flathead no spark #!%&*!!!!!!!!!!

ok here we go 1940 ford flathead stock distributor rebuilt from mac 1 year old , coil kit 1 year old , ballist resistor byp***ed new condenser ih-200 today new napa coil today took off the distributor looks fine points opening and closeing checked with ohm meter on the primary contact showing points are opening and closeing. power to the coil but no spark from coil wire when cranking what am i missing ? the distributor is turning good contact on all wires, good ground

 

Is the small tab for the condenser wire contacting anything it shouldn't and grounding out?

Flatman

 

no its not

 

Okay, sounds like a dumb question, but is your coil wire end getting all the way down in the coil? Some are deeper than others...

Flatman

 

Coil is shot.

 

yes the coil wire is all the way in and i have tryed 3 different coils one is new bought it today

 

Did you set the point gap correctly, or just ***ume that since the points are opening and closing, all is good?

 

Is your ignition switch wiring set up so that you get power to the coil when the key is on but may not be getting power to the coil when you are cranking the engine? The switch setup may be such that you are not getting power to the coil when you crank the engine.


I am going to ***ume that you are using the resistor because you converted the car to 12 volt. If it is still a six volt system you don't need or want the resistor.

The points serve as the switch to allow the magnetic field in the coil to saturate so that when they open the field collapses and that is what causes the spark to flow from the coil.

1. I'm with Allsteel36 in that are you positive that the points are adjusted correctly? ***uming that they were or still are without checking won't work as you have to positively know they are set correctly.

2. Are all of the wires and connections in their correct places and not making contact where they shouldn't. This includes a point or condenser lead on the wrong side of an insulator where it is grounded instead of working the way it should.

The coil can be checked easily enough with an ohm meter or coil tester but I wouldn't think that you had three bad coils.

 

try another coil wire,

 

point gap is good checked i adjusted them to .012 the book says .012 to .014 still useing the 6 volt system no ballist resistor and the truck was running before the trouble so its not the wireing

 

I use .014 to .016, per Motors Manual.

 

When it comes to wiring and electrical in general I'm dumber than a dog turd! But I have successfully wired my LSR sidecar and LSR bike. They are coil and points ignition. As simple as igniton can get. At one point I drove myself nuts trying to figure out why I had no spark. Turned out to be the condensor (or capacitor. Take your choice). Eventually I found I had put an insulation washer in the wrong position. Go back to the battery cable and work your way forward. You've done something wrong. The worst part is it is something simple and they are always the hardest to spot. The other alternative is to start a new thread condeming the person who rebuilt your distributor, NAPA for supplying a dud coil and anyone else within a 5 mie radius. Or have a friend with you. Sometimes a second pair of eyes can see something you missed.

 

Polarity on wire to dizzy? Wire from coil to dizzy must be same as battery ground. That means ingition wire must be opposite polarity. If this is a '42 thru '48 dizzy is the contact from the insulated stud on the dizzy housing making good contact on the points mounting plate? (It's a shoe looking thing).

Jim

 

i fooled with it all day and still have not found out why i have no spark i'm go to track down yet another coil and condenser and hope thats it

 

Have you checked all the grounds to the motor and body? Sounds dumb but you might not have a good ground, I'd also check to see if the distributor is fully grounded. Ii had a Studebaker flat 6 do this same thing to me.

 

i'll make sure to check them again thanks

 

I'm thinking the negative wire to the coil is shorted somehow, like through the washers, or ring terminal.

Either that, or maybe there is something in the points making them not contact.

Check the negative coil wire for a ground when the points are closed.

 

here is some cheap insurance, take jumper cable and hook it on dist. housing directly to battery post that is your ground then their is no guessing it's grounded.

 

I just went thru this on a 6V system and there is a felt washer under the points. If it is damaged, you are done. Ours acted the same EXACT way you are describing. Finally listened to my dad and replaced that little felt washer and it instantly fired up. The points were grounded.

Might be worth a look.

Kevin

 

Is the gap from the rotor to the cap good?

 

okay Im chiming in because i have an awesome idea...cuz its mine. Im also bald now from pulling out my hair on this same issue.
you said "coil kit"...I will ***ume this is an external coil kit...take the dizzy out or not if you can see inside with the caps off...
Make sure the spring on the bottom side of the coil kits plate is making contact with the cup on the points plate!!
if you replaced or flipped the cork gasket it might be too thick for the spring to make good contact!!
if thats not the problem just check it anyway, I will feel better then!!
Good Luck!!

 

It's alive ! Changed the distributor and it fired right up i think it was burned points or bad distributor i now have great spark thanks for all you help guys

 

Don't use the same condensor if points were burned. It will fry another set.

 

Phil you’re about 8 years too late here.