Installing Classic Auto Air in a '70 Charger

[CoronetDarter]

Twists and turns.
Please read the following and see how you interpret it.

View attachment 1633148

To me, FULL FORWARD would mean toward the front.
Not to these guys. Apparently it is the opposite.
The man was helpful but admitted that the text of the instructions and the graphic on the panel are not ideal.
He said they tried to somewhat replicate some of the factory slide lever design but this is the best that they could come up with.

I have the CA in the Coronet, although I haven't hooked up the a/c yet. Maybe after I retire... The instructions are vague and I interpreted 'full forward' as sliding the lever towards me. When you said 'toward the front', do you mean towards the windshield?

 

[Kern Dog]

I guess it is subject to interpretation. When I move forward, it is straight ahead.

 

[CoronetDarter]

It is a bit off topic but it does pertain...

I was frustrated. I ran a test light around the ignition parts, tested a couple different ECMs, tried another ignition switch with no change, still NO spark.
I walked away....
About 45 minutes to an hour later, I went back and sprayed ether down the carburetor and it started right up.
The A/C blew cold but this random "no spark" condition has creeped in numerous times since I converted to electronic ignition in 2001.

No spark meaning you ground the coil wire while cranking?

 

[Kern Dog]

No.
I pulled a plug wire from #5 and put a loose plug in and cranked it. No spark.

 

[CoronetDarter]

I guess it is subject to interpretation. When I move forward, it is straight ahead.

I agree. I don't use the CA panel much and have to recalibrate myself when I do use it. I have use the fan slider to calibrate the temp slider. The silkscreened white blocks on the fan slider get bigger and fatter on top, and when the slider is pushed towards the windshield the fan speed increases. On the temp side, red is on top, so I push for heat. Takes me a second.

I pulled a plug wire from #5 and put a loose plug in and cranked it. No spark.

Just wondering, are you jumping the spark from the plug strap to a solid ground, like the engine? Or looking for spark between the strap and the electrode? Because if the spark plug is connected to the boot but it's just hanging out in mid-air, I don't think it'll spark.

 

[Kern Dog]

The times I’ve checked, the plug sparks even without touching metal.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

The times I’ve checked, the plug sparks even without touching metal.

It shouldn't... You should be grounding the plug shell.... When checking spark I prefer to use the coil wire, it sparks eight times as often...

 

[68 Sport Satellite]

It shouldn't... You should be grounding the plug shell.... When checking spark I prefer to use the coil wire, it sparks eight times as often...

just be careful not to shock yourself. I unplugged the coil wire once from the top of the distributor and it grabbed me. Wear special gloves? Some of us like me are rookies around here...

and for goodness sake, if you're doing anything around your battery, remove all metal rings, watches, etc. A close friend and mopar expert self-admittedly got careless a few years back moving around his trunk battery terminals and accidentally touched his metal watch to a battery terminal, instantly welding the watch together and melting the flesh on his wrist as it went red hot instantly. He ran over to the garage vise, clamped his watch and broke it off with a 5-lb mini-sledge, avoiding worse injury. That'll wake ya up in a hurry and teach you a life lesson. He's one of the smartest know-how conscious mechanic people I know, but once in awhile even the best of us...

 

[CoronetDarter]

It shouldn't... You should be grounding the plug shell.... When checking spark I prefer to use the coil wire, it sparks eight times as often...

And the coil wire is further upstream. If the coil wire sparks, then its reasonable to assume that the coil and the cap & rotor are good.

 

[CoronetDarter]

just be careful not to shock yourself. I unplugged the coil wire once from the top of the distributor and it grabbed me. Wear special gloves? Some of us like me are rookies around here...

Use insulated handle needle-nose pliers. And don't be standing in a puddle of water wearing steel-toed boots.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Use insulated handle needle-nose pliers. And don't be standing in a puddle of water wearing steel-toed boots.

Actually you can grab the wire with bare hands.. Just don't let any other part of your body come in contact with any part of the car... As long as you don't provide a path back to the car you aren't completing the circuit...

 

[Kern Dog]

It shouldn't... You should be grounding the plug shell.... When checking spark I prefer to use the coil wire, it sparks eight times as often...

I usually lay the spark plug and wire on the header or manifold. Maybe the hex of the shell makes contact without my help.
This all has me curious. Maybe I’ll do some tinkering to improve my skills.
In the meantime… I cleaned the bulkhead terminals and smeared dielectric grease on them. The car starts like it usually does. It was maybe 62 but the air coming through the vents did feel much cooler.

 

[68 Sport Satellite]

Actually you can grab the wire with bare hands.. Just don't let any other part of your body come in contact with any part of the car... As long as you don't provide a path back to the car you aren't completing the circuit...

as in leaning over the car or resting on the car body with your other hand? Now that's not easy to do...(the one that grabbed me had the distributor in the back near the firewall - tough to reach. With the mopar big blocks, not so much of an issue...)

 

[1 Wild R/T]

as in leaning over the car or resting on the car body with your other hand? Now that's not easy to do...(the one that grabbed me had the distributor in the back near the firewall - tough to reach. With the mopar big blocks, not so much of an issue...)

Yup, don't lean of the car... Years ago I was pretty good at it... These days I'm old and fat...

 

[Kern Dog]

If Dwayne weighs 160, I'd be shocked....

 

[Dennis H]

Paralyzed by fear after reading this, I checked to see if the Blaster was leaking. It had to be relocated for the EFI. Dry. Also the annual spray down of the Bulkhead Connector. Just half a can this time. Fingers crossed.

 

[Kern Dog]

After reading about how the MSD and other coils are supposed to be mounted vertically, I modified a stock coil bracket to do that.

 

[Dennis H]

If that fan makes noise, I can’t drive it to Los Angeles.

 

[Kern Dog]

You can't hear mine when I'm on the freeway but you can at fast idle here in my shop.
Dwayne's car though...Holeeeee CRAP it is loud! It sounds like a jet under full thrust!

 

[1 Wild R/T]

You can't hear mine when I'm on the freeway but you can at fast idle here in my shop.
Dwayne's car though...Holeeeee CRAP it is loud! It sounds like a jet under full thrust!

How many decibels? I don't see Holeeeee CRAP on the scale..