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FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
#1068570
09/03/11 06:11 PM
09/03/11 06:11 PM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,920
Joplin, MO USA
Robbins
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I have less than 500 miles on the system. It just died in the garage from driving around town, lucky I know. Now no fire. The dizzy has 365 ohms.....ignition 1 and 2 at the ballast is good. The ballast has .9 ohms.
The coil is hot on both sides(12 volts) though, this doesn't seem right to me. Isn't the negative side of the coil supposed to blink with a test light when spinning over. It's just as hot as the positive side even just sitting not turning the motor over.
Also when key is on I have less than 4 volts coming from the ignition box to the dizzy, not sure if that's correct or not.
Any help would be appreciative, thanks.
Moparlee
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: mikemee1331]
#1068572
09/03/11 08:55 PM
09/03/11 08:55 PM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,920
Joplin, MO USA
Robbins
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It's an older (a couple of years ago now) system I guess, cause the website shows some different boxes now. Mine looks like the regular mopar style brain box, but it's black. I got the box, coil & ballast with it.
Moparlee
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: Robbins]
#1068574
09/03/11 11:10 PM
09/03/11 11:10 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,439
So Cal
Sinitro
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So Cal
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Make sure the ignition module is grounded well. It needs to be screwed down tite, metal-to-metal.. Especially its rear side... Also double check the reluctor gap should be 0.008 using a brass feeler gauge... Just my $0.02... 
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: mikemee1331]
#1068577
09/04/11 09:06 AM
09/04/11 09:06 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,443
Indiana
YO7_A66
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Don told me that his original ECU could not handle 12v and that is why he had it redesigned with the new 12v coil.
I ran his old ECU with another brand 12v coil (no ballast) on the street for about 6 months with no issue. That ECU "might" last for a while with 12v on it.
I bought his new 12v ECU/Coil but I only have about 4 weeks driving time on them, but so far no problems.
1970 YO7 A66 [Canadian Export] F8 Challenger
340 (Currently in shop for stroker assy.)
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: YO7_A66]
#1068578
09/04/11 10:14 AM
09/04/11 10:14 AM
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4,154
bethlehem pa
mikemee1331
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Quote:
Don told me that his original ECU could not handle 12v and that is why he had it redesigned with the new 12v coil.
I ran his old ECU with another brand 12v coil (no ballast) on the street for about 6 months with no issue. That ECU "might" last for a while with 12v on it.
I bought his new 12v ECU/Coil but I only have about 4 weeks driving time on them, but so far no problems.
good info here  and do check what Sinitro suggested.
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: gtsdude]
#1068580
09/04/11 11:42 AM
09/04/11 11:42 AM
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4,154
bethlehem pa
mikemee1331
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bethlehem pa
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Quote:
I had same issue with my ballast blowing, try an MSD ballast, have never blew one of those yet, been 5 years now.
his ignition is all matched. your suggestion is all well and good if the ohms are the same ballast to ballast.
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: mikemee1331]
#1068581
09/04/11 11:49 AM
09/04/11 11:49 AM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,920
Joplin, MO USA
Robbins
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I haven't had a chance to go outside this morning, but it doesn't seem wrong to have 12 volt on the negative side of the coil?
Moparlee
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: 469runner]
#1068584
09/04/11 02:55 PM
09/04/11 02:55 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,948
U.S.S.A.
JohnRR
I Win
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I Win
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Quote:
That box is probably bad. I had the same issue and replaced the box. I barely had 2000 miles on this set up. That stuff is all hype. It won't produce one more horsepower. "Yap, yap, yap,my stuff is better than everyones elses, all made in the USA." Yeah, tell that to the guy that spent 200 dollars on your stuff and is now sitting on the side of the road. OK, rant off. Just get a mopar performance setup. You'll be happier.
And carry a spare ECU and a ballast ....
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: gtsdude]
#1068588
09/04/11 11:50 PM
09/04/11 11:50 PM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,920
Joplin, MO USA
Robbins
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Thanks guys, I'll be calling him and see what he says next week.
Moparlee
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: Robbins]
#1068589
09/06/11 05:52 PM
09/06/11 05:52 PM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,920
Joplin, MO USA
Robbins
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Well...........I called him. I'm out on warranty by a day or two. But he did give some info....I shouldn't have 12 volt with the key in the on position like I do.
Well as soon as I plug into the ballast I get 12 volts, I'm not sure how or why. Unplug the pink wires from the ballast and no voltage. My blue wire is supposed to have 12 volts, but the pink two wires on the other side in the run position shouldn't have until you turn the key to ignition two. When I ohm the resister it shows 1.2 ohms.
What I'm missing here?
Last edited by Robbins; 09/06/11 05:53 PM.
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: Ronnman]
#1068590
09/06/11 06:26 PM
09/06/11 06:26 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,421
Balt. Md
383man
Too Many Posts
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Balt. Md
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Quote:
You have 12 volts on both terminals because its is not being grounded by the ECU. The ECU may not be receiving a signal from the distributor module or the ECU has a problem, maybe grounding as mentioned, or is bad. If you disconnect the distributor 2 prong connector and tap the male connect on the harness side that goes to the ECU, that should trigger the ECU to fire the coil.
You are reading the "dead end" 12V on both terminals because there is no current flow. If no current flow through a resistor (coil) the voltage drop will be zero, thus the presence of 12V on each terminal.
Ron
That is 100% correct. To add if the ballast was bad you would not have voltage to the coil as it goes thru the ballast in the run position. And you said it read .9 ohms. Do the test where you touch the male end of the dist harness to ground and see if it sparks. If it dont you need the ECU and it it does its not seeing the dist signal. Ron
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: 383man]
#1068591
09/06/11 06:34 PM
09/06/11 06:34 PM
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4,154
bethlehem pa
mikemee1331
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bethlehem pa
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Quote:
Quote:
You have 12 volts on both terminals because its is not being grounded by the ECU. The ECU may not be receiving a signal from the distributor module or the ECU has a problem, maybe grounding as mentioned, or is bad. If you disconnect the distributor 2 prong connector and tap the male connect on the harness side that goes to the ECU, that should trigger the ECU to fire the coil.
You are reading the "dead end" 12V on both terminals because there is no current flow. If no current flow through a resistor (coil) the voltage drop will be zero, thus the presence of 12V on each terminal.
Ron
That is 100% correct. To add if the ballast was bad you would not have voltage to the coil as it goes thru the ballast in the run position. And you said it read .9 ohms. Do the test where you touch the male end of the dist harness to ground and see if it sparks. If it dont you need the ECU and it it does its not seeing the dist signal. Ron
what he said and did you find out what ohm the ballast is supposed to be? did you make sure the ECU is grounded?
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: mikemee1331]
#1068592
09/06/11 07:40 PM
09/06/11 07:40 PM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,920
Joplin, MO USA
Robbins
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Ok, I was trying to learn to trouble shoot with the ohm meter and look at stuff. Don at FBO I was talking again this afternoon and done some more trouble shooting and we ended up trying another box that I had on my dad's van that wasn't too old. It fired right up so it was the box. Once running the positive side of the coil had 6 volts on it. Why the RC read differently than my shotbed I don't know.......both work so.
Anyway he cut me a deal on one of his newer units & sent it out the door today. Thanks Don.
Thanks everybody for your feedback.
Moparlee
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: mikemee1331]
#1068595
09/06/11 08:18 PM
09/06/11 08:18 PM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,920
Joplin, MO USA
Robbins
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Well, it (ballast) worked with a different brain box. So.........I'm not sure what it should ohm out to. Today is was reading 1.2 where the other day it was .9 This is my Fluke meter.
The newer system doesn't require a ballast and he says to tie them together, I would probably do a nice jumper so I can go to regular system on the fly if need to.
Just so you know he says that you can run the older box with the older and the newer style for 30 minutes or so to get home if need be.
Last edited by Robbins; 09/06/11 08:20 PM.
Moparlee
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: Robbins]
#1068598
09/07/11 07:44 AM
09/07/11 07:44 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,443
Indiana
YO7_A66
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Indiana
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""i think you should call him and make sure the coil he sold you is a true 12v or is internally ballasted (is that a word?)""
The new FBO coil #HR688 is a true 12v coil. (Reference, the coil can be mounted in any direction, per Don.) It looks just like the old FBO coil (size and shape) except for the writing on the coil is different. The old coil/ECU could handle 12v for a short time period (Don designed it this way for his drag car) and the new coil/ECU was designed for 12v all the time.
I know for a fact that the new coil and the old coil are not the same unit. I started emailing Don in the Spring of 2010 to see if he was going to come out with a 12v coil and he had already been testing one for a while. Last fall (2010) when I wanted to swap to a 12v coil, I emailed him again about his 12v coil and it was still not ready. Then this past Spring I emailed him again and it was being tested but still not ready. This past Summer he started selling them and I now have one and I have been running it now for about 6 weeks. Don's ignition parts may be a little more expensive, but Don sells a very nice Mopar ignition system.
1970 YO7 A66 [Canadian Export] F8 Challenger
340 (Currently in shop for stroker assy.)
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: mikemee1331]
#1068601
09/25/11 08:32 AM
09/25/11 08:32 AM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,920
Joplin, MO USA
Robbins
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I haven't called him yet, but the new box is on and working here are a couple of pictures of the newer box.
Moparlee
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: NachoRT74]
#1068607
09/25/11 11:07 PM
09/25/11 11:07 PM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,920
Joplin, MO USA
Robbins
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 .....that's just messed up. Who ever posted that on that site......thanks for the heads up.
Moparlee
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: Robbins]
#1068608
09/26/11 12:04 AM
09/26/11 12:04 AM
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 6,095
Valencia, España
NachoRT74
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Valencia, España
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maybe IS TRUE the GM HEI module inside is nothing like a stock unit and really a Performance piece, but still on that way!!! I still can get a Performance GM kind HEI unit ( Moroso or Accel like I have foudn on the ebay ) and built into a stock original box like I posted there
With a Charger born in Chrysler assembly plant in Valencia, Venezuela
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: NachoRT74]
#1068611
09/26/11 07:40 AM
09/26/11 07:40 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,076
Berlin, N.J.
abodyjoe
I Live Here
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I Live Here
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Berlin, N.J.
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Quote:
pretty box but REALLY EXPENSIVE for what it looks is built inside:
https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/show...e=3#Post6838807
( check the link I posted there )
interesting. i bought this set up http://designed2drive.com/ to put HEI on my car. still haven't gotten around to installing it.. its a lot cheaper then that FBO box...
Quote:
According to Don it's not, and it doesn't operate like one either, it just happens to look similar to one, but you would have to ask him yourself for further explination or perhaps a better description. He also stated that most of the cost for the unit is tied up in the billet Mopar style box, and not the part that's in it.
who knows what it really is. lol
It's better to keep your mouth shut and give the impression that you're stupid than to open it and remove all doubt. www.MoparMisfits.com
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: abodyjoe]
#1068612
09/26/11 06:35 PM
09/26/11 06:35 PM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,920
Joplin, MO USA
Robbins
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The funny thing is that I almost took the back off and looked at it. Oh, well it's water under the bridge now.
Thanks again Nacho for posting that other post for us.
Last edited by Robbins; 09/26/11 06:42 PM.
Moparlee
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Re: FBO Ignition system toubleshooting
[Re: Robbins]
#1068613
10/06/11 10:43 PM
10/06/11 10:43 PM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,920
Joplin, MO USA
Robbins
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Well, I'm having issues already. Once warmed up it doesn't want to start, no fire. I'm going to call him tomorrow.
Joe, I had thought about buying the one that you posted a long time ago when I first seen it. The first time I think that I seen anything like it....I was at an early Hemi guy's place...Kent Redd.....he had one under a plate behind the carb on a 271 Dodge Hemi. "Just run four wires" he said.
Other than the box is a little expensive in my opinion, I like the idea of it looking stock and not having to rewire....seeings I just done a ton of rewiring under the hood on this thing. It looks like the aftermarket has tons of these modules...looks like MSD has one now that looks like a stock GM piece.
I've got a pix of the back of this that I'll pm to anybody if they are wanting to see what it looks like.
Just to be clear, I never was posting anything in this thread to bash Don! I was just posting a question on trouble shooting ideas. Which I got some thanks Moparts.
Moparlee
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