Pinto wiring into MK2 Escort

[jcorrigan80]

I know this subject has been done to death, and I’ve literally spent hours looking at wiring diagrams and reading others’ posts, but i still can’t work it out on my car. Car is a mk2 escort, bought with an uninstalled pinto and type 9. I believe it was a 1300 originally, but loom has had a few chops by the look of it. Anyway, the starter motor that came with the pinto has three threaded terminals on the solinoid. One is batt+ obviously, the other gets left alone as goes to starter itself, and the third I assume is position 3 crank signal. I’m guessing this is the black/red wire? Then I have a black/yellow wire that was taped together with the black/red… I assume this goes to coil+? The there’s a longer black/yellow that ran along front of vehicle to the passenger side that has a socket/cap terminal on it.. buggered if I know what that does. My distributor has had points replaced with electronic type, so I know the red and black from that go to coil, and coil is the type that can be used with or without ballast resistor. I just want to understand what I need to hook up with my setup to get the thing running, then I’ll address the other hacked parts as I need too…. Would really appreciate some help. I know it’s a simple setup, but I just don’t have experience on these..

[Miniliteman]

A picture says more than a 1000 words.
Can you post (via uploader tool) a few photos of starter motor, distributor and wiring?

[alladdin]

at starter the black /red is as you say from memory, the black yellow is a 12v boost from starter to coil on cranking. ( connect to starter terminal that goes live when cranking if you need to use it) you dont need it but may help if your still using the 6v ballast connection to the coil.
plenty of diagrams on line if you google

[jcorrigan80]

Hopefully this helps, loom has been hacked and slashed, so yea, good fun working it all out.

This shows the 2 black and yellow, both had a socket style connector that looked like they fitted on to a stud. one was paired with the black and red and same length, other went to the other side of the car.


This is how previous owner had it to go to battery - two of the reds are from alternator, one I assume is from main loom, and the red and blue I need help with (no idea)

I changed the connector of black and yellow to ring terminal as assume this goes to coil, but was socket origanally.

This is the coil, can be used with or without ballast apparently




This is rear of ignition switch - black and yellow look to be at the start position but this colour changes to black and red at the first connector

[Miniliteman]

Can you post a photo of the side of the distributor? And of the coil? (any markings on that?) And photo of starter motor.

[katana]

This is how previous owner had it to go to battery - two of the reds are from alternator, one I assume is from main loom, and the red and blue I need help with (no idea)
Attachment 88678

Believe it or not - that is an actual factory Ford splice / junction. It usually has a plastic sleeve over it and as its buried in the loom - out of sight, out of mind! Welcome to the joys of 70/80's Ford wiring looms, home of weird illogical circuits and connections, hidden splices and colour changing wires from one end to another - enjoy (I didn't!)

[jcorrigan80]

Coil is a Sparkrite classic same as this



Distributor is standard pinto with Accuspark electronic conversion.

[jcorrigan80]

Believe it or not - that is an actual factory Ford splice / junction. It usually has a plastic sleeve over it and as its buried in the loom - out of sight, out of mind! Welcome to the joys of 70/80's Ford wiring looms, home of weird illogical circuits and connections, hidden splices and colour changing wires from one end to another - enjoy (I didn't!)

How can they step down all those wires to a single one just before the battery? Surely that’s a problem waiting to happen?? So all of those wires are okay to be bundled together and I’m good to leave as is and just neaten the splice and maybe upgrade the single wire they end up with to something a bit beefier?

[jcorrigan80]

Can you post a photo of the side of the distributor? And of the coil? (any markings on that?) And photo of starter motor.

I’ll grab photo if starter tomorrow. Dizzy is vacuum advance model, with Accuspark conversion, can try and get a pic of that too if you need still. details of the coil are below, but it’s 1.5 or 3.2 Ohm depending on ballast used or not. Sparkrite brand. It’s just those two yellow and blacks throwing me.. pretty sure the black/red is starter motor crank

[katana]

How can they step down all those wires to a single one just before the battery? Surely that’s a problem waiting to happen?? So all of those wires are okay to be bundled together and I’m good to leave as is and just neaten the splice and maybe upgrade the single wire they end up with to something a bit beefier?

The big single would be in trouble if all alt. output went through it, but there are other wires from that crimp that go to Ign. switch and to Fuse box, so the single fat one never gets full amperage! Its design cost cutting at its finest!

[Miniliteman]

Black and yellow is +12V after the ignition switch. It is then spliced into several black and yellows to supply +12V to the cars electrics. It is not the starter wire.
Red/blue is a live +12V for Fuse 1 (hazard lights for instance)

[jcorrigan80]

Black and yellow is +12V after the ignition switch. It is then spliced into several black and yellows to supply +12V to the cars electrics. It is not the starter wire.
Red/blue is a live +12V for Fuse 1 (hazard lights for instance)

okay, so black and yellow (either one of them) can go to coil+ correct? Do in need tp use the resister given it’s had the electronic ignition upgrade?

[jcorrigan80]

Black and yellow is +12V after the ignition switch. It is then spliced into several black and yellows to supply +12V to the cars electrics. It is not the starter wire.
Red/blue is a live +12V for Fuse 1 (hazard lights for instance)

The black and yellow from the key barrel turns to Black/Red at the first factory connector, hence I assumed this is crank (all info I can find says Black and red is starter crank.) Does that look correct from the pic I posted?

[Miniliteman]

okay, so black and yellow (either one of them) can go to coil+ correct? Do in need tp use the resister given it’s had the electronic ignition upgrade?

Use the black/yellow that was used for coil+ . Normally that goes via a pink or black (thick stranded) wire to a bullet-connector pair near the starter then to the old coil+.
Check the user manual of the electronic ignition system if you need to use the resistor or not. If you need a coil of 2,5 Ohm or more use it, if you can use an electronic ignition coil (around 1,0 Ohm) you don't.

Have an unbutchered LHD loom here, will make some photos of the areas you have questions about.

[jcorrigan80]

@Miniliteman

Electronic conversion kit can deal with ballast or non-ballast, as can the coil according to manuals. I've traced both black and yellows back past firewall and no ballast wire in the loom. I'm in New Zealand, so it will be an Australian assembled car, so wonder if there are differences there.

Either way I'm going to need to run constant 12v to the coil, so tracing back the two yellow/blacks, where does the one I need to attach to the coil feed from? and what do I do with the second black/yellow? I have an aftermarket fan controller that needs an ingition switched 12v so was considering using it for that.

Also my ignition switch has two thick reds solder to the first terminal. One runs into loom, the second has been joined to a thinner piece of wire and is sitting under the dash going nowhere. I've looked at the manual and can't see where this is supposed to run.

Sorry for all the questions, I have searched the forum and looked through wiring diagrams but it's as clear as mud still!

Have added better pics of the coil


Distributor


and overall engine bay

[jcorrigan80]

@Miniliteman

Electronic conversion kit can deal with ballast or non-ballast, as can the coil according to manuals. I've traced both black and yellows back past firewall and no ballast wire in the loom. I'm in New Zealand, so it will be an Australian assembled car, so wonder if there are differences there.

Either way I'm going to need to run constant 12v to the coil, so tracing back the two yellow/blacks, where does the one I need to attach to the coil feed from? and what do I do with the second black/yellow? I have an aftermarket fan controller that needs an ingition switched 12v so was considering using it for that.

Also my ignition switch has two thick reds solder to the first terminal. One runs into loom, the second has been joined to a thinner piece of wire and is sitting under the dash going nowhere. I've looked at the manual and can't see where this is supposed to run.

Sorry for all the questions, I have searched the forum and looked through wiring diagrams but it's as clear as mud still!

Have added better pics of the coil
Attachment 88696

Distributor
Attachment 88697

and overall engine bay
Attachment 88698

[katana]

Also my ignition switch has two thick reds solder to the first terminal. One runs into loom, the second has been joined to a thinner piece of wire and is sitting under the dash going nowhere. I've looked at the manual and can't see where this is supposed to run.

Possibly to the 'stay alive' bit of a car radio / clock ?

[Miniliteman]

Have some Australian wiring diagrams somewhere, will have a look.

[jcorrigan80]

Thankyou!