. Maybe even throw a set of points in there for now to eliminate any possible issue with the ignitor. You shouldn't need any additional wiring or resistors with points if they're installed only as a temporary trouble shooting tool so it keeps it very simple and practical. Shoot, they don't even need to be adjusted correctly to see if the ignition is working.
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By miker - 13 Years Ago
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I think Charlie has it right. As I recall from my 6-12 conversion years ago, the wiring on the ign sw was the same, and I can't imagine that a car and a bird used different ign switches.
With the sw hanging out under the dash, and the hot wire hooked up, carefull not to ground it, turning the key should show acc. (one turninal hot), run ( acc term hot and run terminal hot)' and start. In start, I'm pretty sure the acc terminal is dead, and I think the run terminal is, too. All the power goes thru the ign sw to the starter solenoid, and the second small terminal on the solenoid goes to the coil, bypassing the resistor, to give the coil full voltage for cranking. This is what I referred to in the earlier post. If you miss this part, you're going to crank with no spark, so it won't start. If youve got a test light around with alligator clips, it's often easier to put it under the hood,at the coil, and just look to see the light, rather than try to read a meter at a distance.
It's been so long since I put a pertronix in, I don't remember if they used the ballast resister or not. Either way, as Charlie suggested, the points will work in the short term. Pull the coil wire at the dizzy, you short be able to hear it spark to ground while cranking, if nothing else.
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By Hoosier Hurricane - 13 Years Ago
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Try switching the small wires on the starter solenoid. You may be feeding power to the start terminal through the resistor bypass circuit.
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By marvh - 13 Years Ago
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The original Ford switch were open to the coil when in start position.
The aftermarket switches are hot to coil in run or start position just like the later car switches.
marv
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By MG Cook - 13 Years Ago
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okay, one problem solved. reversing the Wires on the solenoid fixed the starter turning when the key is turned on, now it still won't start and doesn't act like it's firing so does anyone know how to check the coil to make sure it's putting out voltage "I DID A OHMS TEST BY THE BOOK AND IT CHECKED OUT, I ALSO CHECKED OUT MY 6VOLT COIL AND IT HAD THE SAME OHM READING" ,
Also how to test the petronix unit to see if it's working.
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By rick55 - 13 Years Ago
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Run a lead from the battery to the positive of the coil. Crank the engine it should start. If this works you have some issues either with the solenoid or ignition switch. If it doesn't start it is the coil or the distributor. If you have a Pertronix fitted they are either working or they are not.
Regards
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By oldcarmark - 13 Years Ago
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Did you run a wire from the "other" terminal on the solenoid to the + side of the coil as I mentioned in my earlier post?That supplies current to the coil when you are cranking the motor which you seem to have sraightened out.The fact that it was cranking when the ignition switch was turned to the "run" position before when the wires were reversed on the solenoid makes me think you have a hot wire from the ignition switch going to the solenoid which should not be there.Current to the coil is supplied from the "I" terminal on the solenoid when cranking the motor IF you have the bypass wire to the coil from the solenoid.There should NOT be current from the ignition switch to that terminal at all for any reason.Try Ricks suggestion to narrow down your search for the problem.The only change in the wiring for the ignition system when switching from 6 to 12 is change the solenoid to the 2 small terminal type and run the bypass wire from the solenoid to the coil for starting and ad a ballast resistor in the circiut from the ignition switch to the coil for power to the coil once the car starts.The ballst resistor is not required on Pertronix 2 or 3 when the correctly rated coil is used.Pertronix 1(the original) requires a resistor as far as I know.
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By MG Cook - 13 Years Ago
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from the solenoid I have a wire going to the ignition switch, and the s terminal I have going to the + side of the coil, under this set up the starter engaged when the key was turned on, when the wires were reversed on the solenoid is when it cranks the way it's suppose to but it still won't start and I don't have a resistor ballast installed and if I need does it wire in line on the - side of the coil?
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By oldcarmark - 13 Years Ago
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What ignition system are you using?Pertronix? Original Pertronix 1 or ?You might be best to put the points cond. back in until you get it running.The ballast resistor goes in the line from the ignition switch to + side of coil.You should have 2 wires on the + terminal.One from ignition switchas was original plus one from "Ï" terminal of the solenoid.The resistor is spliced in to the wire coing to the coil from ignition switch.Theres a topic called "coil wiring" about 7-8 topics back thats has a schematic for wiring the ballast resistor.
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By MG Cook - 13 Years Ago
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Thanks for your help, you're always there for everybody on this forum.
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By GREENBIRD56 - 13 Years Ago
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I'll stick this diagram here so it isn't a pain to keep looking back..... 
The Pertronix modules require a constant (switched) source of 12 volts - regardless of whether you are in start or run - in order for the chip to operate the trigger circuits. Dead when the ignition is turned off. As you can see, using a ballast resistor complicates your choice of where to get this operating power. You cannot use the low side of the ballast resistor for a power source. Mark's advice about the grounding is an important issue - over the years I have seen a couple of outfits where the moving "point plate" of the distributor interrupted the ground for the Pertronix when the vacuum advance system operated. The electronic "brain" hates this very much.It is best to have a dedicated ground wire, right out of the distributor and to the engine block.
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By oldcarmark - 13 Years Ago
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Steve! Is there a diferent Petronix for 6 and 12 volt? If there is I dont think MG changed his when he converted.Is it possible it burned out when 12 volts was applied?
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By GREENBIRD56 - 13 Years Ago
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I believe there are both six volt and twelve volt versions of the device - and yes they would probably be different part numbers. I think there may also be a variant for the positive ground system as well. Use of the correct parts would be advised. Pertronix must read about what we do around here - as I've noticed they have been offering a "power relay" kit so you can use it to feed the controller and coil a significant number of AMPs. That keeps the heavy loads out of the dash and allows modern ignition power levels. It would also make it possible to avoid all of the drama in trying to make the system crank and run off the old dash switch.
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By Granny'56 - 13 Years Ago
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To see if you have any spark at all, disconnect the high-voltage lead between the coil and the distributor. (Pull the distributor end out of the distributor) and lay it near (Not actually touching) ground. Turn ignition to "Start" and when engine turns over you should see spark between the end of the wire and ground. The spark should be able to jump about a quarter of an inch.
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