• Welcome to the new SAOCA website. Already a member? Simply click Log In/Sign Up up and to the right and use your same username and password from the old site. If you've forgotten your password, please send an email to membership@sunbeamalpine.org for assistance.

    If you're new here, click Log In/Sign Up and enter your information. We'll approve your account as quickly as possible, typically in about 24 hours. If it takes longer, you were probably caught in our spam/scam filter.

    Enjoy.

Dura Spark Help

S

Stormb10

Donation Time
Hi Guys- OK I give up-Uncle. Can anybody shed some light on how to get my ignition working!? I have just installed my 2.8L on my Series 2 and I am converting to an electronic ignition with the Dura Spark Module. I have the new distributor too. The engine turns over fine just no spark.

The one plug on the module is 4 wire (black,purple,orange,green) the other plug is 2 wires(red and white). My electric system is still stock with the battery ground on the plus side. I have tried a few things and so far bubkiss, nada, zip, zilch. I'm chomping at the bit to get this thing running. Thanks for your help. Tom
 
S

Stormb10

Donation Time
Ok good to know-I'll check. I bought all of the stuff at the same time so I would think so but I will check thanks. Tom
 
M

mferris

Donation Time
Can one of you point me to the right coil? I'm going to be at that point in the next 2 weeks and want to make sure I have the right one.
 
S

Stormb10

Donation Time
I just ordered this one from my O'reillys. Accel 8145C - Accel Super Stock Breakerless Electronic Ignition Coil $49. There is a good picture and description of it on Jegs. Hope this one works. Tom
 
T

Tom H

Platinum Level Sponsor
Guys, I'm not very familiar with Dura Spark systems. But do they make a Pos earth version? Do you think he bought a Pos earth version? Note that Stormb says he still has stock electrical system with Pos earth. I suspect that's the problem. Have others done the V6 conversion on earlier Series and kept the electrical system Pos earth?

Tom H
 
C

Chuck Ingram

Donation Time
Tom H said:
Guys, I'm not very familiar with Dura Spark systems. But do they make a Pos earth version? Do you think he bought a Pos earth version? Note that Stormb says he still has stock electrical system with Pos earth. I suspect that's the problem. Have others done the V6 conversion on earlier Series and kept the electrical system Pos earth?

Tom H
Click to expand...

I missed that one Tom
 
T

Tom H

Platinum Level Sponsor
So Chuck, He probably needs to change his electrical system to Neg earth for the Dura spark to work.

Stormb, that won't be too hard. The starter and heater and wipers will all work same with neg earth. You'll have to disconnect any old Pos earth radio, and if you have an electronic tach it needs to change to Neg earth. What do you have for a charging system? If it's an alternator it is probably already set up for Neg earth.

Tom
 
P

Paul A

Alpine Registry Curator
Platinum Level Sponsor
Good advice. I agree, everything works just fine switching from + ground to - ground except for tach and radio (if the car is equipped with one). Pete



Tom H said:
So Chuck, He probably needs to change his electrical system to Neg earth for the Dura spark to work.

Stormb, that won't be too hard. The starter and heater and wipers will all work same with neg earth. You'll have to disconnect any old Pos earth radio, and if you have an electronic tach it needs to change to Neg earth. What do you have for a charging system? If it's an alternator it is probably already set up for Neg earth.

Tom
Click to expand...
 
S

Stormb10

Donation Time
Thanks guys. Yes I have an alt. I was going to change over to neg ground but was a little worried about what would be effected. Thanks for the details. I don't have a radio and the tach is mechanical. so no problem-I hope. Do I still need the special electronic ignition coil that Chuck mentioned? Thanks Tom
 
C

coupe

Donation Time
They are correct it has to be a neg ground to work. I have a pictorial of one it is generic but wired up mine just fine and you don't have to have an electronic coil just one with an external ballast resister to hook the start and run wires around. start will get full power and run is reduced by the resistor keeps the unit and coil happy, the original resistor works with my set-up. I can't seem to load it if you give me your email I can send it to you.
 
S

Stormb10

Donation Time
Great thanks I'm at Latitude19@mac.com. So I'm a little mixed up. If I bought a electronic coil should I just go a head and use it and I don't need an external resistor? Or do I still need one and does my S2 to have one or do I need to buy an external resistor? Thanks for the help. Tom
 
V

V6 JOSE

Donation Time
Hi Tom,

The Duraspark unit is a negative earth system.

Jose


Tom H said:
Guys, I'm not very familiar with Dura Spark systems. But do they make a Pos earth version? Do you think he bought a Pos earth version? Note that Stormb says he still has stock electrical system with Pos earth. I suspect that's the problem. Have others done the V6 conversion on earlier Series and kept the electrical system Pos earth?

Tom H
Click to expand...
 
sunbby

sunbby

Past SAOCA President
Donation Time
Stormb10 said:
Thanks guys. Yes I have an alt. I was going to change over to neg ground but was a little worried about what would be effected.
Click to expand...

Did you get a special positive ground alternator? Normal alternators can only be used with negative ground. It depends on the internal diode orientation in the rectifier used to convert the ac current to dc.
 
C

coupe

Donation Time
The dura spark is set-up for the external resistor, be it a resistor wire or a full ballast resistor, that's why it has the white and red wires to have a start and run circuit. So I suspect you removed your old coil and resistor... which can be used( that is what I am running) I would check on the original values for them, I seem to remember 10 or 20 watt and close to 10 ohms I can measure mine and get the ohms value for you. You need a neg earth alt to avoid letting smoke out of the alternator if you go to neg grnd, the diodes are not setup to work with a pos grnd alt and a neg grnd system. I used most of the original wire setup and a internal regulated delco alt from a bone yard, two prongs in the top opening and one alternator output terminal has worked for 20 years
coupe
 
S

Stormb10

Donation Time
Thanks for all the good info guys. I converted the system over to neg ground. Including my electric fuel pump. Ok so last night at about 10 my son and I got it running-yeah! But since it was 10 and coming straight out of the headers we had to stop for the night. So now It just doesn't want to stay running. It sputters and won't start without a lot of pumping the pedal. Once it starts and I give it gas it will rev up but it really lags my moving the throttle. I really have to work the pedal to get it to start. Advancing and retarding the distributor does seem to effect it but I still can get it going easily. Lastly, if I read the last post right I still need to wire in a resistor-right? I am using an electronic coil if that changes things. Currently, my white dura spark wire goes to the coil +. the red wire doesn't go to anything. Thoughts? Thanks again. Tom
 
V

V6 JOSE

Donation Time
Tom,

It sounds like you have a vacuum leak. Check to see if all the hoses are connected correctly, or if you are using some old hoses, to see that one of them isn´t cracked.

Jose
 
C

coupe

Donation Time
Yes the white wire goes to the non resistor side of the coil for the start sequence and the red is run on the resistor power in. I sent an email with the pix of a dura spark to you in word format, it takes ms word to open it.
On the vaccum leak check to see if the pcv hose is off the pcv, the pcv is an orifice and restricts the vaccum so the engine won't be lean, one of the easiest oops I forgot to hook up, kinda things to have wrong.
coupe
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top