Test drive with FAST ignition

JasonNC

Installed the FAST ignition module and finally got it timed right. While it was in the garage the car ran great. The is true for the first two or three laps around the block. Then I got greedy and took it on the main highway in front of my house and it made a funny noise, stopped running and somehow shifted the starter so that it wouldn't engage. Fortunately I was able to coast to within 100 yards of my house and call the towing service associated with my vintage car insurance to get it the rest of the way home. I took the starter off and it appears to be working, it just wouldn't engage the flywheel while I was sitting on the side of the road. I hope to get it back on soon and see what happened to the ignition system once I get the car to start again. Wish me luck.

50C8DAN

Jason I am going to wish you luck, for several reasons as I am always interested in seeing how to marry new and old tech. One reason is that FAST is not reviewed highly on almost any board you go (here are a couple: https://www.amazon.com/FAST-Injection-30227-KIT-EZ-EFI-Self-Tuning/product-reviews/B0046ZE970/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_viewopt_srt?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&sortBy=recent&pageNumber=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTINo1-hyAg) There are several that have had great success but others it has not gone well, so it will be interesting to see how you fare. Some in the Studebaker Club have started to try the FItech units and those seem to work well. Keep us posted.

JasonNC

I have a theory as to what may have happened, and the problem probably isn't the ignition system. I was having trouble getting the car to shift into third gear. The other day I noticed that the shift cable was lying on the wire that connects the solenoid with the starter button that engages the gear on the mini starter. I need to fix the holder for the cable to make sure that does not happen again. In any event, I think that while I was test driving the car and while trying to shift into third gear, the cable touched the solenoid, engaging the gear which hit the flywheel (which explains the loud thump I heard) hard enough to move the starter just enough to cause the starter not to engage. Thus the towing service call. I still have fire coming from the coil through the distributor, it's just that right now the starter is not engaging. Hopefully this will be a simple fix.

Glowplug

At the risk of being assailed from the bowels of the Internet; much of the failure of automotive electronics is generated by insufficient knowledge and/or DIY push ahead inspite of this deficiency.  The application, installation and careful installations MUST align to achieve worry free usage.  I too am in this league of DIYers and the cost to my wallet has begun (after 5 decades) to cause me to pause before “diving in” ; my 2 cents. Jason I hope you are able to get all the “loose” ends knit into a proper bundle and enjoy your car soon!

JasonNC

Thanks Oldfarmer. I thought I was really close after some trial and error. I had to go back and read the troubleshooting section after the first install. When I finally got it to the point where I felt comfortable, the timing mark was on point and it was idling at 600 rpm. The engine ran smoother than it had ever ran on points or the Pertronix unit. The hard shifting and the cable touching the starter are monsters that I created outside the ignition system. I'll get it right sooner or later....

50C8DAN

Jason sorry I did not read your initial email as I should have. You are using the ignition system not the fuel injection system. I have not read any negatives on the ignition system so hope your fix using the cable works well.