Working on stock 8BA distributor. When I install the condenser the points go to permanent ground whether points are open or closed. Remove the condenser and points act as they should, ground-open-ground. I have tried 3 different old condensers and 1 new one, same thing happens. Is the condenser supposed to be isolated when mounted? Right now it just screws to the plate, metal to metal. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Odds are Your ground strap under the advance weights is probably grounding under there. Had that happen and seen it happen before. Pull your weights and check it out. All that movement under there is prone to wear the insulation.
If you hook your ohm meter to the external wire on the distributor that leads to the points , hooked up properly on the points without the condenser hooked up you should have negligible resistance ( very good contact) ...with the points open your meter should read open....0 continuity....The condenser screws straight to the breaker plate and will show continuity albeit with a considerable amount of resistance....if your ohm meter is set to minimal resistance it will show continuity when the points are open.
@Petejoe, I checked the ground wire that comes from the coil into the distributer and under the plates, the insulation on it is good. With just that wire only hooked up to the points they work as they should. @King ford , I did the check, and it is like you say it should be. It's only when I hook up the condenser wire is when it goes to permanent ground. Driving me crazy man!!
Try checking that wire under the weights for continuity. It may look ok but has a hidden short. Anything under .3 ohms is a short.
Have you tried starting the engine or are you just going by your meter? Depending on the ohm setting of your meter the needle will sweep all the way to the right as it would if it were indeed a " short circuit ". Also if indeed the engine has no spark and you do get a very LOW ohm reading ONLY when the/any condenser you have on hand it appears to be the condensers....Aaron, how did this issue start, what exactly makes you certain hooking up the condensers is causing a short ??
I ***ume that you checked the condenser with your ohmmeter and it read open (it should). About the only thing it can be, based on your picture, is something wrong with the points or the connection to the points. It's hard to see, but the insulator on the point connection doesn't look too healthy.
Ok, so this morning I did some more troubleshooting. First I relocated the condenser off of the distributer plate, same problem. Then I removed the points with the condenser still off, so its basically just the plate left. I checked continuity between the - coil wire inside the distributer and the ground wire and plate. Had open circuit, so I knew my - coil side and my ground side were not shorted/connected. Replaced the points with a different set and still had open circuit when points were open, (= good). Installed condenser inside distributer and checked again, points open=open circuit, points closed=closed circuit,(=good). Put cap and rotor on, plug in #1 wire and grounded to head bolt, moved distributer and got 1 spark. I couldn't get it to repeat sparking by moving distributer back and forth, but I know I got at least 1 spark out of it. I think I'll wait to mess with it until the rest of the motor is ready to run on a run stand. Thanks for the help guys.
What I always seem to do is kinda reactionary. Get interested in my first Ford flathead, next thing I know I have 2 or 3 spare distributors. 2 or 3 carbs and a spare fuel pump. Go thru them and put em on the shelf till I get stuck figuring something out. Swap out and then examine the one didn't work. Lots of distributors on ebay. My shoebox is about ready for road trips. Thinking about little satin lined padded boxes in the trunk for spare chunks like that.
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