The miserable beast now won't start at all. No spark (confirmed at plugs). Wires, plugs, cap, rotor, coil all work. The problem seemed to be time/heat related. Whatever caused the ignition to die after 5 min but allowed a restart 5 min later has now died. It won't start at all.
I have tried 3 powerstages from cars that were running. I put a good layer of thermal compound between the stage & heatsink.
No oil inside dist cap. I pulled the distributer & the hall sensor wires & connector are good. There is 12 VDC at the powerstage & all resistances/voltages are as listed in FAQ.
I have tried 2 ignition computers, I even tried 2 different ECU's & AMM's (getting desperate).
After I pulled the distributer I rotated it by hand & checked voltage from ground to pin 24 of the ignition computer. The power is disconnected to the coil for this test. The voltage went from 5 VDC to 0 VDC & back to 5 VDC just like it should. Every time the sensor triggered there was a short pulse sent to the injectors (dble checked w/ a noid light).
The tests I have done are the ones for EZ117 ignitions in the FAQ.

The only odd thing is that when cranking the engine the tach doesn't move at all. This is supposed to be the quick way of testing the Hall sensor. The tach needle jumps slightly when the key is first turned to ignition on. The needle doesn't move again.
I'm going to get a distributer from the wrecker tomorrow then if it doesn't work the SOB is going to a garage before I set it on fire.

If you use a plug wire connected directly to the coil output, lay the plug across the valve cover and get the plug to spark, then the coil is good, power stage is good. Hall sensor in the distributor, or the entire distributor itself.
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Post Back. That's whats makes this forum work.

VOLVOS NEVER DIE.....KEEP TRYING...ITS PROBABLY THE DISTRIBUTOR...SAME PROBLEM I HAD SWITCHED DISR. PROBLEM SOLVED ONLY 1 THING YOU DON'T KNOW 100 % A JUNKYARD DIST IS GOOD EITHER

What was stopping it starting now works but it will only run for 5-10 minutes. After it dies no spark. Confirmed at plug wire w/ a variable spark gap tester. 5-10 minutes later you get a confirmed spark.

This is definately time/heat related & definately not the powerstage. Everthing points to the hall sensor.

During all this I found there is one thing I want confirmed from the FAQ 700/900. Under Electric: Ignition System/ Basic operation & TSing of the EZ117K. There is a measurement test table partway thru for EZ117/118 Bosch LH2.2. The test for the powerstage plug,terminal 1 & ground I got 12 VDC all the time. Test says is 12 VDC when rotor fires, so not all the time.

The problem is when I checked the Hall sensor it sent the right signal to the ignition module & the injectors were pulsed. So the Hall sensor is working.

I'm going to put a new sensor in it then I give up.

Thanks

I think the FAQ is wrong there. I don't know EZK in detail, but PS #1 connects to Coil #1, where the PS functions just like old-fashioned ignition points:

A) Provide a ground most of the time, letting the Primary coil winding build a strong magnetic field.

B) Open that ground at the right time, so the Primary field collapses. This is what creates the high (spark-jumping) voltage in the Secondary winding.
This field collapse ground pulse also drives the Tach.

C) The PS is "triggered" to open the coil ground by the ICM, in response to timing pulses from the Hall sensor.

I would suspect "C" is failing. With all the swapping you've done, I doubt either the ICM or Power Stage are at fault. And even though you've changed the Hall sensor (I think), that's where the percentages point—perhaps the connector. The ICU isn't getting the timing pulses to trigger the PS.

Maybe when it's dead you could test it statically, like when you got the injectors to pulse—probe PS #1 unplugged to see if the +12V drops when you manually initiate the Hall pulse. It will be of very short duration, and may be hard to see on a meter (I've never tried it).

Actually, it would be easier to see with a 12V test light, right at Coil terminal #1 with the PS connected.
With Key On the light will be bright (12V flowing thru Primary -- PS open internally).
When cranking, the light should flash if PS is OK, AND being triggered by the ICM.
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Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

Bruce my bet is you are right. Took one more little kick at it. Can't get the hall sensor till tuesday.
Started it up, it died 5 minutes later. Cranked it over..no spark. The tach didn't jump either.
Hosed the distributer down w/ some propellant from a spray can (cooled it down) Cranked it w/ the coil lead pulled...the tach jumped. Plugged the lead back in & it fired right up. Died 5 minutes later.
Tough learning experience but I feel confident that's it.
Thanks all.

I ask before, have you checked for spark directly from the coil when this happens?
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Yes. I checked for spark at a plug to ground. That checks the whole system. The problem is that the ignition fails after 5 minutes. If you wait 5-10 minutes it will work again.