Need help hooking up my distrubutor

[73-charger-383]

I've got a two part question. 

I've got a old style distributor with the seperate coil, and my engine harness is completly off of the car (i didn't do it).  The new wires coming out of the base of the distributor..........are they for tach hookup? or do i have to run power and ground to them? --i thought that the coil supplied the distributor with all the power it needs, or am i wrong?
-also, i need to put all of the plug wires on.  I've got the firing order and everything, but does anyone have the sequence on the cap?  I figured i could just bump the engine to tdc on the balancer and just follow the rotation to hook up the wires........would this work fine?  --i just keep wondering  if i could hook it up 180 degrees off.......and what would happen if i did, ---just backfiring? or would the damage be worse.........any ideas on the best way to approach this would be greatly appreciated.

[Nacho-RT74]

I didn't get what kind of dist you got... is one wire with eyelet terminal or two wires with bullet terminals ( male and female L shaped rubber plug )

about how to wire the dist... you are on the right way. If you hook it up 180 degrees of won't damage anything since car simply won't start... maybe just some backfiring trying.

Normally, number one wire is toward to alt ( more less ) on BB if dist/oilpum shaft was good installed. On my dist cap number one is labeled and is there.

weird part is when I lined up timing marks on both sprockets ( front to front ) with also dist cap and rotor, cam timing ( both valves closed ) was ready to spark on number six ( 180º off ) so cam sprocket timing mark is toward up when really cilinder one is ready to spark. After I lined up everything as it should be, I had to turns off the dist shaft 180º anyway to match rotor with cap number 1 label.

Dist rotation is CCW on BB and CW on SB

[Nacho-RT74]

old top pic view of my dist ( BB )

[73-charger-383]

it must be the two wire bullet terminal one then.........

thanks for the picture and advice.........i might get this beast up and running today yet........

[Nacho-RT74]

Two wires bullet kind plug is to electronic ignition. It hooks on to engine harness where already is the opposite plug, and both wires runs up to ignition module along the harness.

Those wires doesn't have anything to do directly with engine coil. Just get magnetic field variations between dist pic up coil and reluctor.

Ignition module gets that magnetic variation signal and sends another signal up to negative terminal of engine to close circuit and make the spark

[73-charger-383]

k....another dumb question then, what's the ignition module look like??  This car had EVERY wire stripped from the engine compartment.  Can i get the engine running by bypassing the ignition module??  Like if i just hook up the coil??  -----damnit i hate wiring...............

[Nacho-RT74]

Imposible to get engine running without ignition module if you have an electronic kind dist.

You can get an engine running with a points dist that hooks directly on to negative terminal of engine coil... doesn't use electronic ignition module.

Electronic system gets you a better performance on any engine conditions, beside don't get any kind of worn parts on dist shaf reluctor since there is not friction on spark system.


here is a close up of my ignition module... is a 4 pins aftermarket one ( not Mopar, is Cobra ). Attachs on to firewall at a side of passenger hood hinge, above the hetaer/AC blower.

stock from those years are 5 pins modules ( same that showed but just one extra pin on the blank space ). New replacements including Mopars ones are all 4 pins.

5 pins use double ballast resistors. 4 pins uses single ballast resistors, but you can hook a 4 pins module on a 5 pins system ( double ballast and 5 wires up to Module ) but not backwards.

[Nacho-RT74]

This is the actual and more common Mopar Ignition Module you can find actually, the orange box, what is for low performance ans street purpouse. Originals stock street purpouse ones with 5 pins are Black. Medium performance are silver and HIGH performance are gold...

well, really orange box are also high performance and next ones are up steps performane boxes, but orange is also used for street.



One question... if you have a 383 engine on your car are you sure your dist is two wires ? no one 383 with stock parts from factory are electronic unless were upgraded or replaced with 400 engine dist. Electronic was standart equipment since 73 and optional since 72. Last year to 383 production was 71 and was replaced for a detuned engine 400 because emission controls and gas crissis.

This is the electronic ignition dist with two wires and bullet kind male/female terminals L shaped rubber plug:

[Nacho-RT74]

here is how is wired the electronic ignition system... only shows main engine wires from harness. Wires colros are the closer to originals that paint offers.

Olive wire on diagram between module and ballast resistor is the one was eliminated, using 4 pins and single ballast resistor.

[73-charger-383]

Allright, i started digging in the trunk and found a module and another little silver box.   I had/have four or five wire that were cut at the firewall that hook to the plug that fits the module.  There is a thick black wire that has constant power (for the alt?)  and a blue/white one that has power with the key.  

--i'm not sure where i'm going with that........lol

-i guess the easiest way to put it now is, where do the wires from the module go to, and where do they wires from that other little silver box go..

thanks ALOT for all the help man, i really appreciate it.

[73-charger-383]

i see................wow.....that's exactly what i need......you rock dude


the high res and low res...........is that that other silver box?

[Nacho-RT74]

high res and low resist is the double ballast resistor. Is a white ceramic stuff located between the two tensor body arms bolted in the middle top of firewall

the other silver box you talk it could be the electronic regulator where arrives a green and blue wires with a triangular plug. ( is on the diagram even not labeled... sorry, forgot to label everything ). Electronic regulator is attached on to firewall at a side of ballast resistor.

Thick black wire is from alt stud up to ammeter throught firewall. allways have power

Blue is power from ignition switch that feeds EVERYTHING on engine harness on Run position... I'll post some links about thsi harness that I have touched on another topics

PS... I edited last post about the green olive wire on diagram

[Nacho-RT74]

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,12403.0.html

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,10894.0.html

                                     ^
                                      !
                                      !
                                      !
I forgott that I already had uploaded that diagram... but didn't remember where

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,12308.0.html

[73-charger-383]

My next kid is gonna be named nacho.............i got it all hooked up, and the enginge is firing........not running quite yet, but i'm positve once the battery gets a little more charged, she'll fire up...........

thank you so much

[73-charger-383]

SHE LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!  I got her running good.   now all i need is some exhaust.......lol

thanks