A non-HAMBer in another forum I belong to is fighting a no-spark issue on a 1937 Buick, and I am reaching out to see if anyone in the area would be willing to look over his shoulder and give some guidance. Thanks!
If it's dead-dead at the distributor it may not be in the engine compartment. Those have an armored cable from the key switch, yes? They go bad, to see if thats the right direction simply hotwire it and see if all is well.
He's done that, as well as a few other tests I've tried to guide him through. Has power to the coil, test lamp on the distributor terminal flashes when cranking indicating points are working as they should. I pretty much boiled it down to condenser or bad coil, both of which he has replaced and still nothing at the plugs. He's also replaced the cap and rotor.
don't waste time w/ 'light' etc.-snapping the points makes a spark jump from coil wire to grd?-no,but have juice there=points--sand 'em
Power to the coil and signal should produce some spark out of the secondary tower, an inline spark tester should show this. Then use the inline tester at the cap to eliminate the coil wire, then use tester on wires out of the cap and see where the spark stops. Nothing out of the coil, check coil primary and secondary ohms, spark into cap but nothing out, check cap/rotor clearance, cap/rotor condition and make sure rotor is spinning with the shaft.
A bit of reading here might help you decide what to inspect further and what you needn't bother with. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/hot-rod-technical-library-basic-ignition-systems.983424/ Did a '37 Buick use a "stomp-switch" on the floor under the foot feed to start like '40s and '50s Buicks did? (I just love saying foot feed instead of gas pedal. ) Isn't that tied into the ignition system some way or another? Maybe also a switch somewhere in the throttle linkage . . . ?
I think the pedal start is starter only, nothing to do with spark. At least it is on Packard (like the Clipper era).
agreed-and this is a simple prob that people are not doing the simple test(s) that would have this running a lot sooner than me typing this!--
Hold the distributor end of the coil wire 1/4" from a good ground, then snap the points with the ignition switch on. If no spark it's either the coil wire is bad, coil or condenser. Assuming like you said, a test light flashed when you snapped the points, proving you have power at the points. If you have a spark at the end of the coil wire with this test, the problem is the cap or rotor, may have the wrong rotor, or carbon tracking in the cap.
I have seen oxidized contacts cause similar symptoms. They look "ok" but until you take them out and polish them they just dont work correctly. Heck I have seen new points with the same issue.
Unless it has been converted to 12 volts with a resistor and resistor bypass the coil should be getting power when cranking on a six volt system that is not missing anything. I'd say that isn't the issue though. Does he have the coil polarity correct? Coil polarity always matches battery polarity with no exceptions on oem applications. Rather than a test light when cranking I'd stick a dwell meter on it to read dwell or rpm either one and that should at least show that the points are controlling the function of the coil. Remembering back to when I was 16 and doing a tune up on my car that probably didn't need a tune up I got the lead from the condenser in the wrong spot when I put points and condenser in and it was actually over on the other side of the insulator block rather than against the lead from the points as shown on this old 216 Chevy distributor. Also make sure that the condenser is tight in it's holder. I've had replacement condensers that did not fit tight in the original holders. That is more prevelant now with one size fits a lot of applications ignition parts for older cars.
I guess I thought using the floor switch would provide full battery voltage to the ignition for cranking and starting by momentarily bypassing a ballast resistor. But with 6 volt electrics the resistor probably isn't needed.
Most of them had a contact switch in the throttle mechanism with a vacuum override so the starter wouldn't engage in normal operation. It's actually a pretty trick deal when it's right. Better yet? Startix. Just turn the key, if it stalls you get an instant restart. Nice when they're fussy n cold but you need to be aware during an inconsequential stall and stab the clutch. To avoid that the ign switch has 2 settings, Stx and Ign. So once started you can flip the key or switch the other way and the autostart is defeated. "Hey, no pics?" Ok, a pic (shagged from a net search)
I know the later Buicks (40s-50s) had a switch on the carb. It had a metal ball inside and made contact when full throttled to crank, then when started vacuum pulled the ball backwards so IF you full throttled again when running it wouldn't try to crank the starter.
Yep. You're both right. The starter switch isn't under the foot feed. (Damn, that's fun to say!) It seems to be under the hood and somehow connected to the throttle linkage. Sounds like maybe a "Rube Goldberg" contraption.
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