Wiring problems with distributor swap

[ToddJerad]

I recently went for the upgrade to electronic ignition with a nice new procomp which still uses external coil and 10.5mm wires. The plugs are wired correctly. The only way the truck would start after the swap was if I ran a wire from the coil straight to the solenoid, by passing the wiring harness. I checked the diagrams and all wires are hooked up to coil correctly. Before I rant the wire from coil to solenoid, upon turning key it would catch and run but completely shut off if I let the engine drop below 1500 rpms. Then after enough tries and messing with carb settings I put wire to solenoid from ignition coil and it seemed to start right up and run like normal. I am not sure if this is due to faulty old wiring, a short, or is it possible that my lack of a amplifier somewhere from the voltmeter to I believe ignition harness like the 74's and up that had electronic distributors. Thanks, hope this is descriptive enough,

 

[Seabronc]

Check the installation instructions. I wouldn't hook it to the starter solenoid. If it is anything like a MSD ignition, it probably needs one full time hot 12V input and one switched 12V input. The full time 12V could be hooked on the battery side of the solenoid with a fuse in that line and the switched 12V can be picked up from any red with light green striped wire.

Good luck,

>-

 

[ToddJerad]

Thanks SeaBronc, I follow directions and it was run similar to my points distributor. This sounds similar to how I have it run. Can you just clarify how that is run from my coil. I am assuming dizzy to positive coil side, then wire from positive coil to positive side of solenoid with fuse, then negative coil to anywhere in ignition/red wire for shutoff?

 

[Bully Bob]

"I am assuming dizzy to positive coil side"

Dizzy wire to NEG on the coil....on any Ign. I've seen.. :huh:

 

[ToddJerad]

It is a two wire distributor, and I have the red to the positive side of coil and black to negative. I think there is a resistor somewhere in the ignition reducing the voltage for the old points system. I will try to bypass this wire somehow.

 

[ToddJerad]

Just an update...

There must have been a resistor or low voltage wire that needed to be bypassed from the ignition which I must have hooked into. When I bypassed and went straight into fuse box, the EB started and ran great.

Easy installation but wiring was tricky. Seems to be a very easy and cheap upgrade from points and my truck. I bought the procomp model for the 302 and if interested make sure it is the small one that uses an external coil otherwise the large (with built in coil) will not fit, at least not with my heads.