Oh no What have I done

[Rodney Bullock]

Well, after the movie stuff I decided to drive my car today, nothing but bad luck( I won't get into it) I got back home and the wife says" The car just dosen't sound and start right" So I take the dis.cap off and clean the points with emory clothe and then clean the rotor button and now the car won't start. I pulled the dis. cap back off turned it upside down and I can push the terminal for the coil wire in and out. It like moves when I put my finger on it. Which thing do you think is stopping it from starting? or is it both, I also cleaned the points with the emory clothe as well, If it anin't broke don't fix it is my motto however I had to listen to that little voice. Big cruz in tonite and I'm waiting for the stuff to come in tomorrow. Man I feel real bad:confused:

[Don Coatney]

Rodney;

Well Einstein you should know that the button inside the distributor cap that makes contact with the rotor is spring loaded. Is that what you are talking about? You need three things to happen to start an engine. Fuel delivery, compression, and spark at the right time. What one are you missing?

[Arthur1947]

Rodney,

Perhaps the rubber dust cap on your coil wire was pulled outward away from the dizzy cap allowing it to wiggle and not make contact? Not sure what type of wires you're using. My guess is there is a bad wire connection?

Best.

ARTHUR

[JIPJOBXX]

Sounds like my old 42. I took it out today and stopped over at a friends house and wouldn't you know it after only being there for about 5 minutes I got back into the car and it wouldn't start up either. So I got out my trusty tools and pulled out one of the spark plugs thinking that maybe the engine was flooded but no the plug was dry. So next I thought I would try out the rotor cap inspection and it checked out ok and even moved the distributor to see if it had somehow moves out of the proper ignition sequence. Nope it was still in the proper location. Still wouldn't fire up!!!!!!!!!!!! So next I got some water from a nearby hose and cooled down the gas line leading from the fuel pump to the carburetor-nope it wouldn't start again. So with flustration at it full peak I just said I guess I will just haft to leave it and get a ride back home with my buddy.

Well anyway we went in had a beer and sat around for an hour or and just when we were going I tried the car once more and it fired right up!!!!!! Boy this is frustrating! What in the hell is going on??? Could the gas be boiling out before the carburetor and how could I tell this was happening after it happens again. I could be getting vapor lock but how can i fix that? Is there something I could rap around the tubing running from the fuel pump up to the carburetor??

Oh yes one more thing I do notice that the electrical arc that is produced from the coil is sort of a dull yellow- shouldn't this be more of a bright blue??? Is there away to test the coil to see if it putting out enough juice to fire the plugs? Well lots of things going on and it is flustrating not to know what to look for or how to fix? Thanks Jon

[Rodney Bullock]

Spark at points when switch is on no spark at plugs when turning it over

[JIPJOBXX]

What happens when you ground out your point with a screw driver and hold the coil wire away from a negative source? Do you get a spark from coil wire or not? Jon

PS. Will try that coil idea out-thanks

PS. Again the car starts right up when its cooled down so I suppose it could be a bad coil but is there an electrical test that can be preformed that will measure the current that generated from the coil when it is not installed?

[Rodney Bullock]

Rodney' date='

Seems like I remember you looking for a coil sometime ago. Did you buy a new one, or an old NOS one? Sounds like you may either have a bad coil connection, rotor, bad cap or the coil itself is bad.[/quote']I stop fooling with those nos coils long ago, I have 4 of them sitting on my antique radio:) I have a new 6 volt coil, problem is nothing was wrong until I sanded the rotor than it stop starting, the cap situation was an observation I made when checking the cap. I know it is spring loaded however I should not be able to pull it out or push it though til it's almost unseen , should I?

[Jim Saraceno]

If you have spark at the points then the primary is good. If no spark at the plugs the problem is at the secondary.

So, pull the center cap wire and see if you get spark directly off your coil. If not, it's probably a bad coil.

If yes, then the problem is in your cap, rotor or plug wires. Caps and rotors are cheap, just replace them.

I have the old plug wires that you cut to size then crimp an end onto. I've had those ends lose contact before. Cut them off and put a new end on. I've also had the problem of pulling a wire from the cap and not seating it properly when I replaced it.

Aw heck, I've done a lot of stupid things. I could go on for a long long time...

[Normspeed]

Shel, you beat me to it. Been there, done that!

[tctrkca1]

Don't forget the condensor.The wire often breaks internally because of the advance.Fingers could of inadvertinly completed the break by a tug while around points.Jim

[Rodney Bullock]

I got a rotor today, installed it and.....no start. I got the wife out(her idea that started the whole thing) and she turned the car over I held the spark plug wire and no spark at the plugs. There is something I have always noticed about my car, when I turn the switch on The "Amp gauge needle" always jumps alittle. It's not doing that now at all. I think the cap is not completing the curcuit. The cap will be here at the store in the morning so I can try it than. The rotos has a "square side" inforced by a metal peice so I can't be installed wrong unless you force it. Oh and yes it's not on the fender:) I even switched coils and nothing. I think the spring loaded terminal inside the cap is broken and that's why I am not getting any spark to the plugs, that how they are powered right? any thoughts?

[Rodney Bullock]

Meanwhile back at the cap. I'm not sure we have resolved "the what part of the cap is moving" part of this yet. If we have, just ignore me:D

Here is a pic of the cap for an IGS dizzy. The spring loaded carbon center contact can actually be gently pushed in to where it is recessed into the cap.

The outer side of the cap where the wire goes in has no, and should have no, movement.

Being that it is now "tomorrow", Rodney probably now has his new parts:)

Shel, the ceter contact can be pull out, to the point where I can see the spring. The plastic around it is broken and I don't think that is right. When I looked at the one in the store(which was wrong for my car) it could be pushed in as well. The one I saw had a very long tower for the coil wire to be incerted into , mine has a short tower.

[Rodney Bullock]

If you have spark at the points then the primary is good. If no spark at the plugs the problem is at the secondary.

So, pull the center cap wire and see if you get spark directly off your coil. If not, it's probably a bad coil.

If yes, then the problem is in your cap, rotor or plug wires. Caps and rotors are cheap, just replace them.

I have the old plug wires that you cut to size then crimp an end onto. I've had those ends lose contact before. Cut them off and put a new end on. I've also had the problem of pulling a wire from the cap and not seating it properly when I replaced it.

Aw heck, I've done a lot of stupid things. I could go on for a long long time...

All those mistakes made you very knowlegeable Jim, I need to make a short list of how to check these things. Primary, secondary. Just because I have spark at the points(when switch is on and points are opened, doen't mean I have spark at the coil. I guess testing the secondary is turning it over and seeing if you have spark at the plug. this is the same way you test for a problem with the rotor or the cap, they send spark to the plugs right.

[Arthur1947]

Rodney,

Perhaps its the muffler bearing?

Best.

ARTHUR

[Don Coatney]

There is something I have always noticed about my car, when I turn the switch on The "Amp gauge needle" always jumps alittle. It's not doing that now at all. I think the cap is not completing the curcuit.

Rodney;

The flicker in your amp gauge occurs when power is supplied from the key switch to the primary side of the coil. You need to use a test light to insure you have power going to the ignition side of the coil. If you do then use the test light to insure that you have power going through the coil to the distributor on the small low voltage wire. Next check for power to the points inside the distributor. Then inspect the small wire inside the distributor to make sure it is not grounding out. Then insure that your points are gapped correctly @ twenty thousands. Then pot everything back together and start it up.

[De Soto Frank]

Rodney,

Does the ammeter needle wiggle back and forth slightly as your crank the engine over ?

If not, there is something wrong in the primary circuit, per Don Coatney's post above.

If you're getting spark at the points (dizzy cap off, switch on, points closed: pry them open with a piece of wood or plastic), then it would seem you have primary current through the coil to the points.

What kind of condition is that evil little jumper wire inside the distributor in ?

The jumpers have been known to either chafe and short-out against the distributor body or the wires will fracture inside the insulation, and create an open circuit, while looking "normal".

De Soto Frank

[Rodney Bullock]

I have replaced the cap, rotor and coil. I tested the coil wire with switch on, it lit at the pos+ side and it lit at the neg- side. So I am right, the neg side goes to the dist? right. Then I tested the points with switch on separated the arm good spark. When the wife turns the motor over and I hold spark plug wire away from plug I see no spark. I removed the cap and inspected the small wires this tray is new so I tried the screws, not loose or frayed. If I got another points tray would that replace all the small wires? I don't know what to try next:mad:

[steveplym]

I have replaced the cap, rotor and coil. I tested the coil wire with switch on, it lit at the pos+ side and it lit at the neg- side. So I am right, the neg side goes to the dist? right. Then I tested the points with switch on separated the arm good spark. When the wife turns the motor over and I hold spark plug wire away from plug I see no spark. I removed the cap and inspected the small wires this tray is new so I tried the screws, not loose or frayed. If I got another points tray would that replace all the small wires? I don't know what to try next:mad:

If your car is 6V positive ground the negative side of the coil would go to the switch and the positive side would go to the distributor.

I did the same thing when changing points a few years back and was at wits end why it wouldn't start, until a friend of mine said, "Hey, you're coil wires are backwards."

[Don Coatney]

I don't know what to try next:mad:

Clean and gap your spark plugs. That was probably the original problem.

[Arthur1947]

Rodney,

This might help.

Best.

ARTHUR

[Rodney Bullock]

Why me:) why me all the time.

Ok I have been working on this thing for all of two day s now. I kept cranking on it until the starter relay poped, gave a spark than would not do anything. I went to get another one and do some work on the stude. When I got back home I loosened the bolts on the power side of the starter relay and got power again. when I switched the key on, the amp meter jumped like old times so I tried starting it, it turned over however did not start.

Question although I have a spark when I touch the points (with key on) could the points still be bad? I am not transfering the spark to the plugs. If I have spark and fire everywhere but the plugs how do the plugs get fire.

[Don Coatney]

Clean and gap your spark plugs. That was probably the original problem.

[Rodney Bullock]

I have been testing for spark at the points:( what I have been doing is touching the screw driver to the plate that's what's been sparking. The point gap itself has no spark. I pulled the points and found that the points have a burn on them and a swirl like hole:rolleyes: going to get some more points as soon as the rush hour traffic dies down.

Don, my plugs are clean, I checked the gap before it went to the movis set, the car runs very much soot free. There is no heavy odor coming from the tail pipe. I get a little condensation at start up. I think and hope this is the problem. I have not changed the points since I built the car, that after the situation with the guy at the paint shop leaving the key on and burning up the switch as well as the battery. It may be time to change them anyway after all the stuff that has been done to the girl.

[Rodney Bullock]

Rodney,

This might help.

Best.

ARTHUR

Authur, I was tell Don, chet and Greg that I don't drink, I have not had a drink in about 24 years. The truth is I can't handle it. If I was to drink just a 4oz. glass of that old jack I would be in jail without the bail. I would lose control when I drank and had to be told what happened the next day. So when I need to relax I........ well it involves a chick:cool: GET IT, Good day!

[JIPJOBXX]

Rodney when you short out your points and remove the coil wire and hold the wire a 1/4" away from your grounding source. You should get a nice jump from you coil wire! But don't make yourself the ground!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!This should clarify that your coil is working.