Distributor for a 2.8 Duraspark Conversion?

[Austin.J]

Im trying to get the ranger running, but I cant find a distributor anywhere for it, its been converted to duraspark, I just cant find a distributor anywhere that will work, any suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated

Just in case, its a 2.8 V6, 1984 Ranger

 

[franklin2]

One of the options I was contemplating was to buy a 73-74 pinto distributor for a 2.8 v6 and then converting it with a pertronix ignition module. The very first ones were points distributors.

If you really need to get this going, you can put the TFI distributor back in place and wire it like below. When my 1978 cardone "rebuilt" distributor crapped out on me, I needed to get it running and like you was having a hard time finding a replacement. I stuck the TFI back in and wired it like in the link, and set the timing up a little bit and it ran surprisingly good. I ran it for almost a year like that with no problems. I was down on fuel mileage a little bit, but it ran good and was reliable.

I attached the picture below. You only need 3 wires.

 

[Austin.J]

Sorry for the late reply, but the wires that I'd run, would they still go to the GM module, or directly to where they are supposed to go? I'll attach a picture of the module

 

[franklin2]

Sorry for the late reply, but the wires that I'd run, would they still go to the GM module, or directly to where they are supposed to go? I'll attach a picture of the module

If you are contemplating using the original TFI, no module needed, it already has the module mounted on the side of the dist. Just find your old computer harness, find the large plug that plugged into the TFI distributor, and unwind those dist wires and cut them so they are long coming out of the dist. Then look at the diagram above, you only need the 3 wires on the bottom.

I did all my conversion wiring over on the pass side fender, I had my GM module with a heatsink mounted over there. So when I abandoned the GM module, I took the power wire I had on it and hooked it to the TFI, and took the coil wires going to the GM module and hooked them to the TFI.

Summary; If you go back to the TFI, you do not need any module of any type, the TFI dist has the module you need mounted to it in the diagram above.

 

[Austin.J]

So think I've got everything I need to get the conversation done, but before I go at it this weekend, how would I do the T between the positive on the coil, and the ignition power,

Question 2 would be, the ignition power is the starter relay correct?

Sorry for the late responses and my lack of knowledge, I'm still pretty new to all of this

 

[RonD]

You connect the "12v on" wire from ignition switch to coil positive , then another wire from coil positive to the HEI module 12v terminal, that's a "T"

No, nothing to the starter relay's "I" post should be needed, that was pre-1980's setups, using older coils with ballast resistors
If you have a ballast resistor remove it, and splice its wires together, its no longer needed

 

[franklin2]

Can you find the original plug in and wires that went to the original coil? Those are the wires you need. One will be used for 12v ignition power. Sometimes it's a white/blue stripe wire.

 

[Austin.J]

Can you find the original plug in and wires that went to the original coil? Those are the wires you need. One will be used for 12v ignition power. Sometimes it's a white/blue stripe wire.

I just attached a picture I took of the coil a while ago, when I first went to look at the truck, the green wire I traced back to the GM conversion module, as for any of the others I'm not sure where they go,

The smaller little black wire on the right, you can't see but it is cut and electrical taped off on the end

 

[franklin2]

The module turns the green wire on and off to the coil to create the spark. The other wire or wires to the coil are the ignition power to the coil, and these power the ignition module also.

The coil is mounted on a plastic fender. It will not work correctly if it's not grounded. The factory had a large black wire bolted to the coil bracket to ground the coil, and the other end of the black wire bolted to the engine block. The module also needs a ground which can be tied to this same spot on the coil where the ground wire is located.

 

[Austin.J]

Well I'd like to thank you all for your help! I was able to get it running, and it was able to drive, the brakes need some work, because they're sticking, but regardless thank you all for your help! I'll attach some pictures and videos we took of it

 

[Hale Ranger]

Im trying to get the ranger running, but I cant find a distributor anywhere for it, its been converted to duraspark, I just cant find a distributor anywhere that will work, any suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated

Just in case, its a 2.8 V6, 1984 Ranger

Contact Lisa - information below.

Lisa

Customer Service Manager | Cardone Industries

Phone: 800-777-4780

 

[RC Cola]

Like everyone else I started down the road of converting my 85 Bronco II manual to a Dura spark ign. Then I ran into the minefield of finding a mid to late 70s v6 Duraspark distributor. I have the original system TFI ignition in place. I looked at your suggestion of clipping a few wires and setting timing up to 8 degrees +
My engine starts but is hard to keep running until warmed up and then has a very fast idle. I only use it as a motorized wheelbarrow (converted to short- SB pickup and use on my rural forested property . Never on highway. Could you make the picture of changes in the TFI diagram from Franklin 2, for this mentally challenged, wantabe FMC mechanic , easier to follow. Thanks again

 

[franklin2]

Like everyone else I started down the road of converting my 85 Bronco II manual to a Dura spark ign. Then I ran into the minefield of finding a mid to late 70s v6 Duraspark distributor. I have the original system TFI ignition in place. I looked at your suggestion of clipping a few wires and setting timing up to 8 degrees +
My engine starts but is hard to keep running until warmed up and then has a very fast idle. I only use it as a motorized wheelbarrow (converted to short- SB pickup and use on my rural forested property . Never on highway. Could you make the picture of changes in the TFI diagram from Franklin 2, for this mentally challenged, wantabe FMC mechanic , easier to follow. Thanks again

When I was running the locked TFI, I set my timing around 20 degrees. I was pleasantly surprised it started ok hot, and did not have any pinging to it either. It ran quite well except my fuel mileage was down a couple mpg.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Btw, microsquirt will run a tfi distributor flawlessly.

May be a viable option to be able to set variable/ programmable timing on some of these engines.

 

[franklin2]

Btw, microsquirt will run a tfi distributor flawlessly.

May be a viable option to be able to set variable/ programmable timing on some of these engines.

Awfully steep learning curve for the microsquirt. And you would only be using a portion of it since the 2.8 has a carb.

I called the factory on this product http://www.daytona-sensors.com/tcs-1--timing-control-system.html but they could not tell me if the hall effect sensor signal (square wave) would work to trigger the daytona module. And of course you would only have straight advance, no vacuum advance function, which you would have with the microsquirt I am assuming since it has a map sensor.