This is my last resort!

[Camshapht]

Let me just start by saying that this is my first post in these forums, and Im glad to be here. This seems like a good place to be. Now, let me also say that this is a long and complicated story that no one wants to hear, but I figured this was my best options considering at least on of you has had the same vehicle. So here it goes. On Saturday, I bought a 1982 Bronco with the 351w. I bought it because it only has 70k miles on it and it has no rust. I had to drive 250 miles to get it. I looked over it and took it for a drive, and I realized that it had a couple small issues, but it ran very well and I liked it a lot so I bought it. On the way back home, it was smoother riding than the Excursion I had ridden down in, and hit 85 (in the 80 mph zones) with no problem. I was very happy with my purchase. About 150 miles in, I was passing a car and it just shut off. It didn't choke, it didn't sputter, it just died as if I had turned the key to off. I pulled over to the side of the road and tried jumping it, thinking the battery might have died due to a bad alternator, but nothing would work. I had to have it towed the rest of the way home. I spent all of President's Day trying to find the problem. I still have no idea what is wrong with it.
At this point, I'll tell you everything that might be relevant to solving the problem. It has an aftermarket Edelbrock carb. Then there's the thing that just perplexes me about this car; the distributor has no provisions for an advance. At least that I can see. No wires going into it, no vacuum hoses. It is just there. Is there some other type of advance that I don't know about? So far, I've replaced the ignition switch and the distributor coil. Something that I noticed is that there were two lights that would come on in the little boxes above the instruments when I turned the key to the "on" position. These lights do not come on anymore. They were "brake" and "fasten seatbelt" I believe. This ones important- there's no spark. I have pulled on of the plugs out and grounded it and I don't have any spark, and I have not been able through this entire experience to get a spark. It has a new starter solenoid, new starter, and new battery.
I would be happy to provide any information and/or pictures needed to help diagnose the problem. This is my last resort, after this I have to take the car to the mechanic and have them charge me a bazillion dollars.
Thank you very much,
Camshapht

 

[SuperCab]

Fusible link burned up? It sounds like you are not getting power anywhere, get a multimeter and start at the battery and start working your way down the line till you find the spot where you loose power...

Sounds like a nice old rig, hope you get it up and running soon.

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[Camshapht]

Is there an actual fuse somewhere? I haven't been able to find one yet.

 

[SuperCab]

They're called fusible links... It's a section of a wire that's a lighter gauge than the rest of the wire, it will burn up before the rest of the wire. I don't know for sure on that model but I think there's probably one on your main power feed that goes to the ignition switch. Should be under the hood near the solenoid?

Maybe somebody can post a picture of one, they're a little hard to describe.

As for your distributor, I don't know why it wouldn't have a vacuum advance. Racing distributor maybe? Don't know.

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[Austin]

Have you checked the grounds? Battery ground goes straight to the frame rail, could have corroded from within.

 

[O'Rattlecan]

Is your ignition coil getting power?

Ryan

 

[Camshapht]

All of the wires to and from the battery have been replaced recently. The coil it getting power.

 

[primetime]

It sounds like EEC 1 to me, which would have a non-adjustable distributor, and should have had a variable venturi (funky 2 barrel) carb. IF I remember rightly, the computer should be under one of the front seats. Passenger I`m thinking. I personally would gut it and convert to Duraspark, unless you are in an area that checks emmisions and is going to want it in place.

 

[greystreak92]

'82 model should already be Duraspark II. Variable-venturi carb setup never made it into the light truck line... thankfully. Replace the module and I'll bet dollars to doughnuts it fires right up. DSII modules are well known to fail suddenly and spectacularly without an ounce of warning. They are solid-state and epoxy sealed so the ONLY "cure" is to replace them and buy an extra one to carry around in the vehicle with you (because it WILL happen again someday).

Got a buddy with a 79 F-250 that didn't believe this until after I came to his roadside rescue. He listed the same symptoms you just described here when he called me to come help. I arrived with a DSII module for his truck in my hand. Two mounting bolts and three electrical connections later and he drove home a believer, a very happy man and I drove home with a case of beer.

 

[polarbear]

Welcome to FTF!

 

[Camshapht]

'82 model should already be Duraspark II. Variable-venturi carb setup never made it into the light truck line... thankfully. Replace the module and I'll bet dollars to doughnuts it fires right up. DSII modules are well known to fail suddenly and spectacularly without an ounce of warning. They are solid-state and epoxy sealed so the ONLY "cure" is to replace them and buy an extra one to carry around in the vehicle with you (because it WILL happen again someday).

Got a buddy with a 79 F-250 that didn't believe this until after I came to his roadside rescue. He listed the same symptoms you just described here when he called me to come help. I arrived with a DSII module for his truck in my hand. Two mounting bolts and three electrical connections later and he drove home a believer, a very happy man and I drove home with a case of beer.

Is that the silver computer looking thing on the drivers side front fender well?

 

[Camshapht]

Welcome to FTF!

Thank you very much!

 

[primetime]

Is that the silver computer looking thing on the drivers side front fender well?

Yes it is. A long time ago a girl I went to high school with bought a mid 80`s F-150 as her first ride. It had a variable venturi carb on it`s 351w that I replaced with a conventional 2 barrel. Not saying it was original because it`s been so long, but the truck seemed pretty nice and unmolested.

 

[Camshapht]

Update: replaced ignition coil, distributor, crankshaft position sensor, and the ignition control module to no avail. The only thing left is the engine control computer under the seat, and it's the most expensive of anything I've done. Probably about 150$. If this doesn't work then I'm going to have to take it to the shop. But would this engine control computer be the reason the lights on the dash don't turn on anymore? Is that where they come from?

 

[78F250SCCS]

I had the same thing happen to my 89 Bronco. I can't recall the dash lights but it sounds like the same thing that happened to mine. It was the fusible link I'm pretty sure. I couldn't tell just by looking, we found it somehow.It was the wiring going over the driver side inner fender. Had other issues in that area as well. Corroded wires getting hot.

 

[Fordzilla80]

Before you do anything else, you need to unwrap all the wiring on the passenger side fender well and check the fusible links. Once you unwrap the wiring, trace it. Somewhere along the wire will be a big fat black rubber piece. That is your fusible link. On my '80, there are about three or four of them.

If you have absolutely no power to anything, then the most important wire to check is the one that comes off the positive battery cable post on the solenoid. That one controls all power to the truck, and if something goes awry with that wire, you'll lose all your lighting, and possibly other functions as well, such as the ability to run.