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I tested my coil and now I can't find what the specs should be.

What should the Ohms read?

ALSO!!! Can someone take a picture of their wires connected to the coil? I want to make sure everything is correct...

Readings on my 77:

HT to ground, 10K

Primary, 1.5 ohm

No picture

Plus black from start

Ballast resistor, black/yellow from run

Minus, black/red to distributor.

I got:

Primary 2.1
Secondary 9500
+ has a wire coming off the resistor and black/yello
- has blac/red going to the distributor

I am getting NO SPARK at all

Coil readings sound fine. Time to get out the voltmeter, key on motor stopped should be 7-12 Volts on the coil + terminal (depending on if the points are closed or open at the time).

Check your resistor for continuity. In the start position, power should go directly from the ignition to the + through the solid black wire. If you have the black and black/yellow reversed and an open resistor, no spark in start.

Ok, black wire with ignition on while connected to coil 5.48
black and yellow wire connected to resistor 11-ish

also, the 4 fuses nearest the cab in the fuse box have no power.

I should add, I used a jumper from the battery to the + post on the coil and nothing changed

Time to check the coil wire and distributor.

Sounds like the fuse box may have problems too. Check my post in viewtopic.php?f=7&t=20704

I tested the coil wire to distributor by unhooking it from the distributor and trying to see if there is a spark when I jump it. Is there a better way?

ALSO! How do you test the distributor?

I'm getting frustrated and I am thinking I might just shell out the cash for a shop to do it, but I'd rather do it myself

Check the distributor like this: Connect the voltmeter to the coil - terminal and have someone crank over the engine, the needle should pulse if the points are opening and closing like they are supposed to.

To check coil: Remove the - terminal wire, with the key on and with a jumper wire grounded to the engine, touch and release it from the coil - terminal. Every time you release it a spark should jump to ground from the coil center wire.
Carefull, don't get zapped.

Just want to make sure I have it clear for the coil. Will the spark jump on my jumper to the negative terminal, or the center terminal that connects to the distributor? Sorry to be a total noob on this.

Everybody has to learn sometime. You may get a spark at the terminal too, but you must get one from the end of the center wire to a ground. Even though it is heavily insulated, you can still get shocked if you are touching it whne it sparks.

IMHO...there are 3 main things that cause most electrical/ignition problems on any Luv - and they are:

1. the fusebox, 2. the fusebox, and also 3. the fusebox....lol

But seriously...before you get too worked up over your electrical/ignition system - you might want to take a few minutes to clean your fusebox connections thoroughly, make sure all of your grounds have a good clean connection, and check all of your wiring from bumper to bumper to make sure it's still intact and everything is hooked up like it's supposed to be. You certainly wouldn't be the first Luv owner to find some real wild and creative engineering while taking a cloose look at your electrical/ignition wiring and connections.

Also...most Luvs had a couple of fuseable links at the battery. If they are fried - you're basically gonna be up a well known creek without a paddle. It sounds to me like it's time to do some continuity tests and get up close and personal with your manual's wiring diagrams.

Agree with both tumwatertaz and labman. What you are actually doing with the coil/distributor test is duplicating what the points do when the engine runs.
Fuse box is a very good place to start.

Wish somebody would have told me to check the fuse box 25 years ago.

I found it out on my truck 25 years ago (1985 to be exact), you should have emailed me!

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RIP R.J.B.

Ok, I have taken off the fusebox, but it's late sinci I just got off work. I am going to clean it really well in the motning and see if it needs any soldering on it.

Let my head smashing begin.

Followed the wiring diagram while getting everything hooked back up and the only change is that I now have NO power going to coil or resistor on the coil.

I have this random brown wire that wasn't hooked up to anything and I can't find it on the diagram.

If I can't figure it out this weekend I am going to take it to a shop next week...

I looked, I don't seem to have a brown wire. I have removed some wires that weren't used.

Still sounds like fuse box trouble to me. The pieces that hold the fuse are riveted to the pieces the wires plug onto. You would have to clean between the pieces. I just bridged the joints with solder. In the regulator thread, several people seem to have had trouble with the fuse box.

I am gonna do that right now, then!