OK. I did the zigzag connector test first and got a strong spark in both run and start. You said earlier I could run the coil test either by pulling the bk/y lead off the negative post or by pulling the pentastar harness and since the harness is the easiest to get to I chose that path, except I forgot to pull the harness at first and I did get a very weak spark in both run and start. Then I realized I had not pulled the harness. Once I pulled the harness there was no spark in either run or start.

with the black/yellow lead off of the coil neg pri terminal & jumping the threaded coil terminal to ground (tap tap tap) with a jumper you get no coil wire spark in run/crank? (& it sparks on the "break"). Not sure what is going on there/what we are missing BUT if it (coil wire) sparks when you drag the zigzag connector across the intake then the problem is STILL in the dist.

OK, this started because one day the car would crank but not start. I figure the computer has gone bad so I install the conversion kit. It runs great for a month then back to crank but no start. Looks like the pickup coil screw didn't do its job, so I reset the gap, it runs fine for 8 miles and then the next day back to crank but no start. So if dragging the zigzag connector across the intake causes the coil wire to spark, I presume that spark is coming from the ignition coil which means it is OK even if it will not spark when I ground the negative post on the coil itself.

Let me see if I have this right. The reluctor breaks the magnetic field inducing a voltage in the pickup coil, sending that pulse through the zigzag connector on pins 4 & 5 of the pentastar connector in the ECU, that in turn fires off a signal to the ignition coil, that induces a small voltage in a small winding to be a large voltage in the larger winding going into the coil wire to the top of the dist. cap and out the rotor to the spark plug and ignites the fuel. So in the simplest terms it is a three part system, distributor, ECU and ignition coil and when we ground the zigzag connector and it sparks we have taken the place of the distributor proving that the other two thirds of the system are working (even if I can't get the coil test to spark). Is that correct?

So if it is the dist., what is it in the dist.? The reluctor turns on the shaft and that is all it can do, the pickup coil or its wiring could be bad, the cap and/or rotor could be bad. Am I right with that list? What is the next approach? Do I change the cap, the rotor, the pickup coil? My old dist. had two pickup coils. Do I sub it using just the two conductor zigzag connector?

Though I have replaced the coil and replaced the computer with the conversion kit and I am still having the same problem I started with, am I overlooking something that didn't get replaced that could cause it not to crank? But why did it work so well for a month. . .and 8 miles?

the reluctor tooth induces a slight AC voltage in the pickup coil & that "triggers" the ECU to unground the black/yellow wire from the coil neg pri terminal. the coil works opposite of other devices, it is being fed voltage & it sparks when the current is stopped & the magnetic field in that primary circuit collapses & induces a current in the secondary circuit (the large center post/wire). when you do the coil test you dont keep the coil neg primary terminal grounded like it sounded like you were saying (if I interpreted it right) but you tap tap the alligator clip to ground & it sparks when you lift it up off the intake (ungrounding it). OK, if dragging the pickup nub makes it spark in run and in crank with the ECU plugged in/everything else hooked up normal then all that is left is from the zigzag connector back to/including the pickup (electrically) & the gap (mechanically). You have provided excellent details but I feel I am inadvertently missing something. lets try this: repeat the zigzag dragging test BUT have a helper cranking the ign & see if the coil wire sparks.

I am also concerned I may be missing something and not performing these test exactly as you intended since the results are not coming back as expected.

With my helper cranking the engine (it is turning over trying to start)and I drag the exposed metal pin of the zigzag connector (from the ECU harness side of the connector) across the intake, I get what looks to me to be a very strong spark and I still get the spark if I drag the connector across the intake when she lets the ignition switch drop back to the run position.

lets do this: turn the crank CW with a 1&1/4" socket/breaker bar till the rotor tip is centered under the nearest dist cap plug wire terminal bulge. coil wire plugged in. pull the plug wire that the rotor tip is under & either put a spark plug in it & ground the plug or put a piece of metal up in the end of the plug wire boot & hold the metal end 1/4" from a ground with one hand & drag the pickup nub across the intake with your other hand & see if it sparks/or the plug gap sparks if you use a plug. try it with the key in "run" and pull the yellow wire off of the starter relay to disable the starter & have her hold the key to start as you again drag the zigzag tip across the intake & see what we get. If the "dragging" of the zigzag conector is makeing it spark then it has to be in the dist: pickup/zigzag connector a bit loose (the 2 female terminals in it)/rotor/wires/plugs cuz the pickup is what triggers the ECU & the dist distributes the fire to the 8 plug wires/plugs.

I pulled the #1 plug wire and lined the rotor up on that tower. I put one of the plugs I had replaced when I replaced the plugs and wires a few weeks ago into the end of the #1 plug wire and grounded it to the intake. I pulled the yellow wire out of the starter relay connector. I pulled the dist. pickup zigzag connector apart. I took the ECU harness-end of the zigzag connector and drug it across the intake while my wife turned the key first to the run position - got a strong spark across the plug gap - then she turned the key to the crank position - again, got a strong spark across the plug gap.

I should still have the cap and rotor, running around here somewhere, that I replaced when I did the conversion, so I guess I could try subbing them. I still have the dist. I replaced when I did the conversion (but it has two pickup coils - I suppose I would just plug the ECU harness-side zigzag into the matching two pin pickup connector?)I guess I could try subbing it. So is substitution the next best thing to try?

lets keep the same stuff on there cuz it is functioning OK (bottom line is spark at the plugs & it is doing that). Tho we gotta figure out why it ain't sparking when it is turned over with the key cuz the brown wire (crank) circuit is getting powered when she turns the key to crank (cuz the dragging is makeing it spark) (with the starter disabled) but it will not spark while cranking & the only difference that I can see so far is that the dist is in effect doing the "dragging" & the zigzag is plugged back in & it ain't doing its job for some reason. So with everything plugged back in & her cranking it there is no spark at the plug(s)? it keeps point to the dist & if that 2 magnet dist has 2 "regular" zigzag connectors we may have to install that dist & use whichever pickup gives us the best phaseing. FIRST lets do this: repeat your last test with (2) changes: plug the starter relay yellow wire back in & have her crank it while you drag the (unhooked) pickup nub (same as before) across the intake & see if the coil wire and any plug wire is sparking. EDIT see if the coil wire sparks then plug it in the dist & see if the plug wires spark.

We had a heavy mist last night and this morning, like a heavy foggy, cloudy morning. Just to be sure nothing had changed since I left it just the way I finished testing yesterday, I ran yesterday's test first this morning and it all came out the same. I then plugged the yellow wire back into the starter relay harness. I had my wife crank the engine while holding the coil wire 1/4 inch from the intake while dragging the zigzag connector's (from the ECU harness end)exposed nub across the intake - got a spark at the coil wire and the spark plug. I then plugged the coil wire into the dist. cap, had her crank the engine while I drug the zigzag connector across the intake, I had spark at the plug and the car was obviously try to come to life. Just out of curiosity, I plugged the zigzag connector back together and there was no spark at the plug and the engine was back to not even trying to start.

Some further discoveries while we were running this test, my wife moved the steering wheel to tilt it while she was getting into position and tried to start it from that position and it was dead, just like having the yellow wire off. She moved it back to her regular driving position and it cranked again. We did it several times with the same result. Looks like once I get it running again I have another problem to work on. Also, once when she had it in the no start position I happened to hit the zigzag nub on the intake and without the engine turning over it sounded like I could hear sparking coming from inside the dist. cap.

everything is pointing to the dist. this other 2 zigzag dist, maybe it is time we try it (not permanent but just to pin it down). Does this dist have 2 zigzag plug ins/2 pickups/no vac or mech adv? with the 1&1/4 socket get the nearest tooth dead even with the magnet, then install the other dist in the same position (tooth dead even with magnet/rotor under same plug wire terminal). I'm assuming the rotor phaseing is near the same with either zigzag being used (been a long time since I seen one of those) but confirm by lining up the tooth with a magnet & see if the rotor is under or near under a cap terminal bulge (centered). See if it will fire up. You wont have advance so shut it down pretty much right away as it will get hot above idle but if it starts that's all we need to know for now.

Rained off and on all day yesterday. Took the opportunity to help some friends - lots of attic time pulling wire.

The old dist has one pickup coil with a two pin connector that matches the zigzag connector I have been using to drag on the intake. The other pickup has a three pin connector that has two exposed pins and one covered. The old dist has no built-on vacuum advance like the one on the dist that came with the conversion kit. I hope to get the old dist put back in today - going to be cold but not suppose to be raining.

I guess that wasn't as good an idea as I thought it would be. I put the old dist. in but it did not work - cranked but didn't even try to fire. So I put the dist. from the conversion kit back in and checked it with the zigzag connector drag test with the coil wire in the dist cap and it still tried to start and still gave me spark on the spark plug - so hopefully I didn't get anything out of place. Does this mean I have to get Jegs to replace this dist or are there test I need to do to further pin point the exact component? If it is the dist, I wonder if they will require me to tear out and replace the whole kit.

Actually I should not have suggested it, I forgot that it ain't like th old (2) zigzag dists that had 2 regular pickups slightly offset from 180 away from each other. To the best of my knowledge it is dist related, dragging will zap the plugs but the dist hooked up will not. Howabout we call Jegs & see what they are willing to do to help us resolve this. did we ohm the pickup? & with the scale on low AC volts on the zigzag if you spin the dist by hand will it give a reading?

Well I may have messed up my opportunity on any returns. I was going to pull the dist. to spin it to check to see if I would read any AC voltage. As many times as I have put dist caps on I have never had this happen, but when I pulled the cap I discovered the spring contact on the rotor was bent badly to one side. It was so bad, even though I tried to get it straight, it left an obvious crimp mark. But I did think maybe that was the problem, got it as straight as I could, put it back together but got the same results. I took it apart and it was bent again. I just knew that must be the problem so I put in the rotor from my most recent cap, rotor, plugs and wire change out. Still no change and when I pulled the cap that spring was bent a little too and then examining the inside of the cap it had obvious cuts in the copper ring around the carbon button at the center of the cap. I am sure, once Jegs got the return they would say it didn't work because I had damaged the cap and rotor. I am beginning to feel my boat rocking in the creek and the light is getting so dim I am not sure I can find the paddle.

When I got your post last night I looked back over my notes and we had checked the pickup coil and it measured 250 ohms. I apologize, in my frustration I didn't pull the dist to check the AC voltage output of the pickup. I will try to get that done tomorrow. I guess I could just have my helper crank the engine while I measure for AC at the zigzag connector, rather than pull the dist.

is it possible that if we tossed in a new cap/rotor that we would be good? installing the cap straight down keeps the rotor tang from catching/bending but sometimes that is hard to do with the wires installed expecially if the lengths are slightly shorter than the normal amt & in that situation I pull the wires/install the cap/reinstall the wires. What would a dist cost at your parts house & what about one at a yard?.

Don't have a salvage yard here any more, so unless it is something I just can't get any other way, it is not worth the time of hassle to travel to one of the out of town yards. I ordered a new dist yesterday and picked it up this morning but it didn't have the vacuum module. O'Reily said they didn't have one with the vacuum module. It was a Specter dist, so I called the Specter tech line and the guy said they only made dist for fuel injected cars and suggested I have O'Reily try Cardone. They had to special order and after the special order fee, shipping few, and handling fee, they owed me fifteen bucks from the returned Specter dist - it will be a rebuilt for about $60. They will call me when it gets here - in a week to 10 days. The weather looks to really be cold and messy the new few days, so maybe by the time it gets here the weather will be more cooperative. I will keep you posted.

I would just get a reman points dist and drop it in. just remove the negative - wire from the coil/harness and hook the points wire to it. only need the keyed hot wire to coil.

I have done too many on the side of the road repairs to fool with any of the 35 yr old elect crap on mopars.

when I get the chance I by-pass the BR for a full 12 volts to the coil and use a pertronix coil and points conversion in a points dist.

been running them this way for over 20 yrs with the same pertronix coil and conversion kit.

just swaped my 85 truck over to points and waiting on my conversion kit to come in.

you don't have to unhook any of the stock crap for this to work. just drop the 1 negative coil wire off and run points.

at least you can drive while you troubleshoot the crap stuff.

just my 0.02$

ask for a 67-72 points dist about 28$ at AZ

if you keep elect crap order a cardon elect. dist.

I have a spare used points dist you can have if you want to save some cash while you trouble shoot. ready to drop in and run. shoot me a PM if you need it.

Sounds interesting but I have a couple of questions. You said,". . . ask for a 67 - 72 points dist about 28$ at AZ." I don't know about your Auto Zone, but at mine they only know what to ask by what their computer tells them to ask, like what's the make, model, engine, etc. If I ask for a 67-72 points distributor I will get the deer in the headlights look and I have to admit, I am not any better.
My other question is you said,". . .swapped my 85 truck over to points and waiting on my conversion kit to come in." What's in the conversion kit, where does it come from, or you still talking points conversion?
What I have on order is a Cardon - this Jegs sure doesn't seem to be working. Thanks for your offer. That conversion sounds like it would at least give me another option. Sure do want to get my '84 back on the road.

ok.

any 67-72

I always ask for a 68 dart 318 auto

67 valiant 237 auto

72 duster 318 auto 2 barrel or 4 barrel

my 85 truck has ecu/elct dist so I by-pass the BR add the flamethrower coil and a points dist with a points conversion.

MY 88-440 truck gets a 68 dodge coronet points dist with a points conversion in it.

I will get the pertronix # later but the pertronix points conversion runs about 80$ and a pertronix 40,000 volt coil about another 40$

PM me a # I can text you some pic of mine on the bench. show you what it looks like and how it is installed if you want.

I just set the .030 airgap on the conversion pick up.

it is rather easy to install, red wire to + side of coil with a keyed hot wire.
black wire to negative - side of coil (add a green wire from tach here also)

the flamethrower coil is a full 12 volt coil so you make a jumper wire for the BR (ballast resistor) to give it a full 12 volts.

leave the BR wired in if you run points and points coil. this will lower the voltage 7-8 volts so the points don't burn up with a full 12 volts.

I was showed this by a mopar tech 35 yrs ago on side of the road in a 5th ave which was rather new at the time. (make sure to use a points dist not the elect dist coil)

been working for me ever since