Working on a 1984 Diplomat, 318 ci, 5.2. Changed the distributor, coil, and rotor, and still no spark. Got a new ballast resistor and can’t find the old one to replace it. Got full voltage at the + side of the coil. Negative side has two wires going to it. I would imagine one would go to the distributor, and the other seems to go through a device and to ground. Have no idea what that is. I am trying to get a wire diagram.
Any thoughts? Any help woudl be great.
The ballast resistor is mounted on the firewall.
Tester
Here is what they look like at Autozone.
I’ll look again, but as of now I can’t find it.
I suspect you have an ignition module somewhere, perhaps on the firewall
This is what it might look like. Make sure it’s functioning
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=3469860&cc=1430085
I recommend you get your hands on a multimeter and some sort of a repair manual for that car
Correction.
The ballast resistor is located under the air cleaner, behind the carburator near the distributor.
Tester
Even if the ballast resistor was bad you should have spark in the start / crank position, the ballast resistor only comes into play when in the run mode, reducing voltage to the coil. Also agree with db4690
Used to have a 72 Polara many years ago with the 360…Maybe this year of your car did not have a ballast resistor…just cannot remember and has to do what db4690 suggested with the transisorized ignition on the firewall.
This is the engine control module
It is on the driver’s side fender well and as best I recall it controls the lean burn carburetor and spark timing. Diagnosing it was a pain. I have looked through my old shop manuals and found nothing so far. Maybe someone here has kept an old Mitchell or Motors manual on that year model.