So I got to drive my '75 Duster for all of one evening. The next morning it was dead. Here is my setup:

GM HEI conversion - power to the coil + and HEI module power tapped from the + battery terminal through a relay. The relay is powered by the unused factory + coil wire. The whole setup is grounded to the alternator case. All connections are soldered. Ballast resistor bypassed. New pickup coil installed 2 weeks ago and set with the correct air gap.

During my short drive Monday night I noticed that the Ammeter would occasionally peg out at 40+. But it also swung pretty wildly. I thought I noticed the dash lights pulsing but with driving by street lights it was hard to tell. I drove the car maybe 10 miles on two short errands. I brought the car home and let it idle in the driveway while I topped off the R134. Shut the car off and went inside dreaming of what it will be like the next day to drive it to work.

Tuesday morning the car would not start. I assumed it had something to do with the disconnected choke. Nope. Finally diagnosed it as no spark. Crap.

Last night I went over the HEI system with a fine tooth comb. I installed a new HEI module and a new voltage regulator. Still no spark. Checked all my wiring for continuity. Swapped out the coil twice, still nothing. I checked the continuity of the pickup coil and it seemed correct (I have an analog volt meter).

I'm wondering if my short drive may have fried the pickup coil. I don't think much current flows to it though. I am almost at the point of just buying a new pickup coil and ignition coil since that would pretty much be a new ignition system.

The pickup coil is pretty well isolated from the charging system by the ignition module. While it's conceivable that you could fry the ignition module and take out the pickup coil I find it unlikely. I would like to know the resistance reading of the pickup coil and to be sure that it isn't shorted to the distributor body. I would also take the meter to the coils you've been using to make sure they aren't shorted or open on either winding.

_________________
Joshua

Ok same here only different
I'm still running stock elec ign all new parts.Slant van won't restart after shutting down from a 30min drive,after 40yrs of MoPars I know this one and threw on a new ballast,nope that's not it.Hitch a ride to Napa and get a new ECU,nope that's not it.Finally started but not running well so mashed the gas and got it home although couldn't use OD as had to keep the revs up.Ok I know THIS one and kitted the Eddy,nope that's not it and dropped in a known good dist..BINGO that was it.Fast forward a few weeks another 30min trip to town and from 1st to 2nd leaving a stop light Crap! dead whilst moving,coast over change the usual suspects again and ended up on a tow hook home.Stay with me this will have a point soon.Drop in my rebuilt dist with all new Napa parts and VROOM so..I should mention during this whole time my amp meter was dancing around as were volt meter and the tach was fluttering as well but I didn't worry to much as it was not discharging just dancing about on the plus side(and not all the time).Took it to my elec guru and installed an adjustable VR(alt was fine)BINGO!THAT was it,bad VR,working fine now.So moral of this story is in my case volt spikes did take out the pickup(twice)and sooner or later or in years past just about every off the wall thing can happen.Sorry for the novel but needed to share
Oh and,
Lloyd

_________________
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

Thanks for the input guys.

I just ordered a Cardone reman distributor (I can hear Dan screaming at the screen from here) and a new coil. At that point I will have a completely new ignition system.

Time to start selling old car parts out of the garage again to support my habit. At least parts are cheap. Beats the heck out of the VW Passat I used to drive.