Distributor wires mixed uo

[Beach_Dude]

Just trying to fire up the general after the harness and it's not turning over. I tried stertefluid, etc nothing.

So, for giggles I tried swapping the distributor wires and it seems like the timing was too advanced. So, I don't wanna do that again.

Still, no turnover though.

Does crossing the distributor wires on a duraspark distributor and an MSD ignition over advance the timing or would it cause damage if I try it further just to get it to turn over?

[babywag]

Yes, the timing will be way off if the wires are reversed @pickup.

If nothing changed other than wiring check for spark and recheck wiring.

[Beach_Dude]

That's the crazy thing...

I checked main spark at coil and it zapped the crap outa me while holding the wire from the dizzy cap.

However, no spark from dizzy wire to cap. Going to replace cap and rotor today to see if for some crazy reason they went bad while sitting over the last few weeks. I don't see this happening since the spark out of the coil was impressive at the least.

I ordered a jegs ssr billet just incase... might as well upgrade the dizzy since it's only $150. For a quality duraspark it would be that much, if not more. Anyone happy with the jegs distributor?

[babywag]

test distributor pickup?
introducing aftermarket parts into the mix in this day & age is a roll of dice.
many many many new parts are total crap these days.

[Beach_Dude]

The funny thing is that I had to advance the ignition like 10+ degrees from where it was to get it to turn over... the dizzy wires might have been mixed up to begin with, maybe?

I'm still on backorder for the jeggs unit so I've got about two weeks,

My only concern is that I'm running a tfi with the MSD unit... will the smaller MSD/Jegs billet arc too much, jumping terminals?

Has anyone done the TFI with a billet dizzy?

[babywag]

TFI caps probably only fit certain distributors and doubtful on aftermarket?
Possible but unlikely.

On a low revving Jeep with AMC 360 I highly doubt arcing across terminals is an issue to be concerned about.
I have owned a ton of them and never had an issue on any.

just my .02

[Beach_Dude]

Not interested in physically connecting the TFI to the dizzy cap, just if there will be an overvoltage on a MSD/Jegs billet distributor.

[babywag]

Stock Duraspark distributor and MSD are nearly identical.
MSD is more expensive and prettier and uses male(hei) caps.
There are male(hei) caps that fit stock duraspark w/ minor mod.

Any aftermarket MSD clone billet is likely just a cheapnese copy.
Can buy 'em for ~$75...no idea what a Jegs billet is?
Some aftermarket distributors these days also need the shaft redrilled for the gear if swapping.
If there is a mismatch of hardness on gear(s) expect the cam gear to fail in short order.

Little to go wrong with tried/true duraspark even after decades and many thousands of miles. That is why MSD uses the same type of pickup in theirs.

EDIT: looks like procomp stopped making/selling the $70 ones? All I see now are $130-ish clones.