Distributor

[Trojan187]

Does anyone know why my distributor keeps killing the ignition coil ? I just installed a new ignition coil on my 84 K10 and it ran for a day. When I went to start it on the next day nothing doing no spark. I checked the coil again with my ohms meter and found the secondary coil of the ignition coil is once again open. Any suggestions?

 

[79K10]

My 79 would blow coils too... I was using a cheap coil and revving it up to 6k... Figured that was my issue, but never actually figured it out... Used to blow every few months lol


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[350runner]

Plug wires arching to metal will do it.

Sent from the dust in front of you!

 

[Georgeb]

Plug wires arching to metal will do it.

Sent from the dust in front of you!

Yup! A squirt bottle with water in it in the dark does a good job of finding it too.

 

[chengny]

Pull the rotor and check the underside for burned areas that would allow the center contact to ground out on any of the distributor shaft/mech advance parts. I've never seen it personally - but they say it happens.

When the secondary ignition circuit is allowed to go straight to ground (even for a short time) there is essentially unlimited current allowed to flow through the coil windings. The coil quickly overheats and burns up.

Pull the plug wires off the plugs and poke around with your meter - look for leakage from the secondary system to ground.

Yup! A squirt bottle with water in it in the dark does a good job of finding it too.

What he said.

I line on my back under the engine (hood shut and at night) and look up along the sides. Any secondary leakage generally jumps right out at you.

 

[MikeB]

Plug wires arching to metal will do it.

Took the words right out of my mouth!

Run the engine at night or in a dark garage and look for plug wire arcing.

Just last week I saw an HEI cap and rotor with burnt contacts caused by 2 plug wires arcing to header tubes. The coil was OK, or at least it still worked.

 

[350runner]

Took the words right out of my mouth!

Run the engine at night or in a dark garage and look for plug wire arcing.

Just last week I saw an HEI cap and rotor with burnt contacts caused by 2 plug wires arcing to header tubes. The coil was OK, or at least it still worked.

Yep when I was a kid ma got me a LTD furd. I went out and got the best accel had for ignition including that humongous ignition coil. Wasn't to knowledgeable at the time and left 4 plug wires touching the valve covers. On the way home passing a block party the furd 302 back fired six times. Shoulda seen everyone scatter lol!

Sent from the dust in front of you!