Starting issue, maybe ballast resistor related?

[DeathProofCuda]

I seem to recall there is a bad design issue involving the alternator gage and that can cause starting issues, or is my memory flawed?
The one gage that isn't working in this car is the that one, the needle is on the low side of the center mark and never budges.  Trying to troubleshoot that or add an aftermarket gage is on my list as I want a heads up if my alternator fails!

If your ammeter is not working, my guess is that someone bypassed it by connecting the inlet and outlet wires together, or it could be that someone has already done the MAD bypass on it to reduce current flow through the bulkhead connector.

[Chryco Psycho]

Dist pick up can be intermittent for sure , not expensive to replace & make sure the gap is right @ .008

[Bullitt-]

  Think I've solved the RED Box mystery...... EGR Delay
      probably nothing to do with this issue

[dodj]

That orange box made me remember having something called an OSAC ( I think) on the firewall. No idea what it was for. Had a vacuum line on it though.

[Duodec]

If you have an incandescent test light, you can try connecting it from ground to coil positive with ignition on, then crank.  Should be lit when on and brighten a bit when cranking.  You MIGHT see it wavering bright-dim-bright when cranking but should be minimal. 

Then test from ground to coil negative.  When you crank the light should flash on-off-on...

If you see significant dimming/bright/dimming on coil positive when cranking, check your wiring, make sure you are actually getting 12V into the ballast resistor with ignition on, and full 12V at the coil positive when cranking, else you may have wiring/connection problems.

If it does not flash then the ignition module is not switching properly.  As others have mentioned it could be the pickup in the distributor, but it could also be a problem with the module.  Check and make sure of the ignition module ground.  You might also have a heat sensitive failure with the module; usually that means it works when cool but after heat soaking when parked becomes unreliable.

When I was still driving my Challenger or the subsequent '73 Dart I kept a spare ballast resistor, ignition module, and pickup in the trunk, along with a test light and a few other items.

[usraptor]

I had a similar start, no start issue with my '70  440 'Cuda that I had converted to electronic ignition.  I fought this issue for a couple of years as the car would go several weeks or even months without a problem, then out of nowhere it would crank but not start again.  Very embarrassing when you were leaving a car show.  Most of time if I got out and wiggled the ECM plug and/or unplugged and re-plugged it the engine would start; but not always resulting in me changing out the ECM with a spare I carried.  The it would start up fine.   After buying and swapping out three ECM units that I thought had gone bad I discovered that even though I had the plug on the ECM as tight as I could get it, it still wasn't always making a good connection as I wasn't using a screw in the center of the plug to secure it to the ECM.  Based on a suggestion by Chryco I finally installed a securing screw in the center of the ECM plug.  Even though it didn't seem like using the securing screw tightened the connection any better, I haven't had a no start issue since.    I saw in one of your posts that you said you unscrewed the center screw, so you are obviously using one, so this may not be your issue.  However maybe the screw you're using isn't keeping the connection tight enough?  Just throwing that possibility out there.  When trying to start your engine and wiggling wires, make sure you also wiggle the plug that goes into the ECM.  It might surprise you.    Lastly, how are all your grounds between the firewall
and back of the ECM, especially if your car has been repainted or has been converted to electronic ignition?  9 times out of ten times it seems like electrical issues are the result of bad grounds; at least with my car.  Good luck and keep us posted.    

[JH27N0B]

I went to start the car in my garage for the first time in a few weeks to take it to MCACN last week, and it took about 5 times before it fired up, running rough being a bit flooded from the multiple cranking it before it started.
At the show it fired up immediately every time.  During setup on Friday they kept having me start it to move. I'd get it in place, shut down then 5 minutes later, hey we need to move your car over 5" again!
No problems at all.  I guess the car was happy to be there and didn't want to embarrass itself not starting up.
I'm going to get it out once more to get some gas and put Stabil in it, then it's going into hibernation.
Since they'd salted some area roads last week I had someone trailer it to and from the show.
His trailer has no side access door, so he drove it in and out of the trailer since he has a technique to get in and out of cars with maybe 1' clearance if that between the car and trailer wall.
He was contorting to get in it when at my house and after getting the car out, I found one plastic actuator knob for the power seat broke off.  His foot must have hit it.  So now I have another repair to do.
It's always something....

[Jay Bee]

At the show it fired up immediately every time.

Are you confident that your problem is fixed? Somehow your unplug/plug in hack improved a connection somewhere   

[JH27N0B]

Not at all, it was being belligerent with me last Thursday when I went to start it in my garage to get it out and into the trailer.  I was just musing about how it was on its best behavior all weekend at the MCACN show.
Now that it's back home from its weekend of being honored by being in a display at the most prestigious show in the world for 60s and 70s cars, I suspect it'll start messing with me again! 

[Hood]

My non starting issues lasted for at least 5 years off and on. After replacing the factory coil, the hard starting, cranking forever, smoke spitting flooding carburetor, battery draining, heading banging injuries from the hood latch and numerous cuss words flying out of my mouth finally ended. I felt like Chevy Chase trying to get the Christmas lights to light up when all it was....was the switch. For me it was the coil.

[70_440-6Cuda]

I have been having similar issues, but I do not know the history on mine and it is running an MSD 6AL, Mallory coil and distributor.  They could not figure out how to wire the MSD correct so added a toggle switch under the dash for "ignition on".  I removed the toggle switch and wired it direct to the key per the MDS guide, but have intermittent starting issues where it will crank and crank but not a hiccup of a start like there is no ignition.  Unplug a spark plug wire or mess around with jiggling this and that and then 1 crank and it fires up - very annoying but figure when I do the complete resto I will hopefully fix it then so following this thread to see where it goes

[chargerdon]

This statement is for the standard Mopar Electronic ignition system.   It has a major flaw !!!   Study the wiring diagrams and you will realize that the starting circuit while eliminating the ballast for the coil, has the opposite effect for the ECU and reduces its current. 

When starting the voltage for the ECU passes thru the ballast resistor.   The ECU needs at a MINIMUM 6 volt and preferably 9 for it to function.   If any of the wiring connectors is not in good condition this ballast resistor loss will drop the voltage to the point the ECU will not fire the coil.   I.E. No start...   So, what this means is if you experience periodic no start and playing with wires gets it to start then, clean EVERY connection for the start circuit...especially at the firewall connections.   

I have proved this on my 74 Challenger by successfully starting the car when it hits this problem by jumping the starter wire at the starter relay while having the key in the run position, thus bypassing the start circuit.   Hell, i even ran the wires from the starter relay up to my dash and installed a hidden push button that when it wont start, instead of turning the key to start, i turn it to run and push that button and it starts !!!   

[JH27N0B]

Spring is here and that means I get to chase these demons again.
I got the car out on a nice day in April, it started after maybe 3 turns of the key. Didn't seem out of the ordinary for a car after sitting for 5 months. Drove it around for 20 minutes or so, put it back in the garage.
I didn't have occasion to start it again until today, with the first cruise night in my town. It again started on the 3rd turn of the key. When I went to leave the cruise it decided to misbehave again. After 5 or 6 attempts, where it would just turnover without firing, except maybe a brief hiccup as I disengaged the starter rotating the key back toward off, I opened the hood and unplugged one wire from the ballast resistor, and plugged it back in.
Turned the key, BAM! Huge backfire through the muffler and caused the poor guys chatting by the car I was parked next to jump 3 feet in the air and mess up their shorts.  After apologizing to them and closing the hood, I sheepishly drove off home. Car fired up instantly when I restarted it a few times right after getting home.
I guess I'll start by cleaning the connector that plugs into the ballast resistor. Or maybe I should replace the connector.
A guy in my car club said I should just give up and install an HEI ignition system.

[dodj]

This is a decent explanation of fretting. Most fretting papers are dry and tough to read, this one is a little more laymans terms.

https://www.brakeandfrontend.com/tech-tip-so-what-s-this-fretting-corrosion-stuff-anyway/

[chargerdon]

After 5 or 6 attempts, where it would just turnover without firing, except maybe a brief hiccup as I disengaged the starter rotating the key back toward off, I opened the hood and unplugged one wire from the ballast resistor, and plugged it back in.

This is the classic case of the start circuit not providing enough (or any) voltage to the ECU to fire!!!!!   When releasing the key you switch to the run circuit and sometimes the rotation of the engine will give the burp or even start.    CLEAN THE Brown wire connections completely !!   Start at the Ballast resistor, then at the the engine side of the bulk head connector, then at the interior side of the bulk head connector, then at the flat connector on the steering wheel.        Make absolutely sure the bulk head connector for the brown wire is tight.!!! 

Lastly, if you cant get it resolved, as a last resort put in a bypass wiring...i.e run two wires from the starter relay to a momentary switch you can install on your lower dash next to the steering wheel...in black so no one sees it.    The two wires should connect to the main post on the starter relay and the second to the same post as the yellow wire.   Then if/when the car wont start but "blips" then turn the key to RUN, and push your momentary switch to force the starter to turn and you will start using the good run circuit and not the defective start circuit.   !!!    Then you will not be embarrassed at a car show !!!