Topic: Temp/Oil Gauge and Tach ?

[mikeb78ta]

Okay Here we go... I took off the distributor this morning as instructed.  Here are the pics you asked for.  Nothing to me seems out of the ordinary.  All the wires look to have good contact?? What do you think?

[ta78w72]

Replace the coil.  It looks to me that you only have two wires going to the connectors.  I think there's four...but maybe three.  Also, your connector is broken.  And, did you remove the connector closest to the cap or is it not there?  I seem to recall a yellow wire that I don't see coming from your coil.

You should have wrap the tape all the way around the wire....just make sure those numbers don't fall off.

And I was totally in the land of Fords when I told you about the clips that hold the cap on

See those screws....they hold the cap on.  There's a little arm that swings under the distributor body and holds the cap secure.  There's four of them.  Turn them 180 degrees to free the cap.  You'll need to pull the cap to replace the coil.

[mikeb78ta]

Thanks,
I figured out the 4 spring clips(trial and error) I am going to head to the parts store now.  Is the coil all I need? Where are the Yellow wires suppossed to connect to?

[ta78w72]

Thee yellow wire fits into one of those slots.  Look at the coil before you buy it to make sure my memory is correct....but I'm almost positive you're missing a wire.  You're missing a connector too.

Edit:
I think you've got all your connectors...there just broken..at least it looks that way to me.   

We need someone who has recently done this to give you the correct wire/color slots.  The manual doesn't give that information...just says to be careful to put them in the right slots.  There's probably three wires that go into the slots and one ground.  Your middle slot is empty.

[mikeb78ta]

I went to the store to buy a new coil.  They showed me the coil and it only has three wires(red, white, ground) I bought it anyways because the one I had was not new. Which connector is missing?? I have looked online also for a coil with an additional yellow wire can't find it?  Any other suggestions.  I will replacee the coil to start and see if there is a change.

[ta78w72]

I'm pretty sure that middle slot needs to be filled.  But, I could be wrong about that.  I haven't changed a coil in a few years.  But, your problem could be the connector too.  They're really in poor shape.  Make sure you get a tight fit.

[mikeb78ta]

You must be right about the middle slot... I put in a new coil and everyhting worked.. the car started and unfortunately the same as before.  I did the same checks as yesterday. I put both tachs on then I grounded them both Nothing except for the back-up tach pegged at 6000 again.  If you can come across any Distributor pics for the 403cid that shows what goes in that slot, that would be awesome.  When I took off the cap there were 2 yellow wire attaced to the base of the part that swivles(not sure what its called) they however don't attche near the coil however. 

[ta78w72]

You must be right about the middle slot... I put in a new coil and everyhting worked.. the car started and unfortunately the same as before.  I did the same checks as yesterday. I put both tachs on then I grounded them both Nothing except for the back-up tach pegged at 6000 again.  If you can come across any Distributor pics for the 403cid that shows what goes in that slot, that would be awesome.  When I took off the cap there were 2 yellow wire attaced to the base of the part that swivles(not sure what its called) they however don't attche near the coil however. 

PM Ldragon.  He's knows the 403 backwards and forwards.  And, he's a good guy.

[mikeb78ta]

Roger that!  I've gone as fasr as I can.  Thanks for the help!  Maybe tomorrow will be an easier day!!!

[ta78w72]

The only other thing I can think of is the module.  If you short that tach line to the block you destroy the module.  So, the module is connected somehow to all this.  I've never seen a schematic for the module or a good explanation of everything it does.  I know it controls the dwell but that's as far as my knowledge goes on it.

But someone will come on and tell us how many wires the coil has coming out of it.  I wouldn't have written down the colors and slots if it were only the white and red wires.  But, it's been so long since I went through this and I usually scribble down the wire positions and then toss the paper.  I guess I should commit this kind of stuff to memory.  But when I'm doing a job like that, I just want to get through it as quickly as possible.

[mikeb78ta]

No Problem I sent a message to LDragon, maybe if he gets back to me he'll have a picture or an explanation.  It never worked since I bought the car so I have no idea what type of distributor or how many wires it had?  this is definitely a good learning experience

[Joker (§ir£Ğragon)]

It's not a wire that's missing. You're missing a little ground strap. It's made of the same metal as the other connectors comming off the coil. Here's a pic. It's the little odd shaped piece below the Accel coil.



Without that the coil isn't grounded to the chassis since it is screwed to the plastic cap and nothing metal.

[ta78w72]

See, I knew Larry would know.  I forgot all about that ground strap.  I knew there was something in that middle slot.

Thanks Larry, you're the best!!!

[mikeb78ta]

Thanks Larry, now my next question is:

1. Can I buy just that piece?
2. Can you walk me through how to secure it from that center ground position to where it goes?

I can pull the cap and coil no problem if you tell me where it grounds to.

Thanks for the help. 

[Joker (§ir£Ğragon)]

No problem.

Installing it is easy. Just unscrew and lift up the coil. Slide the ground strap into the center slot and under the edge of the coil. Then just fasten it all back down. One of the screws goes through the hook at the other end of the strap.

I don't know about getting one by itself. Some replacement coils come with them. If someone has an old HEI (it can be out of any GM as long as it's the large car style like yours even, V6s.) it should have one.