Okay here's the story I changed my oil on Sunday. Tried to start it and it just cranked and cranked. No RPM on the tach when cranking.(it's an 87' Ram)

Battery is good.
Fuel pump is good.
New plugs, wires distributor cap and rotor within the last 2 months.
Checked fuses, wires to the key cylinder and for broken wires.

Changed the ignition coil didn't work. (Cheap Chinese one) Today put a known working MSD Blaster coil in and still nothing.

There is a two position rubber style connector that isn't plugged in (Location is in between cap and rotor). But I'm not sure it was ever plugged into anything.

So is it my distributor ? I'm not too experienced with the oldschool stuff so, any direction would be nice. I checked for shaft play and it seems solid, does move back and forth a little bit but I though that was ordinary. Umm could it be the pickup coil ? it looks pretty rusty to me. If any of the things need to be replaced should I jsut but anjustire new distributor. This on is OE from 87....

That "rubber 2-position connector" near the distributor cap sounds a lot like the distributor's 2-wire connector. It needs to be connected to its mate on the truck's wiring harness or yeah, it'll crank until the battery croaks without starting, 'cause there'll be no spark.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Would the 87 still be a 'LeanBurn' type ign? If so it could have a 4 wire dist which has a 'start' pickup and a 'run' pickup.Just a thought :shrug:

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83 B-150 slant 6,4 speed. 79 B-300 360 pathfinder 4x4. 74 W-300 318 4x4 git-r-done 80 B-100 sl6,4speed

Hello meemperor. Me pedestrian, or me fairy princess, if I am guessing your movie reference correctly on your name.

If your truck is an 87, then you have a variation of the "lean-burn" ignition and carburetor control system on your truck. Dan is right- find the mate to that plug and reinsert it. Otherwise, you won't start.

The best thing you can do right now is ditch the lean-burn system for an HEI or standard mopar electronic ignition and get a non-computer controlled carb. You will be amazed in the difference in performance and fuel economy.

HEI ? I will look into chaning things in the summer when it's warmer out! right now I would just like to be able to move the truck without having to push it!

Thanks for the responses guys!

This the conenctor I was talking about :








Should probably change that fuel filter too...

but that has to be the problem ... I looked for a mate to that conenctor but couldn't bloody find one.... I'll report in tomorrow to see if I can locate it.

It looks like the mate should be on the distributor.
How long have you had this truck. Someone may have somewhat converted it over.
are you getting fuel to the carb.When you hit the accellerator cable does fuel spray out.


Dave

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81 Dodge D150
It looked easier in the book .

Yup, HEI. The three prong connector is the "start pickup" connector on lean burn engines, and yours is disconnected. no wonder it won't start. The corresponding plug should be on the side of the distributor opposite the plug which is connected right now.

Yes I am getting fuel to the carb.

I've had the truck for about 4 years, it was my grandpa's before that but he died before I really knew too much about cars and was too sick to really show me or explain anything by then anyway. Before that it was owned by a Sun Room company called Ultra panel(Grandpa worked there part time after retirment) So those are the only owners. The guy who owned before my grandpa isn't in the country anymore I don't think after his wife left him so.... I don't really have anyone to ask....


But I think it may have already been converted over here is a picture with the cap and rotor off the distributor

Well, it has been halfway converted. Your distributor doesn't have the "start" pickup that lean burn distributors do, but neither does it have the necessary vacuum advance mechanism that a normal electronic ignition distributor would have. Someone has been in there and messed with it before you, so it will be difficult to know what exactly you have on that truck without being there to look at it.

Your best best would be to start with this article and then follow up with the HEI retrofit article.

Well after reading about the HEI I'll do that conversion for sure, but I was thinking my current no start problem could be from the ballast resistor no?

I picked one up from the local parts store but I can't seem to find the damn thing in the engine bay???

Maybe you do not have one. I have a 81 D150 ,and I do not have one . Or I am like you ,and they hide it from you
Check to see if the teeth on the distributor gear are still there.

Dave

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81 Dodge D150
It looked easier in the book .

If I were you I would definitely put in a new distributor. Not only is yours missing the advance mechanisms (costing you a lot of performance and economy) but it is also rusty and crusty enough to be suspect.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

As rusty as it is in there, You may want to unplug the the connector and check to see if the pick up is working. Take an ohm meter and touch both of the pick up leads on the plug. It should read between 300 to 400 ohms. If not then the pick up is dead. If you buy a replacement don't buy the cheap $12 dollar unit, get a better one and take your ohm meter with you to the auto parts store to check them before you buy one and install it. One day I got two bad pick ups in a row before I found one with 300+ ohms. Try cleaning up that rotor and spray a little LPS 3 on it....
Eventually you should pick up a 74 to 78 distributor with a vacuum advance on it. That will help you get some better mileage.

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Aggressive Ted

http://cid-32f1e50ddb40a03c.photos.live ... %20Swinger


74 Swinger, 9.5 comp 254/.435 lift cam, 904, ram air, electric fans, 2.5" HP2 & FM70 ex, 1920 Holley#56jet, 2.76 8 3/4 Sure-Grip, 26" tires, 25+MPG

I cann't for the life of me remember if the ballast in a leanburn system is seperate or part of the lb-computer. If it's a normal type 2wire ballast it should try to run as long as the key is in the start position,but with your mix-mashed setup who knows whats what anymore.When I converted my van I don't remember removing a ballast but I do know I installed one.Follow the wiring from the coil up around the firewall to the computer(if it's even there anymore?)which I believe is over by the battery who knows you might find a ballast.Good luck

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83 B-150 slant 6,4 speed. 79 B-300 360 pathfinder 4x4. 74 W-300 318 4x4 git-r-done 80 B-100 sl6,4speed

And continuing on with what you asked to begin with and Dan&Ted mentioned,Yes the pickups can and do go bad.Just went through that a couple months back,darn thing just died going down the road,no warning just quit.Lot of head scratching/parts changing till I figured it out,only ign pickup to go bad on me like that in 30+years of MoPars. :shrug:

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83 B-150 slant 6,4 speed. 79 B-300 360 pathfinder 4x4. 74 W-300 318 4x4 git-r-done 80 B-100 sl6,4speed