Points tech

I know this is a stupid question but can someone explain what the points do? Can the points and condensor be bad and still fire the plugs? Will an 8ba flathead not run at all if the points and or condensor are bad, even with good fire?

Thanks guys
I think I'm getting closer

 

points and condenser work with the coil to make fire....they all need to be working right for the engine to run. The coil and condenser make a tuned circuit that charges and stores energy while the points are closed, and when the points open the energy is released to the spark plug.

Misadjusted or dirty points will prevent the coil/condenser from charging fully, and the spark will be weak or nonexistent. Bad coil or condenser will also make a weak or no spark.

 

I hooked up a 12 volt battery but did not put a resistor inline from the hot wire to the coil. It ran good for a while. Could this have fried the points or condensor? I did changed the coil to a 12 volt. The thing that gets me is that it is still firing and the spark looks healty.If it did fry the points and or the condensor would that keep it from running?

 

Running without the resistor could fry the points, and it could be that you need to change some parts. I like to check the spark by taking an extra good plug, and cutting the ground electrode off. I then plug this onto a plug wire, and hold the plug body on a metal part of the engine, and crank it over. The modified plug has a much wider "gap' to jump than a normal plug...if the igntion system will fire this test plug, then it should have enough power to fire a normal plug under engine compression.

It's really hard to troubleshoot over the internet...but if you are getting a spark, and it's a healthy snapping spark, then you might want to look for other problems.

 

By passing the resistor will eventually FRY the points. In my experience this takes about 30 minutes, but I have heard others who have gotten away with it for much longer - better points - I dunno. But take a LOOK at the points - the arm will start to turn blue near the point area - that's a clue you've overheated them. Next look at the point surface itself - it'll look pitted - you can take some FINE sandpaper and smooth it over, but that's a temporary fix but ought to give it a tad better spark. Remember the points serve two functions - first to make/break the circuit and next the amount of time they are closed needs to be sufficient to saturate the coil - not setting the dwell correctly is another reason for weak spark.

Bottom line the points and or condensor could be "bad" and still fire the plugs the problem will be that the spark will be WEAK - maybe so weak that it will appear to jump the gap on your bench test but won't have enough uumph to fire under cylinder pressure (which raises the voltage requirement) so the question is what does your spark LOOK like - a nice fat blue spark is a GOOD thing - a narrow white and or yellow spark indicates trouble.


Also check your distributor cap - a carbon track or even a tiny crack can wreak havoc as well.

A bad condensor can also result in no or weak spark. Part of the condensor's job is to provide a "clean break" - when the points open the voltage will spike trying to maintain the current flow - this left alone will eventually burn your points just like running no balast resistor - the condensor "absorbs" this excess energy allow a "clean break" the clean break maximizes your coils energy flow. Having a "dirty break" will allow the voltage to bleed off reducing the energy to the coil.

That's my take on it all - but then again - I'm MECHANICAL not ELECTRICAL so who knows which terms I got mixed up!!!!!

 

I'm a mechanical engineer too...but the other guys in my family are EE types, so I absorbed some of how electricity works. I find that EE types are not very good at explaining electricity, because they know too much about it!

You did fine....