Rewiring and ignition

Tiny
CJCUBINSC
  • MEMBER
  • 1976 JEEP CJ5
  • 3.8L
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • MANUAL
  • 105,000 MILES
I am currently rewiring my vehicle using the Speedways Motors 22 circuit universal wiring harness. I’m making slow progress but am stuck on how to wire the ignition wires. There is a wire that runs from the “ignition” terminal on the column mounted plug that the instructions say to “Run the pink ignition feed [3A] wire to either the battery side of a GM HEI distributor or the ballast resistor on a points style distributor.” I’m not sure which ignition system/distributor I have but at the base of the distributor cap there is a white module with a vacuum tube running to the base of the carburetor.
My big question is if I run the ignition wire to the positive side of the coil or somewhere else. I have a lot of other stuff to figure out but for now this is the one thing that is tripping me up and holding me up.
Also, my vehicle doesn’t have a tachometer but I’m thinking of putting one in while doing all of this. Do I run the tachometer line to the negative side of the coil?
Any help is appreciated and any suggestions or advice is welcomed. I am learning as I go and have no prior experience in this area. I printed out a wiring diagram for this year of CJ at the local Walgreen's blown up on a banner for reference, but other than that all information comes from internet research.
Thursday, May 23rd, 2019 AT 8:38 AM

5 Replies

Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Good afternoon,

The pink wire would be if you had a GM HEI system. You do not have that.

The pink will go to the positive side of the distributor. The negative side goes to the distributor.

If you add a tachometer, that will attach to the negative side of the coil for the signal.

Roy
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Thursday, May 23rd, 2019 AT 9:08 AM
Tiny
CJCUBINSC
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How do I tell the positive side of the distributor? There’s a small plug with two wires that goes to the ignition control module. There’s two others that come off the ignition control module that go to the positive and negative side of the coil.
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Thursday, May 23rd, 2019 AT 9:29 AM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
The one that says power is where the pink wire goes. The tachometer wire goes into the terminal marked Tach.

Roy
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Thursday, May 23rd, 2019 AT 9:37 AM
Tiny
CJCUBINSC
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Please excuse my ignorance but none of them are labeled. Only thing I can tell is the coil because it still has a + and - molded into the plastic.
I’ll try to upload a picture of it later.
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Thursday, May 23rd, 2019 AT 9:44 AM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Okay. I will watch for your response.
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Thursday, May 23rd, 2019 AT 9:46 AM

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