81 FI now no spark! WTF?

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whiterabbit

81 FI now no spark! WTF?

Post by whiterabbit »

GRRRRR............ Ok,I'll tell you everything I did. Honest! :roll:
Heater valve was plugged and leaking so I just replaced it this morning. Had to drop the electrical relay plate to get some room. Buttoned it all up and it ran fine,heater now works. Yea! Let it cool down and pulled the dizzy to replace the oil seal and point it towards #1 cyl for hood clearance. Marked everything with a sharpie,rotor to housing,gear to shaft, etc,etc.. New seal in, but noticed the pickup was rubbing the "wings" on the shaft. Hmmm. Rubber gasket under the pickup was toast but the pickup and wires looked real good. Pulled the pickup traced it on some 1/8 rubber/paper gasket material to make a new one. Put it all together, dropped it in the car,gaped the pickup at .5mm. Plugged in the sensor wire to the 3 month old Accel ignition module hiding under the 3 month old MSD coil. Ready to time it. No spark! Got 730 ohm at the sensor/module plug connection and infinity when one leg is grounded. By the book that's good. Coil is getting power,no spark from coil wire at dizzy.
How can I check to see if it's triggering the module/coil or should I stay out from under the hood?
Module toasted?
At a loss...
Any ideas?
User avatar
124JOE
Posts: 3141
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:11 pm
Your car is a: 1978 124 fiat spider sport 1800
Location: SO. WI

Re: 81 FI now no spark! WTF?

Post by 124JOE »

try your old coil if you have one
when you do everything correct people arent sure youve done anything at all (futurama)
ul1joe@yahoo.com 124joe@gmail.com
lanciahf

Re: 81 FI now no spark! WTF?

Post by lanciahf »

"Rubber gasket under the pickup" What? That is supposed to be a magnet and the installation has a certain orientation. I do not think you can buy just the magnet? Might need a new pickup. The new pickups should have instructions for correct mounting of the magnet. Check with http://www.autoricambi.us/

Good Luck
Ralph
BEEK
Posts: 1833
Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:45 pm
Your car is a: 1975 Spider
Location: clermont fl

Re: 81 FI now no spark! WTF?

Post by BEEK »

the magnet must only go in one direction, it lines up with the pickup. look carefully
Automotive Service Technology Instructor (34 year Fiat mechanic)
75 spider
, 6 Lancia Scorpions, 2018 Abarth Spider, 500X wifes, 500L 3 82 Zagatos. 82 spider 34k original miles, 83 pininfarina, 8 fiat spider parts cars
son has 78 spider
whiterabbit

Re: 81 FI now no spark! WTF?

Post by whiterabbit »

Yea, the pickup assm had a deteriorated rubber gasket between the pickup assm and the advance plate which is attached to the vac advance. Removed the 2 screws and pulled the rubber off it. The magnet block is permantly attached to the plate, so there's no way to put it back in backwards.
The old coil and module were toast, the MSD Blaster has been working great and the Accel ignition module has been great. They cured the power loss and dieing problem I had early this year. I just had the car running an hour prior and she's been running fine.
How can I check that the dizzy is triggering or not triggering the coil? It must not be, because I've got no spark. :lol:
So Cal Mark

Re: 81 FI now no spark! WTF?

Post by So Cal Mark »

that rubber gasket is really a magnet, and it's required
whiterabbit

Re: 81 FI now no spark! WTF?

Post by whiterabbit »

SAAAAAAY WHAAAAAT! :? That gasket under the pickup is a magnet? Well, that would be the problem then. :shock: It's lying on the work bench, it must not work from long distances. :lol:
So Cal Mark

Re: 81 FI now no spark! WTF?

Post by So Cal Mark »

haha, no wifi on the magnet, it's gotta be in place
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