Ignitor Schematic

[Pin_Head]

The pick up coil is good. 168 ohms is about right and that is the proper way to check the pickup. You won't see the resistance change as you crank the engine or spin the distributor shaft. If you have an oscilloscope, you might be able to see the voltage pulse, but it is in the range of high microvolts or low millivolts.

 

[FJ40Jim]

X2, the pickup is good.

IIRC, the pulse is on the order of ~40mV, and it is short duration, so doesn't show much on a VOM. Need to spin the dissy while connected to a scope to see anything.

Check & adjust air gap, and you're done w/ the dissy.

I'm not re-reading the whole thread,so I'll just ask:
Spark out of coil tower w/ a good plug wire & plug?
Has 12V power to the coil and module been verified?
Has good ground from ignitor/module to engine block been verified?
Coil ohmed out?

All for now.

Edit:
Oh, you have the dissy out? Here's a quick test. The dissy electronics are isolated from the engine. The dissy can be plugged back in to the harness, power from battery connected to coil & ignitor, and spin the dissy by hand. The test plug & wire will light up if things are working. This helps isolate the spark problem from a low cranking voltage problem, 'cause the dissy is spinning, but full batt power is applied to the ignition. There is no voltage suck to the starter.

 

[gibgoaz8]

Jim: What test plug and wire are you referring to that will light up, you kind of lost me. Thanks.

 

[Coolerman]

He is saying to connect the dizzy and igniter on the bench to a battery, just like they would be hooked up in the truck. Connect a plug wire to the coil tower output, and place a sparkplug in the end of the wire. Spin the dizzy by hand. If all is well you will get the plug to fire, ie 'light up'. Don't leave it connected for long. The igniter pulls a few amps (2-4) and will run down your battery if left on.

 

[FJ40Jim]

Cooler is better at 'splaining things.

The ignitor & coil can be left in the truck, and the dissy just spun by hand while it's out of the engine.

Or the whole ignition system can be removed from the truck and tested on the bench.

 

[Fuzzy Logic]

You won't see the resistance change as you crank the engine or spin the distributor shaft.

Ohms jumped around a good bit,

WTF!

 

[donny paradise]

Basic stuff---------> YouTube - Auto Repair: Fundamentals Of Electronic Ignition Systems - 1 of 2

 

[Coolerman]

That's actually a pretty good video. I learned something: how to trigger the pickup without having to rotate the engine. Good find...

 

[Vicm]

With our electronic ignition distributor, you can triger the coil by moving (advancing the signal rotor), you know what I mean.

 

[Coolerman]

With our electronic ignition distributor, you can trigger the coil by moving (advancing the signal rotor), you know what I mean.

Yes, but that involves cranking the engine, or removing the dizzy and rotating it by hand.

By passing the metal plate between the pickup and the magnet, you do the same thing; trick the pickup head into seeing the magnetic field change causing it to trigger the igniter. Much easier when you are by yourself...

I'll have to try this tonight to see if it actually works with the Toyota system.

 

[webelk6]

Having a similar problem. I wanted to post up these 2 pictures to see if I have the wires in the right spots. I don't know where the wires connect on the resistor. Also have a cut red wire in the second picture coming off the bottom of the side resistor . We think the ignitor is bad. It worked fine before my resto. Wondering if the whole unit is not grounded properly after reading this whole thread.
Scott

 

[Pin_Head]

Having a similar problem. I wanted to post up these 2 pictures to see if I have the wires in the right spots. I don't know where the wires connect on the resistor. Also have a cut red wire in the second picture coming off the bottom of the side resistor . We think the ignitor is bad. It worked fine before my resto. Wondering if the whole unit is not grounded properly after reading this whole thread.
Scott

For sure, you don't have the ignition wires hooked up yet because they are dangling there in your face. Another problem is that you seem to have 2 ballast resistors and you only need one. The one on top of the ignitor is the stock one. The big black wire with yellow stripe is the hot wire from the switch. It connects to the other end of the resistor on top from the end of the resistor that is connected to the + side of the coil. This is the same post that the hot wire for the ignitor hooks up to shown in the second picture. The small black wire with yellow stripe hooks up to the + side of the coil.

 

[webelk6]

For sure, you don't have the ignition wires hooked up yet because they are dangling there in your face. Another problem is that you seem to have 2 ballast resistors and you only need one. The one on top of the ignitor is the stock one. The big black wire with yellow stripe is the hot wire from the switch. It connects to the other end of the resistor on top from the end of the resistor that is connected to the + side of the coil. This is the same post that the hot wire for the ignitor hooks up to shown in the second picture. The small black wire with yellow stripe hooks up to the + side of the coil.

Thanks. How about that cut red wire in the second picture. comes off of the bottom of the side resistor. And I am assuming the resistor mounted to the fender is the one that can be eliminated.

 

[Pin_Head]

I don't know what it is. The resistors I am familiar with are on top and oriented horizontally. You only need one, but it looks like there are two in the ignitor assembly?

 

[webelk6]

I don't know what it is. The resistors I am familiar with are on top and oriented horizontally. You only need one, but it looks like there are two in the ignitor assembly?

Which wires go to the neg side of the coil. How many wires come out of the distributor? I only have I red wire coming out.

 

[Pin_Head]

Which wires go to the neg side of the coil. How many wires come out of the distributor? I only have I red wire coming out.

Here is a schematic diagram for a '78 that should help.
http://www.yankeetoys.org/documents/wiring_diagram_78_fj40.pdf

The black wire from the ignitor hooks up to the - side of the coil. You have another wire there that I am not familiar with and is not shown in the schematic. It may be a tachometer wire.

The shematic shows two wires from the distributor to the ignitor, red and white. It is possible that one may be a ground, but I am not sure.

Is this a non US model?

 

[Vicm]

Here is a schematic diagram for a '78 that should help.
http://www.yankeetoys.org/documents/wiring_diagram_78_fj40.pdf

The black wire from the ignitor hooks up to the - side of the coil. You have another wire there that I am not familiar with and is not shown in the schematic. It may be a tachometer wire.

The shematic shows two wires from the distributor to the ignitor, red and white. It is possible that one may be a ground, but I am not sure.

Is this a non US model?

I see this as a semi-electronic,but I could be wrong.
What do you have inside your distributor. Points or a pickup coil???

 

[webelk6]

Here is a schematic diagram for a '78 that should help.
http://www.yankeetoys.org/documents/wiring_diagram_78_fj40.pdf

The black wire from the ignitor hooks up to the - side of the coil. You have another wire there that I am not familiar with and is not shown in the schematic. It may be a tachometer wire.

The shematic shows two wires from the distributor to the ignitor, red and white. It is possible that one may be a ground, but I am not sure.

Is this a non US model?

Not sure if it is a non us model, but I did a search and someone(maybe fj40 Jim or vicm) posted that the cut wire in my pick goes to the neg side of the coil. In any event I just left the shop, did what you said, pumped the gas once, turned the key
WALA! started on the first try. Unreal. Thanks A Bunch Pinhead.

I see this as a semi-electronic,but I could be wrong.
What do you have inside your distributor. Points or a pickup coil???

Points. It is a mallory igniton(old box) that the po installed. Again, ran like a watch when I had it hooked up right. This thread helped me immensely and thanks to all that contributed. I will snap a pic tomorrow of the correct hookup.
Just don't know if it is necessary to hook up the resistor on the fender, and hook up that cut red wire as stated above.
Scott

 

[Vicm]

Not sure if it is a non us model, but I did a search and someone(maybe fj40 Jim or vicm) posted that the cut wire in my pick goes to the neg side of the coil. In any event I just left the shop, did what you said, pumped the gas once, turned the key
WALA! started on the first try. Unreal. Thanks A Bunch Pinhead.

Points. It is a mallory igniton(old box) that the po installed. Again, ran like a watch when I had it hooked up right. This thread helped me immensely and thanks to all that contributed. I will snap a pic tomorrow of the correct hookup.
Just don't know if it is necessary to hook up the resistor on the fender, and hook up that cut red wire as stated above.
Scott

I think you don't need ( the one on the fender), I can't see any reason for it.
The the resister on top of the coil you need (it will help the coil).
You have a semi-electronic so only one wire from the points to the igniter.
So as far as power hook up , I would say just follow Pin-head's advice.
But you can always check to make sure.
1- BLK/yel ( the one from the starter selonoid ) goes to + termina of the coil.
2- blk/yel (from the ignition switch) goes to ballast resistor (the post with the nut)
The other resistor that mounted on the side of the coil. I am not famliar with. I would say you don't need it?
To complete the wiring one wire from igniter to - terminal of the coil and one wire from the from igniter to the points via the lyyle bolt on the side of the dsitributor.
There might be a grounding wire for the igniter. which you can checked (continuety between the wire and igniter body) means it is just a grounding wire.
The wire from igniter to - terminal of the coil will possibly have a round connector in the end of it. While the one from igniter to the points will possibly have a plug in the middle of it ???.

The wire on the - side of the coil (that has the grren plug) is not needed unless you have a tachometer. I believe that is where it is going, because I can see it spliced to a green wire in the pic.
So you should post pics that will show the connection to that (unkown resistor) and what I belive is a little condeser under the assembly.
And you can measure the resistance across those 2 resistors and post them .
Just one question the 2 wires going from the igniter to the + and - of the coil were they ever disconnected or their original connection is still as is??

 

[Vicm]

Yes, but that involves cranking the engine, or removing the dizzy and rotating it by hand.

By passing the metal plate between the pickup and the magnet, you do the same thing; trick the pickup head into seeing the magnetic field change causing it to trigger the igniter. Much easier when you are by yourself...

I'll have to try this tonight to see if it actually works with the Toyota system.

No you dont have to turn or crank the motor. The advance will allow you rotate the shaft , so just get one of the teeth on the rotor close enough and rotate the distrubutor shaft by hand clock wise and release. Just like when checking that the advance is mechaniclly good.