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Need some Duraspark 2 help!!

Spidey2011

Pacific Northwest Chapter member
Okay. So I completed my 351w swap into my 68 f100. When I got the engine, it was in a 78 f150 and was using a duraspark 2 ignition system. After the initial headache of figuring out the wiring, it ran like a champ. For a few days. Got it home one day and parked it, went to start it up a couple hours later and it would fire once and die. It's dying as soon as I let the key go back to the run position.

I initially though it might be the coil, so I replaced that. No dice. So then I bought a new duraspark box, still no change. Double checked that all my wiring was good, and it is.

I am planning to switch it over to an MSD ignition in the future, but would like it to run until I save up enough to do that. I'm just at a complete loss here. :headbang:
 
Okay. So I completed my 351w swap into my 68 f100. When I got the engine, it was in a 78 f150 and was using a duraspark 2 ignition system. After the initial headache of figuring out the wiring, it ran like a champ. For a few days. Got it home one day and parked it, went to start it up a couple hours later and it would fire once and die. It's dying as soon as I let the key go back to the run position.

I initially though it might be the coil, so I replaced that. No dice. So then I bought a new duraspark box, still no change. Double checked that all my wiring was good, and it is.

I am planning to switch it over to an MSD ignition in the future, but would like it to run until I save up enough to do that. I'm just at a complete loss here. :headbang:
Is your voltage regulator mechanical or solud state?


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If it dies as soon as you let off the key, then your ballast resistor is bad or your resistor wire is broken. (You will have one or the other but usually not both) the resistor wire is a thick pink wire coming from the run circuit of the ignition switch. A ballast resistor will be under the dash somewhere and connected to the run circuit. If you have a mechanical voltage regulator, replace it immediatly. Don't forget to disconnect the negative battery cable before installation or you will blow the new v-reg as soon as you plug in the harness! They don't play nice with electronic ignition. You will blow boxes, pick up coils, and ignition coils. I fought with duraspark for a while before I threw my hands up and converted my ignition to GM HEI. I am SO glad I went that route. Thats when i came across the V-reg warning. I bought the hei distributor with the Ford FE Shaft and gear on ebay. I deleted the resistor wire and ignition coil and ran a new wire to the ign terminal on the distributor and the I terminal on the new V-reg from the hot line on the ign switch. (The acc terminal, I think) wherever the pink wire went. Consult a diagram. I also had to increase the plug gaps to 50 or 55. Wow what a difference! Better response, better power, better gas mileage. https://youtu.be/lrXeKiPR9wg here is a run vid. Now my engine is a 360, so the wiring info would be the same, but you would need to find the distributor shaft and gear for your engine. You will also need to change to a smaller air filter and probably will need to make a custom long plug wire for one of the cylinders. Maybe not with your smaller engine. I am just mentioning my own challenges. Good luck and let us know if any of my suggestions solve the problem. I fought with mine for months because i had both intermittant ign. and fuel delivery problems dueling for attention. (My eccentric went bad so no fuel after i ruled out fuel delivery) facepalm. I put in a electric fuel pump and safety relay. (Make sure you get the right pressure pump! Motorcraft 2150 uses a low pressure!) Google is your friend.

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Fellro

Moderator
Staff member
That begs the question, did you set up the wiring to have 9V at the run circuit, and 12 to the start circuit?
 

Fellro

Moderator
Staff member
That would be back to Spidey since he did the conversion to Duraspark. HEI is 12V only. DSII starts on 12V and runs on 9V,
 

dustybumpers

don't play well w others
Make your own Hei. All you need is the Duraspark distributor and the Hei Module.

Runs on your stock coil........
 

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