kalli

when you all talk about ignition module, do you mean the one in the distributor providing signal to MSD 6AL, or the MSD 6AL?

I didn't have any time last night and I remembered that I had another spare crane distributor. I once bought a second hand one missing the cap, rotor and gear, so I checked the resistance of the module in distributors. both of them 2.2kOhm (one was 2.20 the ther 2.22), which in my books is the same.
However this is still not a guarantee that the distributor does it's job as I belive for it to work I need to have power at distributor and see a difference when I turn it.

so tomorrow night (unfortunately not earlier). I'll pull the distributor, with that out of engine I can
- hook everything up
- get rid of cap
- hook a spark plug to coil wire
- turn the distributor manually

if I do that without cranking the engine I should get a spark, have easily 12V where 12V should be. If it checks out then at least I know my hardware is ok and problem is probably wiring. If that doesn't work and false trigger test passes, it has to be the module inside the distributor.

To be honest it just behaves like a car with points system where the points don't open anymore ... my money would be on the module in the distributor.
At least it can be swapped from the outside with 2 bolts (that's the only good news so far). might not even have to pull it

wish me luck and thx for all your help.

it's very refreshening to read stuff other than "check your wiring". ... ;-)

JMD

I hate to say it, but I am all but sure, (80%), that it is going to be your MSD box.

kalli

EXCELLLENTTT woheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

it was the module in the distributor.
i tried the false trigger test again by leaving ignition on and disconnectiong/reconnecting purple and green between msd and distributor. the chirping actually came from the distributor, not the MSD.

So I pulled the distributor and the module is bolted to the underside with 2 screws and there I could already see that the epoxy was cracked. looked typical like something inside overheated or broke. so I swapped the module with the spare I had, put it all back together.
there was not much juice left in the battery but on cranking I could hear, see and feel it firing. was too advanced. So I'll charge the battery and next time round I'll finish the wiring (solder it together properly)... happy days

not impressed that the module in distriubutor gave already but the fantastic thing is that it can be swapped so easily :-) that's brilliant :-]

JMD

Well scratch that.... LOL

Glad you found the issue.

kalli

:-) what confused me was that both modules have the same resistance. But I know what you mean. Those gm triggers where it just seems to be a coil. The crane one is actually a module. It can modify advance curves with a dial etc. if it were one of those gm modules or normal magnetic pickups I would have expected infinite resistance or 0 I'd something were wrong

kalli

.... and driving again :-)

Since I bought my distributor directly from Crane and it was still in warranty I get the module replaced no problem
Believe it or not the replacement part has just arrived :-)