No Start, Electrical?

[russgelberg]

Hi all, I'm not a new member of Club Cobra, but I took a few years off and can't remember my original user name, so I re-registered.

FFR 3048 always started on the first turn. Always. Stock 5.0L from the 89 donor mustang GT. I did not drive it for a few years due to a head-on collision in another vehicle that kept me out of my FFR . A month ago I fired it up and it drove great for an hour. I parked it and all was well. A few days ago I wanted to go for a cruise but it wouldn't start. Turns over great. Seems to be getting fuel. I swapped out the fuel pump, no change. I don't think it is getting any spark. I built my car with a friends assistance. I'm an assembler, not a skilled auto mechanic. My gut feeling is that the coil is not putting out any juice. I disconnected the wire at the coil that runs from the coil to the distributor cap and it made no difference in the way it sounded. I did see a spark jump after 8-10 seconds of the car turning over. Can anyone walk me thru the steps I can take to identify the weak link? I remember that a bad ground can cause headaches but I don't remember which ones are common problems or if it could be the cause of this issue.

Deep down I really think it is a minor issue that I'm missing and once I find it, Vroomm.

Suggestions?

Russ
FFR 3048
North Burbs of Chicago

[Tommy]

Russ,
There are a huge number of engines and ignition systems in use in Cobras. Please tell us a little more about yours so we can offer better advice.

[russgelberg]

You are correct. My profile isn't complete. It is a stock 5.0L from the 89 donor mustang GT.

[A/S65]

First guess is ignition module.

[russgelberg]

A/S65, Can you help me understand what/where that is? I tried replacing the coil, but no luck. Still very little juice coming from the coil.

[A/S65]

The ignition module or TFI module is located on the side of the distributor with a plug in.

[russgelberg]

No luck. Just replaced the TFI, no change. The cap & rotor and wires are all new also.

I remain convinced that it is not a part that went bad. Instead it is something loose. It worked perfectly the last time I used it 3 months ago. I turned it off. I immediately tried again and it started perfectly. I turned it off. It sat 3 months. Now it wont start. I replaced the fuel filter and fuel pump. The coil. The FTI. Sounds exactly the same no matter what I change. Grrrr.

Any thoughts? I appreciate whatever you have.

I've checked all over for loose connections.

Thanks again.

[PeteF]

Are you sure the distributor is tight, and has not turned and changed the timing way off? Check the retaining bolt and distributor for looseness and rotation.

[russgelberg]

The distributor was tight before I changed the TFI. It is tight again.

[A/S65]

Have you checked your ignition switch? Check for any burned wires or broken or loose terminals on the back of the switch. Its quite possible the circuit from the switch to your coil is where the problem lies.

[Gaz64]

Have you checked the rotor is spinning while cranking the engine?