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Blue ignition box for Fords

3K views 13 replies 7 participants last post by  GREENBIRD56 
#1 ·
I just got a project truck. 1955 Ford with a 460/c6. The blue ignition box is there but not wired,at least I think it's an ignition box. Is there a diagram somewhere to show me what goes where?
 
#3 ·
Holder350 said:
HHHUUURRR?????? a 55 with an ignition box?
I must have forgot to type "project" truck....oh wait..no its there. Not to many 55's with a 460 with 55 ignition. :D The blue box that I believe goes to ignition,coil and distributer. Not as simple as GM HEI ,1 wire and go this has several wires. The box is about 4" X 4".
 
#5 ·
Holder350 said:
55 would have had points, unless someone has retro fitted a mid 70's electronic system onto it.
Seeing as how somebody retrofitted a 460 into that truck I'm sure the ignition was probably upgraded at the time too :rolleyes:

AC/DC is there a name printed on the box? It could be an ignition box or a coil. I know at least some of Jacobs ignition stuff is blue.
 
#6 ·
some pics would be helpful........what kind of ignition system has it got on it now? I take it that it has the control box on the fender, sooo that would mean that it has 6 wires comeing out correct?

orange
green
purple
black
white
red



is this the system that you are dealing with?
 
#7 ·
Jmark said:
Does the truck run as is? If it does and the module is not hooked up, it's not going to be needed. The FOMOCO modules must be wired to the matching Ford electronic distributor. I remember them well! Changed hundreds of them. Engine would just flat out die, coast to a stop and then could be re-started and off you go, until the next time it quit.

Mark
I have not tried to start it yet. Checking over everything before I try. I remember something about these doing just like you said, run fine then die then could start back up and go.There are some wires hooked up so I am assuming that it is part of the system but like I said I have not tried to start it. I do not want this is basically what I'm saying/asking. Let me try this, what do I need to get to get rid of that box? Are those HEI units
like GM's for Fords any good? I do not want a points system either.
 
#8 ·
Duraspark ignitions are excellant - but you do need the correctly colored grommet module matched to the distributor for it to operate. Most are blue. For the record, not all 460 CID motors had this solid state ignition as they were introduced in the '76/'77 time frame.

Dave
 
#9 ·
If you need a wiring diagram just do a search on google you will find lots of them. Also if you're interested you can replace that box with a simple 4-pin HEI module, it is really easy to do and in fact easier to wire up than that duraspark box. I think it gives a slightly hotter spark too, but I'm not 100% sure.
 
#11 ·
Ford Trigger

If the distributor has the Ford 70's "Stator" and "Reluctor" under the cap - just get the required MSD jumper and hook it straight up to a "red box". The MSD distributor uses the exact same Ford trigger mechanism --- so the Ford stuff is a not so expensive way to get the same thing. Adding a curve isn't a big deal either. The distributor cap is also a clue as to whether it still has Ford guts in there - the male cap pin version has plug wires like a GM - female plugs on both ends.

The trigger mechanism will operate ignitions that use the Ford Duraspark II box, also the GM HEI four pin - or even the Chrysler solid state set-up. There are proponents of every one of them and schematics all over the internet. The old Ford D-II boxes don't like heat, and the Chinese versions are junk - but the late Motorcraft version has virtually the same timing computer as the HEI and is way better about heat. The best thing about the OEM control boxes/ modules is the instant fix you can get at Autozone on a Sunday afternoon. The way you fix one of these systems (and I've seen as many dead HEI's as Durasparks) is to change the module - and the HEI is crummy to work on compared with the Chrysler or Ford setups.
 
#14 ·
Schematic

This schematic was invented for a T-bird conversion - but it will work to get your new machine under power (if it has a Ford electronic ignition on it). My friend Holun has the drawing sacked away on his personal storage site.

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/mshum/HoLun/WIRINGSCHEMATICT-BIRD1.jpg

This scheme works with the "late" Duraspark set-up and utilizes a power relay to keep the coil and control module loads off the ignition switch. I use a plug-in relay so you can quickly disable the ignition with the key "on" when such is required. The color scheme matches the so-called "blue grommet" controller. There is no real magic in the "blue" controller outside of the standardized wiring scheme (unless its a real Motorcraft part) because all of the far east aftermarket knockoffs use whatever dwell timing computer was cheap that week - and all of them sport a nice new blue grommet.

There are two wiring features that involve starting - the "jumper" wire from the solenoid that goes around the ballast resistor while in "Start" and the white wire from the solenoid to the control module that detects operation of the starter circuit (and the ignition module will auto retard the timing for a quick start).
 
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