Welcome back Carter

[SixGun]

Thanks for the heads up. 

I'll check that out in the daylight.

[crazzywolfie]

i thought you had spark and the engine cranking anyways? it is just not firing up. why mess with the ignition switch if it is not your problem?

[ProjectPW]

i thought you had spark and the engine cranking anyways? it is just not firing up. why mess with the ignition switch if it is not your problem?

he said that sometimes it would not crank  .....

[SixGun]

My ignition switch has been hit and miss from the get go.  Sometimes I'd turn the key and nothing and then sometimes it would crank. Had it on the back burner till I read this thread while researching ballast resistor issues. Several people suggested the ignition switch from their experience. Just running down the leads.
http://www.moparchat.com/forums/archive/index.php?t-800.html

First order business today is 

[rjtx667]

just bypass it with a remote start switch until you get it running 

good luck on getting it fixed today.

[ProjectPW]

just bypass it with a remote start switch until you get it running 

good luck on getting it fixed today.

Agreed... then you can crank the motor without a helper.... install button under the hood and forget about it... one day it might be helpful again 

Worst case scenario is that you find out the starter is your problem 

[SixGun]

Worst case scenario is that you find out the starter is your problem 

The person or the part? 

[crazzywolfie]

just bypass it with a remote start switch until you get it running 

good luck on getting it fixed today.

x3. brown wire at starter relay. i use to use mine all the time to remote start my truck when working under the hood. if you want to shut the truck off you unplug the ballast resister. using the brown wire also bypasses your neutral safety switch.

[SixGun]

I actually have a tool with two alligator type clips with a thumb activated switch to use as an engine bay ignition.   

Well, I pulled the new ignition switch and compared the two. The new one had a little plug in a hole. Looked kinda like a shipping plug. When I pulled it out the switch would activate.  Placed a call to Noah to be sure and gave me a few pointers. In it went with a zip tie and one adjustment and no more hit and miss. Unfortunately, no fire still. So i swapped coils, ballast resistor and coil wire after discovering a broken tab in distributor cap. Rechecked fuel, spark and fuses. When I first took engine out, i checked both the voltage regulator and ECU since there was gunk running under both. Apparently they've been changed before since they both have new looking epoxy underneath. Is there a test for them? Gonna research that next.

[crazzywolfie]

i would personally not worry about the voltage regulator until the truck is running. i don't think there is a way to really test it without the truck running. i also don't think there is really any way to test the ecu. you can test the ground and power to it but i don't think you can test the ecu. as long as you got spark it should be working. also they may have not been replace. it don't get super hot up here but i sometimes find the old epoxy or whatever they used to seal up the backs will run.

[SixGun]

Replacement ECU's are only 20 bucks but is there a better box? The Mopar orange box is supposed to be the HP model but lots of guys dog them. Supposedly lots of quality issues.  There's a new Revonater that is supposed to be badass but I can't find a price anywhere. Not even on their site. 

Any suggestions?

[rjtx667]

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-850003/overview/year/1976/make/dodge/model/ramcharger

but I don't think I would drop money on that if you have verified spark.

have you pulled the spark plug and verified TDC for cylinder #1 and re-verfied the distributor is stabbed correctly?

[crazzywolfie]

Replacement ECU's are only 20 bucks but is there a better box? The Mopar orange box is supposed to be the HP model but lots of guys dog them. Supposedly lots of quality issues.  There's a new Revonater that is supposed to be badass but I can't find a price anywhere. Not even on their site. 

Any suggestions?

ya i am pretty sure they are called msd ignition module .
http://www.jegs.com/i/MSD-Ignition/121/6425/10002/-1?parentProductId=#moreDetails

[SixGun]

I was thinking of picking up another stock ecu just to be sure. I took mine off and added a ground wire to it. Did notice that the black wire on the harness plug is stretched tight and may be an issue.

I've got a piston stop I can use for finding tdc. Hopefully soon if the weather will hold out.

[ProjectPW]

have you pulled the spark plug and verified TDC for cylinder #1 and re-verfied the distributor is stabbed correctly?

x2