Hello guys, my 86 Dodge originally had what I guess is some sort of electronic ignition within it, no points but instead some sort of magnetic pick-up. ( again guessing I am getting that correct )

I am using a wiring harness from an 84 truck and come to find out today this dist is a points set-up.

I do not know what all else went with the electronic ignition gimmick to make it function properly, I have completely removed any remaining emissions stuff that was on the truck when I purchased it.

My question is would there be any benefit if even possible to continue to try and find a way to use the electronic ignition.

I have no problem with a points system if that is going to save me alot of headache with trying to find a way to patch the 1986 electronic ignition dist into my 1984 wiring harness.

Is there a vacuum advance on the distributor? If so the easiest would be converting to HEI. Plenty of info on that in the engine stickys here. (http://www.slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=38465)

_________________
Dave

1977 d-200 crew cab ex-army pickup wants it's /6 back
1962 Valiant 2 door, 170, three on the tree
1972 d-100 parts truck
80 volare wagon now a parts car

I am not interested at this point in converting over to HEI

A 1986 Dodge truck had either a standard electronic ignition or a "lean burn" computer controlled ignition. All Mopar electronic ignitions use a magnetic pickup (or two, depending on the system) in the distributor. Unless a former owner did something stupid, the 1984 truck should also have either standard electronic ignition or a lean burn computer controlled ignition.

There is no advantage to trying to retrofit points to your truck. There is a reason Mopar completely abandoned points ignitions by 1973. It is possible to convert back to points, but it would be a significant step backwards in terms of economy, power, and ease of operation and maintenance. Electronic ignition is not a "gimmick," but a proven significantly better style of ignition than points. Electronic ignition (except for a lean burn system) is better and more desirable in every way than a points ignition.

It is very easy to retrofit either standard electronic ignition or the better HEI electronic ignition to your slant six. Instructions on how to do the retrofits are posted in many places on this website. You should get a wiring diagram for both your truck and the donor truck to make sure all you wires line up. The Mopar electronic ignition will be more expensive and difficult to install than the HEI ignition would be.

It is very possible and desirable and preferable to continue to use electronic ignition. You don't say if your truck had the lean burn ignition system or standard electronic ignition, but that is a moot point now since you ripped out the wiring harness before verifying what you had. It really isn't necessary to remove the wiring harness when you want to convert ignition systems. Did you pull your engine wiring harness for some other reason (such as to remove the emissions equipment wiring, which doesn't require removing the while wiring harness)?

Points will still work after the EMP...........

_________________
Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Maybe, but when was the last time an EMP knocked out your ignition system?

Kitty and I are ready just in case.......

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Excellent! I've got mine ready to go too!

Kitty is not happy at your attempt to thwart his world domination plans!!

_________________
Mattelderca
78 NYB (gone now), two S series, three old Snow Cruisers and a Doo.

Thanks, I did not mean for the word gimmick to sound negative but I do understand that it can be taken that way.

I do not know if my truck was fitted with a lean burn system, alot of items were already removed/modified from my truck before I purchased including the majority of emissions control devices.

I would have removed all of this as well so the fact that it was gone did not bother me.

I decided to use the wiring harness from the 1984 donor truck because the 86 harness had been cut and scabbed together in many places, also the 86 had no provisions within the harness for A/C and the 84 truck was equipped with same.

There were some other add ons to the 84 harness that made it desirable for me such as cargo light, map light, glove box courtesy light ect.

I am surprised that not only was the 84 truck retro-fitted with points but that a spare 1984 junkyard truck dist I pulled was also a points unit. Seems odd to me.

Ok so I would prefer than to use my 1986 electronic dist, what else is within the system that I will need to make sure I include on the truck to make this work?

I am also wondering what I am going to run into with my harness because at this point the 84 harness does not have the provision to plug the dist in with it.

Reading the the service manual it may be relevant to point out that my 86 dist has a single pick-up

Are those actual tin-foil ?


Or the cheaper aluminum-foil counterfeits ?

_________________
Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

I have been reading this helpful post http://www.slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic ... c&start=15 and I thought it might help to add with my own truck I do not have a computer controlled carb as per the description given.

The 1984 carb is identical style ( cannot remember the Holley number ) but it has all sorts of things added onto it that have been removed by previous owner on my 86 carb. Surprisingly even with all of these things missing the 86 truck started/idled/ran like a worn out champ. I had no complaints.

I also have no catalytic converters, previous owner had juryrigged a sidepipe onto the truck coming out at the drivers door.

Just so long as you are aware that operating your truck in that manner violates Federal law.
Sounds like a good idea. Do you have a 1984 wiring harness diagram to make sure you have all the right connections?
That is odd. Dodge stopped putting points in their trucks in 1973.
Well, you need to determine if you have a lean burn distributor or a standard electronic ignition distributor. If the distributor had a vacuum advance pod and a single magnetic pickup, it is a standard electronic ignition distributor. If the distributor has no vacuum advance pod and two magnetic pickups, it is a lean burn distributor. A lean burn distributor will not work properly with a standard electronic ignition system.
Are you positive you pulled the entire engine harness form the parts truck?
See above regarding the vacuum advance can on the distributor.

I looked through your build thread for this truck over on ramchargercenteal and I have to say you did a very nice job.

If your engine wiring harness truly does not have the plug for the distributor, then I strongly recommend you convert the truck to the HEI ignition system. If your distributor has a vacuum can and a magnetic pickup, then you can use this distributor. Follow the instructions in THIS thread of how to install the HEI module. Use the (+) coil wire as either the feed for the HEI module or the trigger for the relay for power to the HEI module. Then all you have to do is run the wires to the distributor and the (-) coil wire and you are done. VOILA! The best and most cost effective ignition you can put on your slant six.

I do not know how to reply in the fashion you have just done so I hope this is not confusing.

I am not concerned with a violation, my county has no inspection, and no emission

No I do not have a 1984 wiring diagram, it would be nice though if you know where I might download that page.

Yes it is odd, do you have an e-mail I can send pictures too of the dist in question, it seems difficult to post pictures here. If you do not want to go that route I understand that you may not want contact from people outside the forum asking for help.

My e-mail is jhason2@yahoo.com

I will have to verify tomm but I though the dist that was originally on my 86 has the single magnetic pick-up and no pod.

I also think that the 84 has a pod with points as mentioned. I will look at this more closely though tomm.

Not only did I pull it but I have thrown NOTHING away. I have everything that I have pulled from both trucks, I have learned over the years not to throw away anything until the project is done.

Thank-you for the compliments on the truck, I am proud to say that I cut no corners, worked my butt off to get it nearly finished as quickly as I did and it truly is a great looking solid truck that I expect to have for many years.

I will take lot of pictures tomm of igntion system, I will then try and download them on photobucket and then see if I can post them here.

Thank-you again for the help, I would very much like to not convert to HEI if possible.

I will try and attach a photo below as a test

Truck when I started, this is what I bought for 1500 dollars, ran good, had wooden mickeymouse bed that I did remove before taking the picture.

Inetrior, under the hood, everything juryrigged/rednecked out



I bought it cause it had the identical drivetrain I was looking for, slant six with N.P 435 trans and 4 wheel drive. I did have to replace the roof, it was literally flapping in the wind as I was driving it home, front drip rail went bad, I also had to replace the firewall, dried out cracked seam sealer allowed water to get where it should not have been.

Other than that the truck was very solid, very little body filler, no other major rust issues.