Thread: I took the electronic ign. plunge, advise is welcome....

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I bought a CRT Performance distributor with 8mm wires. It comes with the coil as well.

This is a 73 f250 with a 360 (FYI)

All I need to do is to hook up a 12v wire. The original coil wire is not 12v, as the truck is wired for points? Where is the best place to get a 12v switched wire from? I have considered just running a wire from the battery and putting a toggle switch on it, hoping to never forget to turn it off when done driving. The wire also needs to be "hot" in the "start" position as well, eh?

My knowledge on these old cars is not what it used to be, I do not remember needing this much help in the past.

Thank you, Randy

I'd go to your fuse block with either a voltmeter or a test light, looking for a fuse that is hot when your key is "on" and hook in there. The "cheap & dirty" method is to crimp on a male spade terminal and wedge that into the block at the end of the fuse, assuming they're the older glass tube units. If not then you'll need to trace a wire from your switched circuit and splice into it. I would not go the toggle switch route - too easy to forget to toggle off when you turn the key.

Ok, thanks, should I attach my wire to the side of the fuse that is hot, even thought the fuse blows? or to the other side, when the fuse blows the truck won't run? Do I need to make sure the "wire" is hot when the ign switch is in the "start" position? It seems that some systems go down when the starter is engaged on some cars, is that the case on these old fords? Thank you, Randy

You could find the resistor and take it out.

I'll look, next hurdle, the new dist has two wires, not one. a yellow and a red, I am calling the supplier now.

after a phone call to a friend, the extra wire may be for a tach, I am gonna get through this hopefully

That would be my guess - yellow is for a tach..

If you ran the ignition from the battery / through a toggle switch, it would never be hard to forget as the engine wouldn't shut off with out breaking the circuit open! Plus you could "hide" the switch for a little added security..

Oh man, starting to come together now, thanks for all of the help. This site has been a blessing to me.

I'm going to run a toggle switch for now.

There you go - hang around a bit, us old guys really are a pretty wise bunch, eh? (That last bit was for our friends down under!)

EURIKA!! IT LIVES!! After 2 defective cardone distributors. Now I need a smaller breather, as it interferes with the stock unit, and it also interferes

with the one I robbed from the LTD!! No problemo. It is definitely hard to forget to turn off the "light" switch! All I had laying around was a 110 light switch.

Going to town tomorrow.

Thanks again. "I'll be back"