crankwalk
crankwalk SuperDork
9/23/18 6:47 p.m.

I figured I would put this here instead of my build thread to get a little more traffic for opinions.

I bought a beater 83 244 to get going for rallycross and ice racing and after spending a day delousing it, I'm ready to really start digging in to it to make it a runner. The guy I bought it from said it lost spark one day and he replaced the coil,cap, rotor, wires and still nothing so he said he didn't want to mess with it. He suspected the distributor but said at $200 he wasn't touching it.  It cranks strong, oil pressure light goes off but I have no spark. The front timing cover is off and the belt is moving. 

Video of where it's at so far

When I turn the key to the on position, I also didn't hear fuel pumps coming on or any relay clicking. I checked the fuse box and replaced a couple fuses that were the incorrect amperage but nothing changed. I then took a wire and connected fuses 5 and 7 and the fuel pumps came on so that is telling me the fuel pump relay isn't coming on. Is anyone familiar with this year for the relay setup. I seem to recall some had one under the hood and one under the dash. Here's a photo of the relay under the dash that I *think* is the fuel pump relay but I didn't see anything under hood. DISREGARD THE RAINBOW CROCS.

 

So i guess my question is, could the no spark be because of the fuel pump relay not coming on and sending something to ignition? OR do I not have anything going to the fuel pump relay because I don't have spark. I seem to recall there is a built in safety feature with Bosch of this era that doesn't supply fuel if there is no spark so it won't flood. 

 

Thanks for the suggestions

Streetwiseguy
Streetwiseguy UltimaDork
9/23/18 7:50 p.m.

To everyone who asks this question, every day on the internet:

Every single fuel injected car in the world will have no fuel delivery without spark.  Period.  Without a crank pulse, there is nothing to tell the relay and ECU that the engine is cranking.

Now, to your 83- I presume it's American, so it's efi, not Canadian and K-jet.  First, make sure the fuse holder by the battery isn't melted.  Then make sure you have power to the coil and the connectors are not corroded.  Then, check the wires from the distributor to the ignition box where they run under the front of the engine.  

Most of the electronic components are pretty robust.  Most often you will find a rotten wire or a corroded connector.

crankwalk
crankwalk SuperDork
9/23/18 9:47 p.m.

Ok thanks for the help. Here is the stock fuse holder:

 

 

 

And here is mine. I didn't even see this thing but it's not connected to anything and was just ziptied out of the way. There's no fuse in it so at some point somebody just jumped it with a roofing staple or something.

A photo I found as an example:

 

 

On mine you can see the fuse holder off to the side not being used and then this red wire going down in to a harness. I I have some random wires there in the vicinity but I'm not sure what wires run to it. On that picture I found, it looks like wire goes from the positive battery terminal -> 25 amp fuse -> somewhere else, possibly that red wire I'm holding. 

 

Thanks

Streetwiseguy
Streetwiseguy UltimaDork
9/23/18 9:58 p.m.

It's two relatively heavy red wires.  Should have 1/4 inch spade terminals.  One about 8 inches long from the positive post of the battery, the other should end up at the main relay, I think.

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