Hi All, After cleaning, gaping, and replacing the condenser on the distributor. I was ready to crank her over to she if she had spark, but when I cranked her over there was no spark. I believe the distributor is the culprit of my problems. I have a brand new coil, the coil is getting power, the plugs are new all of them, and there is no frayed or broken wires in my wiring set up. Has anyone ever had this problem? Also how hard would it be to change over the distributor? Replacing it with another that is identical. The reason is that I can not get a new cap and rotor arm for the one that is on the engine. Thanks, Paul
Yes, I've had this problem where EVERYTHING checks out and still no spark - in our case it was a BAD INTERNAL GROUND from the POINT PLATE to the DISTRIBUTOR BODY.
Testing points and wiring: Take a test light, with key ON, test the power side of the coil. If it is a Positive ground car, that would be maked - minus, or could be "batt". The test light should be lit. Now test the other small terminal on the coil. If the points are closed, the light will be off. When the points are open, the light will be on. It should blink on and off as you crank the starter over. if the test light does not go out with points closed, the points are dirty with a speck of something, or ungrounded point plate like was already said. If the test light refuses to light with points open or closed, it could be a chafed wire going to the points, or a shorted condenser, or a shorted coil. I know a place that should have a NOS cap and rotor for most cars.
Yes, a bad ground was the first thing that popped into my head as well. Good power to the (new)coil, condensor is good, plug wires good....your points would run like crap before just puking all at once. Re-check your ground, hope that's it. F&J....nice!
I will check this tomorrow. On the coil, how would I run the wires? because it is a positive ground car
On my son's car we had a thin coat of corrosion on the lead wire from the coil where it attached to the points. Removed the wire, cleaned it with a file, reassembled it and had spark. I have also seen that lead wire being bad and have replaced them. When your checking your coil with a test light, you can also check for power to the points. You can also get a spark from the coil by opening and closing the points with a screwdriver. Turn the motor over until the points are closed, push the point arm open, should get a spark from the coil if the key is on. Badly pitted points sometimes don't close correctly and then you won't get a spark. The points have to close completely and they have to open for a spark to occur. Gene
on the coil side. How would I run the wires on the coil. I have a positive side and one side that says distributor. Would I hook this up opposite since it is a positive ground?
If that coil does have a "+" and "dist", then I would assume it is a negative ground coil from a different car. Does it say 6V anywhere?..including the bottom of the coil, underneath? Let's say it was a 6V neg ground coil from another car, I am thinking it should be OK if you switch those wires. Put the terminal that says "dist" going to the keyed power, then put the "+" side to the dist. If that coil was marker "bat" instead of "+", then I would assume it really was a 6V positive ground. Mainly because coils marked like that were very old, and most cars were positive then.
Did you gap the points with the rubbing block on the point arm on one of the high points of the distributor cam lobe? And did you set the gap at it's specification which should be around .016 or did you set it at the spark plug specification which is probably .035. Those are two things i have seen time and time again when guys install points in a car who aren't used to doing it on a regular basis. And did you put the rotor back on before you put the cap back on? Silly as it sounds I have seen it done more than once. If the points are new and set correctly with a good condenser you should not see a spark across the points when you crank the engine over. You should get a spark from the coil secondary wire to a ground though.
It should go like this.... If everything is wired properly then you most likely have a ground issue in the distributor as stated above.
I have to coil installed correctly, with the correct wiring. I gaped the point at its correct .020", and it does have the rotor on I actually hot wired the car. I had to make my own wiring harness to get things to work. I have a wire running off the negative to a toggle switch to be a makeshift ignition. then it runs down to the negative or - on the coil. I then on the other side of the coil I have a wire that goes from the positive or + to the distributor. Tomorrow I'm pulling the distributor, to change the points. Turns out I can get replacement parts from Napa, but it doesn't help that I had to search online to find them. The kid at the counter searched specifically for a Hudson Commodore 6 A, and didn't understand that almost all the parts are compatible with each model. I have checked with the manual and they are. How hard is it to pull a distributor, I have never done it before. Thanks, Paul
The battery positive should be connected to the frame and negative to starter on a positive ground system, correct?? Check for continuity between the point plate in distributor and the fixed side of the points. I found a set of points that was not contacting the points plate. Must have been some corrosion or something. First time I ever saw that happen. All of a sudden, I had ground thru the points and spark. You do NOT need to pull the distributor to change the points! Screwdriver takes out one screw (which holds the points in AND is the adjuster). You may need a small wrench to loosen the wire. IF you NEED to pull the distributor, (some find it easier to get the point gap right with it out) it is not difficult, but I recommend removing #1 plug and rolling motor over (in direction it runs) to find Top Dead Center of #1 cylinder (top of compression stroke), to make it easier to put dist. back in the right position. Before loosening dist. clamp and removing, check to be sure rotor is pointing somewhere near where the wire that goes to #1 sits in cap. Mark where rotor points on distributor and match that up when you put it back in. When reinstalling, you will see rotor shaft turn as dist slides down drive gear. You may have to pull it back out slightly and back it up one tooth to get rotor pointed to the proper spot on dist body. There may be an oil pump drive or something that the bottom of the drive gear fits into that will need to line up before the dist will drop all the way in. (Another reason for putting on #1 TDC before removing) Try to leave room to move dist in either direction for timing, before reinstalling clamp. All you are trying to do is get rotor pointing at a place on the cap where a wire goes in. You can reposition the #1 wire to that hole and then the others following the firing order. Just make sure you know which direction the dist shaft rotates before you change any wires.
Do you know how to check continuity? Sears sells a volt meter in the $20 range that has an audio position on the dial. When you touch the probe tips together, you get a continuous beep. Put dial on that position, and touch the point plate and the stationary side of the points. If it beeps, you have continuity. If not, it is a problem, because that is the ground that passes thru moving side of points, thru the wire, to condenser and coil connection. If you get continuity in all these places when points are closed, you may have the wrong coil (for negative ground) or a bad one. I have seen cars run with coils wired backwards, but not very well.
Check your picktail wire going from your points, through the distributor body to the coil. it should go through a rubber bushing. it may be shorting out at that point.
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