I've done the forum searches...not sure if I just don't understand (well, perhaps I AM sure I don't understand) or if this is a unique problem.
Not long ago my what I believe is a box-stock 5.0HO engine (other than the intake/ignition systems) stopped and would not fire up again. At first I thought the problem was fuel starvation so I rebuilt the Edelbrock Thunder Carb....still would not start. I pulled some plugs and they looked OK...but when I laid a plug against the header and cranked it there was no spark. Time to pull the distributor cap.
Well, the center electrode on the cap, the one for the coil wire, was just gone and in it's place was some sort of corroded looking gunk. Time for a new cap. I had some trouble getting the "shutter wheel" off and broke that, so a new shutter wheel was ordered, too.
I was certain it would fire up once those parts were replaced....NOT!
Still no spark at the plug. I called the Accel/Mallory group tech support and was told to take some measurements with my VOM...was told there should be full battery power at one of the terminals and different power (volts) at the other one depending on whether the control module was "blocked" at the gap between the infrared "windows" or not. When I got those measurements the tech guy spoke in such gobbledy-gook and was so impatient that I could not understand what else to do; hence, this thead.
Has anyone ever had trouble with this combo? One of the things the guy from the Accel/Mallory group asked was whether or not there was a resistor wired in....I can only say I think so. Leading from the positive terminal on the coil is a wire that leads to a small (1"X1"X3") white plastic block attached to the front of the head with a bracket, from which another wire leads right to the distributor. It looks nothing like the resistors I see in Mallory's literature.
So....I'm lost and I hope someone else will have had some experience with this issue. The tech guy from Accel/Mallory said the contol module was burned out....I hate to spend $100+ for a control module unless I know that is the problem and the tech guy either speaks a language I don't understand or is just too impatient to bother with my questions.
Anyone have any experience with this sort of problem? I can tell you that once I got the shutter wheel off the distributor drive shaft I did find the missing portion of the center electrode...it didn't burn down to nothing, it apparently broke off.
Whatever help anyone could provide would be truly appreciated!!!
Thanks in advance!
Dugly
