Dino won't start...need suggestions

this happened to me a month or two ago-i'd look at the coil, you may need a new one..

 

Sounds to me like an ignition problem, so the coil is most likely the culprit.

With the cost being so modest, I would try that first and if it isn't the cause, put it back on eBay and sell it. Much cheaper to diagnos ethis way than anything else.

 

It's probably the coil.
My understanding is that coils fail because they get small breaks in the wiring. When they get hot the wire expands and causes the ends to separate, which stops the current flow.
When they cool off again the ends get closer together and current flows until it gets hot again.

However, on the Pantera forum a lot of guys carry a second MSD module in the car because they (like any electronic device) can fail without warning.

 

This is a common symptom of an inverter or thyristor breakdown in MSD ignitions, coils very rarely fail at once with capacitive ignitions as the primary current is very low. Capacitive coils usually gradually break down due to wiring shorts which you notice early as the engine starts to hesitate when accelerating and might start to backfire as it gets worse. A coil defect can be measured with an LCR meter if you or a friend has access to one.

If you have a coil laying around (most will do nicely for a test), install that one and try if you can start the Dino now. If that works, a new Blaster II coil should fix the problem, if not you need to replace the MSD 6A.

Good luck,
Adrian

 

Rope it out with a friend out to town. You will get a tow then.

Regards, Alberto

 

probably not.
ohm it and compare with any other coil
you probably have a loose wire in the ignition circuit or the points gap a has closed down, definetly electrical. if volts everywhere, bypass the msd

clay

 

Invite him over for some clams

Good luck! Alberto

 

rethought your problem, check electric fuel pump and/or fuel filter. could be running out of gas, this matches your first description, starts and dies. Coils will do this as interior shorts cause over heating and huge resistances.

650 430 4134
clay

 

Or, you could have tons of garbage in the fuel pump filters (remove the bottoms, and clean the sediment screens) and in the canister filter.
I have seen that before. Car would not run.
When you remove the f.filter, you'd better have empty gas tanks. It is a free fall.

Regards, Alberto

 

If the engine shuts down at once it is not the fuel supply. With a fuel issue the carbs would run dry and the engine then stumbles and dies within some seconds. The symptoms Ron posted indicate an electrical defect within the MSD box, as the coil was already exchanged against a new one, so a test of the MSD box makes good sense.

 

what sort of pump(s) do you have? Are going back to original? I know you got the glass bowl filter/reg.

Regards, Alberto

 

I chased a similar problem with a race car running an MSD a few years back. I suggest trying a new MSD box as they are notorious for failing. Most race teams run 2 of them with a switch to change boxes on the fly.

 

If you are in the US, a Crane XR-3000 (#3000-0231) ignition with a Crane PS50 coil is a very good ignition setup and well suited for the Dino engine from my experience. It includes a conversion kit to exchange the points setup against an optical switch. Cost of the unit and coil is below a MSD 6A. Combine with NGK BPR7EIX or BPR7EVX spark plugs for best results.

 

The Blaster II is compatible, but the PS50 will give a bit more output at higher RPMs. You don't need to add an resistor to the Blaster II coil, the Crane XR-3000 will handle the current output.

regards,
Adrian

 

Ron,

If towing is an issue you may want to consider getting a AAA membership with towing benefits. The moment I bought a classic car, that was one of the first things I got. Over the years it has paid for itself many times over.

Returning to your ignition issue, a new MSD box is not terribly expensive so you may want to consider ordering one from Jegs or Summit.

 

I installed a Crane (called Allison) optical trigger system in about 1990 and do not recall having to remove the distributor to do so-- you just remove the points and fit the new parts in.

I also switched to a Holley pump and pressure regulator at that time because on the chassis dyno the stock fuel pump (mine only had one) was not keeping up and causing a dangerous lean mixture condition at high revs and load on the chassis dyno

My understanding is that the fuel starvation on left turns is a function of the DCNF carbs and it would not be cured by a different fuel pump. Presumably one of the reasons why the PO of my car switched to IDF's.

If you are still running points and condenser, get rid of them. Many of the parts being made today are junk, especially condensers.