LUVTruck.com

Ok, so yesterday I did the Pertronix swap. Ignitor, Flamethrower coil, new plugs and wires. Swap was easy, but needed to advance the timing to get it to run. (had trouble just starting it after the swap.) Got it timed, and it ran excellent. Shut off and re-fired perfecly. Drove 20 miles home without incident. Ran smooth and strong.

Went to take it out today, and it cranks and cranks but won't fire. Doesn't even try.
What the *%$# happened? Nothing changed from when I parked it, and it was running beautifully then. I am stumped.
Any thoughts are appreciated. (I don't think the dizzy moved, that would have been noticable last night, right?)

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1980 4x4, 3" body lift, G180/G180 head, Pacesetter header, Offenhauser Dual Port Intake, Weber 32/36, Electronic Ignition, Glasspack & a Smokestack.

This happened to me when I did the pertronix swap in my old aircooled VW. What it was with mine was I left the ignition switch on a little while after I shut it off (messing with the lights) and it burned out the Pertronix unit (it was lined up perfectly to fire in the distributer I guess). I put the points in and it fired right up. Got a new Pertronix, fired right up and has been working ever since

That is my guess, I have no experience with them in a Luv though.
Hope that helps in any way.

Thanks. I hope it's not a bad unit. I did not leave the ignition on for any leingth of time, but did eliminate the ballast on the stock coil (installed a Flamethrower 3.0 ohm one) Could this have had any effect? I thought from reading on here that it was no longer necessary with an elec. ignition. (?) I never had any issues with the points, just wanted to improve performance a bit.
I am starting to regret doing this. Getting the first pertronix took long enough, if I have to return it for an exchange.... Ugh!

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1980 4x4, 3" body lift, G180/G180 head, Pacesetter header, Offenhauser Dual Port Intake, Weber 32/36, Electronic Ignition, Glasspack & a Smokestack.

Well.... after some extensive tinkering, it appears the vacuume advance on my dizzy is shot. I am able to physically pull the advance out of the dizzy with my hand. It is just sitting in there. I was able to manually adjust the advance enough to get her started, but it is obviously not ideal.
Not super familiar with these nippondenso units. Can the advance be repaired (like did an internal linkage break or come unattached) or replaced, or do I need a whole new distributor now? At least I know what's wrong now....

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1980 4x4, 3" body lift, G180/G180 head, Pacesetter header, Offenhauser Dual Port Intake, Weber 32/36, Electronic Ignition, Glasspack & a Smokestack.

I thought there was a screw that held the advance into the dizzy, screws in from the outside. There is also the linkage that slips over a shaft that I think should have some type of snap ring.

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95 Isuzu Trooper Daily Driver
86 Isuzu Trooper reliable backup
77 LUV 2wd stock beltway blaster (resting)
79 4x4 LUV project: 2.6L, 5spd, 31s (eventually)

MEPR: Man, my 4x4 makes all other LUVs look good

Ah yes, I see where the bolt once lived. She runs fine as long as the advance stays seated, so I think everything is ok internally. Now I just need to find a bolt that will fit. Thanks for the tip 800.

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1980 4x4, 3" body lift, G180/G180 head, Pacesetter header, Offenhauser Dual Port Intake, Weber 32/36, Electronic Ignition, Glasspack & a Smokestack.

Duct tape and baling wire should hold that in there for another 100k miles.

The picture of it in my head is a screw, fine threaded, 4 or 5mm diameter maybe? If you can find a hardware store that stocks enough metric screws/nuts/bolts you might be able to get a replacement. I can't remember if the threads are in the body of the dizzy or the vac advance. If in the advance and you can get it out I'd just take it in the hardware store and experiment with metric screws until you find the right one. Heck, you could pull the dizzy in a hardware store parking lot and take it in for that matter. Not hard to align it back in if you scribe a line on the dizzy and motor.

Knowing Isuzu and how they tend to make things, you might find a suitable donor for the screw elsewhere on the truck until you can get it replaced.

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95 Isuzu Trooper Daily Driver
86 Isuzu Trooper reliable backup
77 LUV 2wd stock beltway blaster (resting)
79 4x4 LUV project: 2.6L, 5spd, 31s (eventually)

MEPR: Man, my 4x4 makes all other LUVs look good

That's a good idea. at the very least I may be able to determine the correct thread/pitch that way.
Glad it is something as simple as this. I was rather upset it wouldn't run right after spending a bunch of $$ on it.
Thanks again.

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1980 4x4, 3" body lift, G180/G180 head, Pacesetter header, Offenhauser Dual Port Intake, Weber 32/36, Electronic Ignition, Glasspack & a Smokestack.

Off the top of my head, try one of the screws that holds the ashtray rail in. You have to pull the ashtray and look up to see them. There are 4 screws, probably wont miss just one.

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95 Isuzu Trooper Daily Driver
86 Isuzu Trooper reliable backup
77 LUV 2wd stock beltway blaster (resting)
79 4x4 LUV project: 2.6L, 5spd, 31s (eventually)

MEPR: Man, my 4x4 makes all other LUVs look good

Good idea. Unfortunately, I have gauges mounted where the ashtray used to live, so no access to those screws. But I will look around the interior. There is also an Ace hardware just down the street, they are usually very accomidating when looking for a random bolt. Worst case scenario, I will just search the boneyards. Need to go for a washer bottle anyway.

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1980 4x4, 3" body lift, G180/G180 head, Pacesetter header, Offenhauser Dual Port Intake, Weber 32/36, Electronic Ignition, Glasspack & a Smokestack.

All Fixed!!! Thanks for the input. Ace let me take a handful of bolts out and it took all of 30 seconds to find the right one.
Easy-peasy. Engine is coming together nicely...

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1980 4x4, 3" body lift, G180/G180 head, Pacesetter header, Offenhauser Dual Port Intake, Weber 32/36, Electronic Ignition, Glasspack & a Smokestack.

What size did it turn out to be? I'm mostly wondering how close my guess was, but it could help the next guy too.

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95 Isuzu Trooper Daily Driver
86 Isuzu Trooper reliable backup
77 LUV 2wd stock beltway blaster (resting)
79 4x4 LUV project: 2.6L, 5spd, 31s (eventually)

MEPR: Man, my 4x4 makes all other LUVs look good

It was a 6mm, fine thread. The bolt I got is just a touch too long at around 1/2", but it works fine.
Also BTW, there are no threads in the dizzy housing, just the advance's shaft.
Total cost: $0.27. (just realized there is no "cents" symbol on the keyboard. Interesting.)

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1980 4x4, 3" body lift, G180/G180 head, Pacesetter header, Offenhauser Dual Port Intake, Weber 32/36, Electronic Ignition, Glasspack & a Smokestack.