Folks, I've been away for awhile, travelling extensively and trying to wrap up some business so I could re-retire and now that has been achieved. I can focus on a no start condition on my Satellite.
I need some technical assistance and I'm going to rely on the extensive experience of this group so here's what I know so far regarding the very expensive boat anchor parked in my garage. Baseline: 65 Satellite, 440 engine, 4 speed. Mopar electronic ignition system, orange box, worked successfully for years.
No start condition, turning over fine-started a long time ago with a difficult cold start. It would fire after cranking for awhile. Initially I thought it was no fuel in the fuel line due to flowing back toward the tank. It only happened when it sat for a week or two and only with the engine cool. Got progressively worse and when I tried to start it to haul it to the Goodguys in Ft Worth a month ago it would not light off at all.
Condition is no spark while cranking. Tried another ignition switch, wired around the new wiring and verified voltage at all the appropriate spots. Battery is hot at 13.3 volts. So far I have replaced the coil (Blaster 2), distributor and control box. Nothing changed. Have heard in this group that there had been issues with the Mopar systems so I bit the bullet and ordered an MSD Ignition box (6AL). No change. Ran diagnostics on the MSD box and it checked out. Eliminated the ballast resistor per MSD, wired the small MSD red wire direct to a 12 volt source. I replaced the coil wire. I pulled the Mopar distributor out of the engine and spun it with the key on and it throws an arch you can weld with. Leaving everything wired the same as it was during the test, bolted it back in position and no spark. Put the old distributor back in with the same results. Verified the rotor turns when the engine is cranking and the drive gear and cam are in good shape. On the phone with MSD tech and he advised spinning the distributor by hand while someone cranked the engine to see if we had a severe voltage drop not allowing the system to fire (battery is in the trunk). It still threw a flame (and knocked the %^&% out of me when my wife didn't turn the ignition back off). I think I know what a tazer feels like now.
I'm convinced it is the distributor (2 of them?) but why does it work out of the engine and not while in it? I'm hoping one of can reach into your experience file and guide me out of the darkness, otherwise I'm going to order a new MSD distributor and wires and add another $500 to my investment. I'm still not sure that will even get it done. I've got a lot of experience with cars and never had one beat me like this one has. Grateful for any help. Thanks. Travis
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