WE ALL KNOW THAT THESE OLD JEEPS COULD USE SOME 'MODERN' IGNITION SYSTEMS, UPGRADES...
The Purpose of this thread is to give you the information YOU NEED to do an upgrade on YOUR vehicle without spending a ton of money on 'Internet' ignitions.
I'm here to EDUCATE you on what things do, how they work, and what is an actual 'UPGRADE', and what's just a move sideways to another ignition with it's own set of problems.
'77 Older Engines, Click On This Line Of Text
POST 1, I-6 Engines, 232 & 258 from '78 to '90, 'TeamRush' Ignition Upgrade.
POST 2, V-8 Engines, AMC 304, 360, 401 From '78 to '90, 'TeamRush' Upgrade.
POST 3, 'Import' Replacement Module Failure & How You Can Fix It.
POST 4, The MOST POWERFUL Ignition You Can Easily Afford & Install.
POST 5, MAKING YOUR IGNITION MORE OFF ROAD READY AND EFFICIENT.
POST 6, IGNITION 'SECRETS', THINGS YOU WON'T FIND EASILY ANYWHERE ELSE, PART 1.
POST 10, IGNITION 'SECRETS', THINGS YOU WON'T FIND EASILY ANYWHERE ELSE, PART 2.
------------------------------------------------
POST 1. I-6 Engines, 232 & 258 from '78 to '90, 'TeamRush' Ignition Upgrade
Jeep Used AMC I-6 engines, The 232 Cubic Inch, and the 258 Cubic Inch,
From '71 to '76 In CJ vehicles.
But here, we are dealing with the '78 to '86 FACTORY Ignition Systems.
The Factory System Used was the Jeep Version of the (Ford) 'Motorcraft Distributor' and 'DuraSpark' ignition module.
The distributor it's self looks like these pictures...
SHORT, SMALL DIAMETER CAP & ROTOR that lets your not so powerful SINGLE SPARK jump to electrical 'GROUND' inside the distributor cap, called 'Ground Fire' when it 'Grounds' out to the distributor shaft, distributor housing, ect...
Or lets that spark energy jump to the WRONG spark plug terminal causing 'Cross Fire' inside the distributor cap...
The ONLY way to stop a bunch of the spark jumping around where it should NOT be is to get a 'Taller' Rotor to get the spark energy up and away from the Electrical 'Ground' the shaft/housing represent,
And to get a WIDER CAP that has terminals spaced farther apart so the spark energy can't jump to the wrong terminal...
The third part of this,
Getting GOOD BRASS TERMINALS in the distributor cap!
When high voltage electricity discharges hit aluminum,
The discharge BURNS A 'TUNNEL' into the aluminum, turning that aluminum into aluminum OXIDE (Corrosion),
And we all know how well corrosion conducts electricity! (IT DOESN'T!!!)
So, what we are aiming to do is,
Use the 'Ford' version of the Distributor Cap, Rotor, Plug Wires, ect. for this (Ford) 'Motorcraft' distributor...
Now, AMC/Jeep *SHOULD* have used the 'Ford' design with this ignition in the first place...
I don't know the reason WHY they didn't (I suspect cost or patent design issues),
But YOU Can upgrade your ignition to work MUCH better for the cost of 'Tune Up' parts, the stuff you have to change about once a year anyway,
So there is ZERO cost increase and ZERO maintenance costs above what you *Should* normally be spending on your Jeep with this UPGRADE,
And trust me, it's an 'UPGRADE' in every way!
------------------------------
CAP ADAPTER, CAP, ROTOR are all from an '82 Ford F-150 Pickup With 300 CID I-6 Engine...
CAP ADAPTER, SCREWS TO DISTRIBUTOR.
CAP ADAPTER, ROTOR IN PLACE ON THE FACTORY DISTRIBUTOR,
This is a TWO SCREW operation! (rotor is pointing at #1 Plug Terminal Location)
Upgraded Distributor Cap & Rotor,
PLUG WIRES.
YOU NEED A GOOD SET OF PLUG WIRES!
You can spend around $45 for a set of 'Off The Shelf' wires for a Ford F-150 Pickup Truck with 300 CID I-6 Engine that will 'Work', but not be the best you can use...
And expect to replace them again in about 5 years,
Or you can spend around $90 ON A TOP QUALITY SET OF WIRES FOR YOUR JEEP...
MSD makes a 'Cut To Fit' set that will allow you to have wires that ACTUALLY FIT YOUR JEEP,
Will live for more than 10 years, will 'Snap Lock' onto your plugs and cap, and will have boots that with a little dielectric grease around the wires/terminal sockets, will be WATER PROOF...
GENERIC, '82 Ford F-150 Pickup with 300 CID I-6 Engine.
MSD 'Blue Color, Cut To Fit' wires, MSD p/n
MSD 'Black Color, Cut To Fit' wires, MSD p/n
MSD 'Red Color, Cut To Fit' wires, MSD p/n
THIS IS A 'GENERIC SET' of 'Off The Shelf' wires and they are WAY too long, have wrong boot angles, ect., but it's what the 'Customer' wanted to use...
About two months after this install, the Jeep started popping through the exhaust and misfiring,
Those wires wound up in my trash barrel, and we installed a set of MSD Cut To Fit wires and no problems since...
----------------------------------------------
DON'T FORGET THE DETAILS!
Shoot some dielectric grease into the groove under the distributor cap!
This will help seal up your distributor from moisture!
OPEN UP THE PLUG GAP!
The better current path will support larger plug gaps which produce higher discharge Voltages.
You should open the plug gap up to about 0.045".
Don't forget the 'Never-Seize' on the spark plugs!
This REALLY helps the plug maintain an electrical 'ground' to the engine block and prevents rust in your spark plug hole threads!
The Purpose of this thread is to give you the information YOU NEED to do an upgrade on YOUR vehicle without spending a ton of money on 'Internet' ignitions.
I'm here to EDUCATE you on what things do, how they work, and what is an actual 'UPGRADE', and what's just a move sideways to another ignition with it's own set of problems.
'77 Older Engines, Click On This Line Of Text
POST 1, I-6 Engines, 232 & 258 from '78 to '90, 'TeamRush' Ignition Upgrade.
POST 2, V-8 Engines, AMC 304, 360, 401 From '78 to '90, 'TeamRush' Upgrade.
POST 3, 'Import' Replacement Module Failure & How You Can Fix It.
POST 4, The MOST POWERFUL Ignition You Can Easily Afford & Install.
POST 5, MAKING YOUR IGNITION MORE OFF ROAD READY AND EFFICIENT.
POST 6, IGNITION 'SECRETS', THINGS YOU WON'T FIND EASILY ANYWHERE ELSE, PART 1.
POST 10, IGNITION 'SECRETS', THINGS YOU WON'T FIND EASILY ANYWHERE ELSE, PART 2.
------------------------------------------------
POST 1. I-6 Engines, 232 & 258 from '78 to '90, 'TeamRush' Ignition Upgrade
Jeep Used AMC I-6 engines, The 232 Cubic Inch, and the 258 Cubic Inch,
From '71 to '76 In CJ vehicles.
But here, we are dealing with the '78 to '86 FACTORY Ignition Systems.
The Factory System Used was the Jeep Version of the (Ford) 'Motorcraft Distributor' and 'DuraSpark' ignition module.
The distributor it's self looks like these pictures...
SHORT, SMALL DIAMETER CAP & ROTOR that lets your not so powerful SINGLE SPARK jump to electrical 'GROUND' inside the distributor cap, called 'Ground Fire' when it 'Grounds' out to the distributor shaft, distributor housing, ect...
Or lets that spark energy jump to the WRONG spark plug terminal causing 'Cross Fire' inside the distributor cap...
The ONLY way to stop a bunch of the spark jumping around where it should NOT be is to get a 'Taller' Rotor to get the spark energy up and away from the Electrical 'Ground' the shaft/housing represent,
And to get a WIDER CAP that has terminals spaced farther apart so the spark energy can't jump to the wrong terminal...
The third part of this,
Getting GOOD BRASS TERMINALS in the distributor cap!
When high voltage electricity discharges hit aluminum,
The discharge BURNS A 'TUNNEL' into the aluminum, turning that aluminum into aluminum OXIDE (Corrosion),
And we all know how well corrosion conducts electricity! (IT DOESN'T!!!)
So, what we are aiming to do is,
Use the 'Ford' version of the Distributor Cap, Rotor, Plug Wires, ect. for this (Ford) 'Motorcraft' distributor...
Now, AMC/Jeep *SHOULD* have used the 'Ford' design with this ignition in the first place...
I don't know the reason WHY they didn't (I suspect cost or patent design issues),
But YOU Can upgrade your ignition to work MUCH better for the cost of 'Tune Up' parts, the stuff you have to change about once a year anyway,
So there is ZERO cost increase and ZERO maintenance costs above what you *Should* normally be spending on your Jeep with this UPGRADE,
And trust me, it's an 'UPGRADE' in every way!
------------------------------
CAP ADAPTER, CAP, ROTOR are all from an '82 Ford F-150 Pickup With 300 CID I-6 Engine...
CAP ADAPTER, SCREWS TO DISTRIBUTOR.
CAP ADAPTER, ROTOR IN PLACE ON THE FACTORY DISTRIBUTOR,
This is a TWO SCREW operation! (rotor is pointing at #1 Plug Terminal Location)
Upgraded Distributor Cap & Rotor,
PLUG WIRES.
YOU NEED A GOOD SET OF PLUG WIRES!
You can spend around $45 for a set of 'Off The Shelf' wires for a Ford F-150 Pickup Truck with 300 CID I-6 Engine that will 'Work', but not be the best you can use...
And expect to replace them again in about 5 years,
Or you can spend around $90 ON A TOP QUALITY SET OF WIRES FOR YOUR JEEP...
MSD makes a 'Cut To Fit' set that will allow you to have wires that ACTUALLY FIT YOUR JEEP,
Will live for more than 10 years, will 'Snap Lock' onto your plugs and cap, and will have boots that with a little dielectric grease around the wires/terminal sockets, will be WATER PROOF...
GENERIC, '82 Ford F-150 Pickup with 300 CID I-6 Engine.
MSD 'Blue Color, Cut To Fit' wires, MSD p/n
MSD 'Black Color, Cut To Fit' wires, MSD p/n
MSD 'Red Color, Cut To Fit' wires, MSD p/n
THIS IS A 'GENERIC SET' of 'Off The Shelf' wires and they are WAY too long, have wrong boot angles, ect., but it's what the 'Customer' wanted to use...
About two months after this install, the Jeep started popping through the exhaust and misfiring,
Those wires wound up in my trash barrel, and we installed a set of MSD Cut To Fit wires and no problems since...
----------------------------------------------
DON'T FORGET THE DETAILS!
Shoot some dielectric grease into the groove under the distributor cap!
This will help seal up your distributor from moisture!
OPEN UP THE PLUG GAP!
The better current path will support larger plug gaps which produce higher discharge Voltages.
You should open the plug gap up to about 0.045".
Don't forget the 'Never-Seize' on the spark plugs!
This REALLY helps the plug maintain an electrical 'ground' to the engine block and prevents rust in your spark plug hole threads!