Ignition Upgrade - Wiring Help Please!

[DoubleNickels]

Hey everyone, I need some wiring help.

Although this is a pig-specific issue, I figured I'd post here instead of the FJ55 section due to the increased site traffic as well as it being a similar issue with FJ40's. Here's the haps: as part of my engine swap on my 1974 FJ55 (1F to 2F) I'm also installing electronic ignition. The ignition details:

Igniter and Coil: Toyota 89620-60060. Off an 83 FJ60, I believe.
Distributor: Big Cap Toyota, off the same vehicle.

The connection between the Igniter Assembly and Distributor is obvious, since it's a female/male connector.

Now, my 1974 piggy has three wires coming out of the nearby wire loom:

Black w/ White Stripe
Black w/ Yellow Stripe
Pure Black

I'm feeling confident that I have these wires correctly installed:

Black w/ White Stripe: Goes into (+) Terminal of COIL
Black w/ Yellow Stripe: Goes into Igniter

The black one, however, has me stumped. I have a condenser (A.K.A. capacitor?) that has only one wire coming in to it. Right now I have this condenser secured to the igniter assembly bracket and have attached its single wire to the coil's (+) terminal. Regardless of whether this is right or wrong, I still have the Pure Black wire unattached to anything.

Help?

 

[1911]

The capacitor (condenser) is only there for RFI noise suppression for the original AM radio in the dash. It is connected correctly.

My 1980 factory service manual shows a black wire from the igniter connected to the negative terminal on the coil, but I don't know about your '74 harness. Coolerman would probably know.

 

[DoubleNickels]

Great to know about the purpose of the condenser, I had no idea.

I've heard mention of Coolerman. Calling @Coolerman !

 

[edwjmcgrath]

The generic diagram that shows the electronic ignition shows the following:

BY is switched ignition voltage. BY should go to the ignitor to power it, and to one end of the bypass resistor. The other end of the resistor is connected to the coil positive (where the condensor is also connected). BW is the bypass voltage that comes from the starter when it is cranking and that goes to the coil positive. B goes from the coil negative to the B terminal on the ignitor.

Are you missing the bypass resistor?

 

[DoubleNickels]

.... B goes from the coil negative to the B terminal on the ignitor.

Are you missing the bypass resistor?

Thanks for chiming in! I think that black wire is present. Unless I'm mistaken it comes as part of that igniter assembly. Here it is:

Which makes me assume the bypass resistor is also accounted for within the igniter assembly, but perhaps that's going too far. Either way, still not sure where that black wire (coming out of the wire loom) needs to connect.

 

[thebigredrocker]

Looks like you got it figured. My Haynes manual doesn't show an ignitor on the 74 FJ55 diagram. It does for a 1975 Piggy. I'll attach a photo of the 75 just in case.

 

[edwjmcgrath]

Does your ignitor have power, ground, a wire to the distributor and a wire to the coil negative?
Does your coil or coil/resistor combo have power, a wire from - to the ignitor, and a wire to the starter?

If so, you should have everything.

 

[DoubleNickels]

Does your ignitor have power, ground, a wire to the distributor and a wire to the coil negative?
Does your coil or coil/resistor combo have power, a wire from - to the ignitor, and a wire to the starter?

If so, you should have everything.

I think so, yeah. Seems to have all that. The idea of a loose wire just irks me, however. But I think I need to get over that for my build or I'll never make it through (I suspect I'll face that a lot).

 

[Coolerman]

Installing a FJ60 Dizzy Scroll down to the NEW Distributor section

The FJ60 igniter only needs two connections (well three... make sure the igniter assembly is grounded through the mounting brackets.)
Connect the BY from your harness +12V to the MALE single pin connector.
Connect the two terminal connector from the igniter to the dizzy.
If you have a tach then you will connect the tach lead from the harness to the FEMALE single pin connector.
The igniter does not require a ballast resistor so the BW wire will not be used.

 

[DoubleNickels]

Woot! Thanks @Coolerman . Shortly after I posted this I actually stumbled upon your link independently. I didn't know it was you who wrote that up. From your response:

make sure the igniter assembly is grounded through the mounting brackets...

Need to double check that, thank you.

Connect the BY from your harness +12V to the MALE single pin connector...

Affirmative. See my first pic, above. I crimped a quick-disconnect connector on to the BY harness for now, will replace with a real connector down the road.

... connect the tach lead from the harness to the FEMALE single pin connector...

Hmmm... I assumed my tach lead was the BW wire, so I connected it to the igniter's FEMALE port. Perhaps my tach lead is actually the B wire. I'll double check. If the tach lead is indeed Black (B) then that would leave a leftover BW wire which, to your point, goes unused.

You guys rock, thank you.

 

[DoubleNickels]

ALSO: Where to find the correct connectors? I would like to splice the appropriate connectors on to my harness wires. Any good source you all would recommend?

 

[77mustard40]

ALSO: Where to find the correct connectors? I would like to splice the appropriate connectors on to my harness wires. Any good source you all would recommend?

Check Coolerman's website IIRC he may have them

 

[thebigredrocker]

Here's Coolerman's wiring supplies home page. Cruiser Wiring

He's sure helped me out a ton.

 

[DoubleNickels]

One more question for you all: is there any way to test for a good/bad igniter? Coolerman shows how to rewire one, but I didn't see a write up on verifying function. Mine might be toast, trying to confirm.

 

[1911]

One more question for you all: is there any way to test for a good/bad igniter? Coolerman shows how to rewire one, but I didn't see a write up on verifying function. Mine might be toast, trying to confirm.

Yes, in the 2F factory service manual there are two tests. One requires an ohmmeter, the other does not. PDF scan of relevant page attached.

 

[DoubleNickels]

Much appreciated, I'll give it a shot. My "primary ignition wire" looks different than that shown, but I suspect I can still ground it in a similar way.

 

[DoubleNickels]

OK, still a little dense. Is the "primary ignition wire" the signal generator pig-tail coming out the side? If so, what am I grounding to (per the 2F PDF you attached)? I'm running a big-cap electronic dizzy, of course.

 

[1911]

OK, still a little dense. Is the "primary ignition wire" the signal generator pig-tail coming out the side? If so, what am I grounding to (per the 2F PDF you attached)? I'm running a big-cap electronic dizzy, of course.

Yes. To simulate the distributor closing the circuit and collapsing the field in the coil (thus making a spark), you need to momentarily ground that wire, from the igniter (not from the distributor). I haven't had my big-cap dizzy pigtail apart since I installed it so I can't say for sure, but you may need a test lead with a little alligator clip or something to attach to the igniter side of the pigtail connector.

 

[DoubleNickels]

Excellent, that makes sense, thank you.

S..L..O..W..L..Y.. starting to figure out the electrical stuff. It's been a painful learning curve (figuratively speaking).

 

[Coolerman]

The green OEM Toyota connectors are no longer available. However they use the standard 6.3mm terminals used on almost all of their other connectors. You can easily remove the terminals and place them into other connectors that are available. For the igniter connectors just get two of my PLF1P6.3 latching connector pairs, remove the terminals from the old connectors (or just cut them off. I do provide new terminals with the connectors) attach the new terminals, plug them into the connector housings and plug them together.