I'm not one to generally ask a lot of questions but OK, here are the setup and symtoms….

Twin carb’d 588s with TB-IV distributors and new Crane HI-6M boxes/coils.
Cruising and blasting around for an hour or so and then we are fast idling at about 1200rpms and the starboard motor just quits. Try to crank it over and it just cranks and cranks.
We begin our journey back on the port motor and about 30 minutes later I decide to try and crank it over. It tries to start and starts popping out the exhaust. Some frineds pull up behind us and tellus they smell raw fuel. Give it up and make our way back.
Cools off over night and it does start and idle but there is no throttle response; just spits and sputters basically like there is nothing there. There is plenty of fuel shooting into the carb and idles in and out of gear so getting on the trailer was fine. (I had no tools or timing lights to check any thing)
Get home and first thought after several discussions is that the sensor in the distributor has gone south which made sense. Changed that and no luck

I stick a timing light on there at idle… My curve is set up for 24* at idle and 34* full in. I stick the light on there and timing is jumping between 10* and 20*. I look at the light on the Crane box and it is solid red when running; not flashing.

My guess here is that the box has went bad which is not a good thing with the current status of Crane. My friend BobL has suggested that I jump the coil wires and distributor wires to the port ignition to verify this. Good plan!

Has anyone experienced anything like this with the Crane boxes (or other) If so, please share your experience.
If you don’t think it’s the box please share that too…

My background is all mechanical and the electronic stuff gives me fits so please help!!!

Thanks,
Dave

da ve

dave,
did you change just the sensor or whole distributor?
john

Just the sensor John...
Not much to the rest of it.
Dave

Assuming you are not the retard function, is the dial/switch set to the #1 position?

I'm going to go for the simple sollutions suggestion...

Check you battery, low voltage WILL cause these problems, but then, you wouldn't be able to crank the engine over would you?? Um, never mind.

Check the shift cut-out switch wired into the white / green distributor trigger wire, if it's crapped out or is shorting, you'll be getting a crappy trigger signal to the dist which will return a solid red LED to the box. Check you rotor and cap, if that little sping button thingy's too worn, it causes havoc.

Check your primary ground, it may have worn or come loose.

Easiest check is to swap the other box across and see if that helps, but I'd check the above stuff first in case you've got a bad wire, you don't want to fry the second box!

Good Luck!

Thanks Ben...
Yes it's set at one. It was running fine when she went down so something gave up the ghost be it a connection or the box.
Dave

John,
We're not using the cut out wiring.
Thanks,
Dave

Nordicflame; Bob, told me today about looking at this.
Did you index the trigger wheels?
What setting are you on for advance?
Try a different timming curve.
I have used plenty of these boxes with no problems. I just not to long ago on the dyno had a distributor sensor give me a problem with the advancing and not having the timing steady, it wasn't as retarded as yours, but that doesn't mean anything. The engine wouldn't pull smoothly, of course, I'am not starting out at the same load. Just swap dist. and check it. Hope this helps. Mark

Could you borrow an locked out MSD or X brand? This might help you pin point the issue. Any racer or speed shop might have something you could test with.

did you figure it out? let us know what u found wrong