Distributor and Ignition Info Thread

[trillizo_y_uno]

Don,

I take it you wired it up pretty much as you laid out in the second diagram here then?

http://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-distributor-and-ignition-info-thread?pid=110967#pid110967

 

[Don65Stang]

Seems like that was how I did it. I'd check but I sold that car and haven't hooked up another unit in my other cars yet. I do remember experimenting with trying to get the 4 degree retard during starting to work but was unsuccessful as best I recall.

 

[Hemikiller]

Ok, so what's the verdict using the factory tach with a Duraspark conversion? After reading this entire thread multiple times, Don65Stang made a mention of it working. But how did you wire it up? Did you just leave the resistance wire connected to coil +?

I currently have a Pertronix I setup which works fine with factory tach and resistance wire to coil+. For various reasons, I want to make the change over to Duraspark.

Thanks!

It works fine with a Duraspark sunce the coil is still powered through the original ignition circuit, which passes through the tach. The Duraspark is only a trigger system. If you were to use an ignition such as an MSD, that handles powering the coil, you'd need a tach adapter.

Here's the diagram that I prefer, with a couple exceptions...

Wire the white wire into the "S" terminal on the solenoid, that will trigger the timing retard in the DSII box.

Hook the red wire to the "I" terminal, that will power the DS box.

Don't cut or disconnect the stock wire from the "I" terminal, doing so will not give you the 12V coil boost to improve starting performance.

I used to mount the DS box behind the P/S shock tower and run the wires around the tower and over to the engine.

 

[trillizo_y_uno]

Don, Hemi,

Thanks for the info. I'm going to be using a red connector Duraspark I module, since that is what I have. I know I have to swap the green and orange wires and the coil is 0.7 ohms, lower resistance than what is needed for a Duraspark II conversion. Hopefully it all works out. If not, I can always get a blue connector Duraspark II module cheap enough.

Thanks!

 

[Don65Stang]

Yeah, the Mustang Steve diagram was the one I the member using. I agree with Dan's alteration he mentioned above. Should work great for you.

 

[Mister 4x4]

That's pretty much what I did, Dan - DS-II on the back of the shock tower and everything... but used the NPD wiring harness to do so - which made it a plug-in deal (plus, my engine harness was junk anyway).

 

[trillizo_y_uno]

Successfully upgraded to Duraspark from the Pertronix I I was running. Wow, what a difference! Had I known the car would run so much better, I would have done it long ago. Also, anyone debating Pertronix vs. Duraspark, Duraspark all the way.

Unlike the majority on here, I went with a Duraspark I module, with the red connector over the blue connector Duraspark II. George Pence over at the Pantera forums recommends the Duraspark I as its a more powerful and robust unit with automatic dwell adjustment. Anyone unfamiliar with him and his work should head over there and read his Sticky #3 post.

http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5650045562/m/319104265

A couple of things. First, you have to swap the green and orange wires at the connector if you are using the Painless Duraspark II harness. You also have to trim the tab on the 4 prong connector.

Duraspark I also uses a lower impedance coil, 0.7 ohms, and no ballast resistance. My car has a factory tach and it didn't run well through the resistance wire. I also wanted to keep the tach functional, so I simply bypassed the resistance wire, running a 16 gauge wire from the tach to the coil. Tach works fine and the engine purrs like a kitten with the full 12v supply.

 

[Don65Stang]

Awesome news Jason. I'm glad it worked out so well for you. Thanks for the update.

 

[1973grandeklar]

Pictures?

 

[tony-muscle]

Successfully upgraded to Duraspark from the Pertronix I I was running. Wow, what a difference! Had I known the car would run so much better, I would have done it long ago. Also, anyone debating Pertronix vs. Duraspark, Duraspark all the way.

Unlike the majority on here, I went with a Duraspark I module, with the red connector over the blue connector Duraspark II. George Pence over at the Pantera forums recommends the Duraspark I as its a more powerful and robust unit with automatic dwell adjustment. Anyone unfamiliar with him and his work should head over there and read his Sticky #3 post.

http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5650045562/m/319104265

A couple of things. First, you have to swap the green and orange wires at the connector if you are using the Painless Duraspark II harness. You also have to trim the tab on the 4 prong connector.

Duraspark I also uses a lower impedance coil, 0.7 ohms, and no ballast resistance. My car has a factory tach and it didn't run well through the resistance wire. I also wanted to keep the tach functional, so I simply bypassed the resistance wire, running a 16 gauge wire from the tach to the coil. Tach works fine and the engine purrs like a kitten with the full 12v supply.

Interesting post about Duraspark I. So I am looking at all is needed and I see that the wiring harness from Painless is very expensive compared to the other stuff. Is this needed? are there other options? can this harness be sourced from another car?

Did you source all the parts indicated by Mr. Pence in his post? Besides the harness all looks reasonable.

 

[tony-muscle]

Successfully upgraded to Duraspark from the Pertronix I I was running. Wow, what a difference! Had I known the car would run so much better, I would have done it long ago. Also, anyone debating Pertronix vs. Duraspark, Duraspark all the way.

Unlike the majority on here, I went with a Duraspark I module, with the red connector over the blue connector Duraspark II. George Pence over at the Pantera forums recommends the Duraspark I as its a more powerful and robust unit with automatic dwell adjustment. Anyone unfamiliar with him and his work should head over there and read his Sticky #3 post.

http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5650045562/m/319104265

A couple of things. First, you have to swap the green and orange wires at the connector if you are using the Painless Duraspark II harness. You also have to trim the tab on the 4 prong connector.

Duraspark I also uses a lower impedance coil, 0.7 ohms, and no ballast resistance. My car has a factory tach and it didn't run well through the resistance wire. I also wanted to keep the tach functional, so I simply bypassed the resistance wire, running a 16 gauge wire from the tach to the coil. Tach works fine and the engine purrs like a kitten with the full 12v supply.

Interesting post about Duraspark I. So I am looking at all is needed and I see that the wiring harness from Painless is very expensive compared to the other stuff. Is this needed? are there other options? can this harness be sourced from another car?

Did you source all the parts indicated by Mr. Pence in his post? Besides the harness all looks reasonable.

Answering some of my own questions, here is an alternative for the Painless harness:

from this thread: http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1285873-duraspark-harness-connectors-diy.html

-Coil connector, NAPA EC238, $7.16

-2 (3) wire connector, NAPA EC72, $19.35

-4 wire connector, NAPA EC127, $19.80

Total would be $46.31 plus some wiring.

 

[RacerX]

Successfully upgraded to Duraspark from the Pertronix I I was running. Wow, what a difference! Had I known the car would run so much better, I would have done it long ago. Also, anyone debating Pertronix vs. Duraspark, Duraspark all the way.

Unlike the majority on here, I went with a Duraspark I module, with the red connector over the blue connector Duraspark II. George Pence over at the Pantera forums recommends the Duraspark I as its a more powerful and robust unit with automatic dwell adjustment. Anyone unfamiliar with him and his work should head over there and read his Sticky #3 post.

http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5650045562/m/319104265

A couple of things. First, you have to swap the green and orange wires at the connector if you are using the Painless Duraspark II harness. You also have to trim the tab on the 4 prong connector.

Duraspark I also uses a lower impedance coil, 0.7 ohms, and no ballast resistance. My car has a factory tach and it didn't run well through the resistance wire. I also wanted to keep the tach functional, so I simply bypassed the resistance wire, running a 16 gauge wire from the tach to the coil. Tach works fine and the engine purrs like a kitten with the full 12v supply.

Interesting post about Duraspark I. So I am looking at all is needed and I see that the wiring harness from Painless is very expensive compared to the other stuff. Is this needed? are there other options? can this harness be sourced from another car?

Did you source all the parts indicated by Mr. Pence in his post? Besides the harness all looks reasonable.

Answering some of my own questions, here is an alternative for the Painless harness:

from this thread: http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1285873-duraspark-harness-connectors-diy.html

-Coil connector, NAPA EC238, $7.16

-2 (3) wire connector, NAPA EC72, $19.35

-4 wire connector, NAPA EC127, $19.80

Total would be $46.31 plus some wiring.

I found them thru another site in their Standard motor part numbers along with some wire diagrams.

http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums/showthread.php?464032-Build-a-Duraspark-Wiring-harness

Coil connector Standard S-583, $6.63 Amazon

3 wire connector Standard S-629 $15.54 Amazon

4 wire connector Standard S-698 $15.74 Amazon