Cougar

One thing you can do is ohm the coil windings and see if the continuity is good.

I doubt that the resistance you read is really a problem. I can't say this for sure but that is what I think anyways. You should be able to test this device by applying 12 volts to it and see if it opens or closes the the air passage.

We may have made a mistake in the firing order. I think it is 1-3-2-4 and not 1-3-4-2. Sorry. Can somone verify this?

There are plenty of basic automobile repair books on the market. I would do some research and get one. When you learn about the basics then you can get a service manual for your specific vehicle and be able to use it. The manuals assume you already have training to do testing and troubleshoot procedures so understanding the basics is a must. I think you will enjoy learning about working on cars. It can be a dirty job at times but you have the satisfaction of knowing what to do when trouble happens. They really aren't too compilcated to understand once you see how things are designed.

I would guess the voltage would go slightly higher. A shorted battery cell would be bad also.

I think there are two rotor sizes available depending on which make of distributor you have. The timing belt may have slipped on the cog wheel because of the wrong rotor.

Be sure to change the fuel filter first. It may be the cause of this problem.

You may have broke a timing belt. See if the rotor is turning in the distributor while you crank the engine.

Use a voltmeter and measure the voltage to the magnetic clutch.

This may be due to a failure of one or more of the alternator output diodes. You probably will be able to make trip ok without changing the alternator but having it checked out with a load test at least would be a good idea before leaving.

Have you looked to see what the manual says about testing it?

The ignitors are tied to the sparkplugs.

You are going to have to get into the area you hear the sizzle from. It appears there is a bad connection or relay causing this. Also check the fusible links for a bad connection.

Most problems like this are caused by dirty contacts on the sender units in the tank. Cleaning the contacts may fix this.

Try replacing the fuel filter first. If that doesn't work it may be the fuel pump.

Nothing we did testing them could have damaged them. I assume the one that has the slightly high output voltage is the new one. I would see if you could return it for a replacement. You will then have a good spare unit on hand.

Firing order is 1-3-4-2 as was mentioned. The cylinders on the passenger side are 1 and 3 from front to back of the engine. The others are 2 and 4 respectively. On the wires for my '88 the numbers for the positions were labled on the wires. Not sure if you have that on yours or not. If they have been changed then they won't be marked.

Your welcome. It sounds like you really got into it. Hopefully it won't take too long to get back together. Keep an eye on that voltage.

You may have inadvertantly disconnected something while working under the hood. To see if the ignition is working use an old spark plug or remove one from the cylinder and place it on a good engine ground point. Then try starting the car and watch for spark on the plug. If you do have spark, is there a possibility you could have mixed up the firing order of the wires?

Too bad we didn't pick up about 20 acres of some of that "farm land" back in the '60's to sell now.

Have you checked to see if the compressor clutch is getting the full 12 volts to it?

Thanks for the salute Edrach. I enjoy a good challenge, as I think most of us sudo techs here do. It's fun to learn things also. We have a good group of folks here. I see you live in Bothell. Back in the younger years we used to ride our bikes to Ingelwood Golf Club and hunt for golf balls there. Then there was Bob's fried chicken in Kenmore.

Keep an eye on the voltage as 15.2 volts is a little high. I really like to see no more than 14.8 volts. This may mean your regulator could fail on this. If the voltage goes any higher I would swap out that alternator. I assume that the regulator is built in on this. Make sure the battery doesn't over charge by feeling the sides after a good drive. If it is hot, then you have to change the alternator. The small voltage flucuations you see are normal. The alternator can't produce full output at idle speeds. Your welcome for the help. You should be an alternator expert now.

Chances are the problem is the alternator but checking the wiring will prove that. Along with changing the alternator if it is bad I would have the battery load tested after it has been charged up properly. If the battery is weak then you should replace the battery also as Morgan mentioned. If you keep the original battery be sure to charge it before putting the alternator in. Don't use it as a battery charger and maybe damage your new alternator.

Good job on the tests. The diode is showing a normal voltage drop so it is fine. The problem now is the voltage on the 'L' lead should be 12 volts but it is drawing too much current internally and that is what is keeping the warning light on. The alternator is bad sorry to say, though the voltage output is about right. Edit: You asked if the other alternators are bad. Whatever the problem was originally that caused the field lead to not work seems to have gone away. You could try swapping the other units in place to see if they will work now. If they are alright then things should work normally.