This may sound kinda elementary, but the same thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I had just replaced the points, condensor, cap, plug wires, plugs...the whole bit. Anyway, I was not getting any spark anywhere. We'll anyway, I opened the cap to have one more look and that is when I had a stroke of luck. There is a ground wire that is attached to a screw on the points. When I had hooked the ground wire back up it had twisted slightly and was making a tiny bit of contact with another piece of metal. We'll I simply twisted it back straight, put the cap back on, and it fired right up. Not saying this is what your problem is, but it happened to me, so it could happen to you to.
Just focus on school and forget about this until this afternoon. I will walk you through it to a solution. I won't talk to you anymore while you are in school.
right, thats what i did, when at the highest point of the cam, theyre set at 20 if i remember correctly. ill try it. hope thats what it is..
Relax take a step back making the old car go is supposed to be fun. An Irishman once told me a good round damn won't see you into the gates of hell everytime. Pete sez maybe your not getting power, or the components are not assembled correctly. Speaking of correctly I gave bad instructions on how to check the condenser/capacitor sorry. The capacitor/condenser is a short after wire touches case hold it tight a second rub to clean metal. Power charges it to open, like the russian olympic weight lifter it will support DC voltage once it charges. Every system is a coil and condenser, always. The electronics just replace the points only, the condenser can mount anywhere in parallel to ground with switch path in series to hot. Get the meter, we'll first test for proper assembly. The points closed should read perfect short circuit. This the point contact test, and must pass. Less than one ohm of resistance, no multipliers.
Condensors cause about .25% of all ignition problems. 99% of all ignition problems are due to the use of telephone wire to rewire cars in a trailer court. You're both in Houston, go help him if your mom will let you out.
Are the points touching at the lowest point of the cam? If not, you won't get spark. Don't just eyeball it. (Ask me how I know.) With the points closed (cam at the lowest point), and the distributor cap off, turn the ignition to run and use an insulated screwdriver to flip your points open. You should see a bright blue spark between the points. If not, you've either got wiring problems or your points never close all the way. Big Pete explained how to test this with a multimeter, but this is the quick and dirty way.
Hang in there Hop-up, we'll get you through it. You did put the rotor in, right? Really the first step is make sure you have 12 volts at the coil with the key on. Has to be there during starting too, but I don't want to suggest replacing an ignition switch yet. CONDENSOR, CONDENSOR, CONDENSOR. Its cheap and easy enough to rule out once its changed. Post a picture of the inside of the dizzy if you can.
I've had cases where this not necessarily applies. I bought a set of points from Auto Zone=(shitty parts) put a new condensor as well as points, this was a Delco distrib, + the easiest unit ever to replace points cap & rotor, Stuck their points in. no start, stuck my 20 yr old points back in fired right up! They are still in there! At some point in the Chinese MFG'g process of Auto Zones suppliers of ignition replacement parts, this one failed QC and was put in a box. There is an open somewhere in their construction and they were not transferring spark @ all. So depending on where you bought your parts, check those guys too! Not all new parts are good parts
Hop up. Where are you located in Houston? I am in Spring (North on I-45). If your somewhere close, I'll come by and help. I have the technology Lolife. my mom stopped worrying about me sometime back in late 63 or early 64. Can't remember now.
Im in katy, right off mason road. If i cant get this thing goin in a day or two, id be happy to take you up on your offer. ill figure someway to pay ya. frank, heres the dist.
Let's assume your problem is in the primary circuit. Use the split-half method of troubleshooting. We'll pick a component somewhere near the middle of the circuit and determine on which side of that component the problem is. Let's choose the coil. 1. Disconnect the wire from the coil to the distributor (the small wire, not the one from the center of the coil to the center of the dist.). 2. Measure voltage from that coil post to ground with ignition switch on, but without turning the engine over. If you have voltage, retest with the engine cranking over. What do you have?
def. have power there. my meter was readin it. also, i did the screw driver between the points, when i pulled it out, it sparked blue.
OK. Everything hooked up. Bump the engine 'till the points are open. Do you still have voltage at the coil?
I had the same problem on my last tune up. Changed points, condenser, rotor, cap, coil - they were all over 30 years old so it was about that time. I was about to go to the shop with my tail between my legs and ask them to bail me out, when I decided to change the battery leads as a last resort. Turned out they were so old that they were soaking up 2 1/2 volts from a 6 volt car and that was the problem! It started right up after that. The other thing I haven't seen anyone mention is a DWELL meter! Feeler guages only get you so far, but the published gap on a 50 year old motor is probably not even close to what you really need to set. Your volt meter probably has a dwell setting and there are articles all over the internet to show you how to use it. I wish I had even known what a distributor was at age 15 so keep at it and be patient and you will do fine. Good Luck!
The indications are an open between the coil and points. Can you ohm out the wire from the end that attaches to the coil to the moving part of the points. Best to do this with the wire disconnected from the coil and with the points open. That takes everything else out of the circuit. That wire should end at the same point and be in contact with, the wire coming out of the condensor. I can't see it in your picture.
What I'm saying is that the wire from the coil to the distributor should go to the same point that the little wire coming out of the condensor goes to. What kind of car is this? Is it a negative ground?
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