Hey guys having a hard time getting this straight 8 to start. Everything is free and the starter turns over the engine fine. Turns it slow but it's still a 6V. I can not get a spark. I have placed the coil, points, condenser, wires, plugs, rotor, distributor cap and plug wires. I have power to the coil but no spark. Help me out. What should I check next?
Well, you've replaced pretty much the entire ignition system. If you have a test light, or a voltmeter, connect it to the "points" side of the coil, and crank the engine, The light should flash or the meter deflect as the points open and close. If there is no flashing/meter deflection, your points need to be cleaned, readjusted, or the ground strap in the distributor that goes from the breaker plate to the body of the distributor may be broken. Not an uncommon problem. Also make sure the body of the distributor has a good ground. The distributor usually has a pretty decent ground just from the hold-down clamp and other metal-to-metal contact with the engine block, but stranger things have happened.
It could be as simple as some dirt/contamination on the contact points. With the points closed, insert a piece of heavy paper (like a business card) and withdraw it. That will usually clean the points. When replacing the points/condenser etc., you have to be careful to insure the parts are correctly connected and grounded parts are grounded and insulated parts remain insulated.
Thanks guys, it has to be something simple as I have replaced almost everything! ha Will try what you said and get back t you.
power to the coil.. did u check spark out of the coil? I've replaced coils and had to replace again. sometimes you get a dud. exterior ballast coil I take it? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Whats the best way to check park out of the coil? Use a test light at the end of the wire that goes to the center of the distributor?
pull the coil wire out of the center of the distributer and hold it near a bolt head on the head or near the top of the spark plug and crank the motor. if u see a spark and hear it snapping u have spark. if not then u need another coil. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I would take the advice and put the test light on the points side of the coil and see if it flashes when cranking the engine. If not, then check points, condenser, and the pesky small ground strap inside the disty that grounds the breaker plate.
Double check that the wires into and out of the coil are not reversed. That is easy to do, especially if they are marked + and - instead of BAT and DIST. Wired backwards they will produce a weak spark.
I know for sure that I have the hot wire from the ignition switch going to the + terminal on the coil. This is correct right?
Is it positive or negative ground? IIRC on a positive ground 6v car the coil is wired backwards to a normal 12v car. I don't think that you will need a ballast resistor for that system. Make sure your getting a full 6v to power (negative in this case) side of the coil.
Well the 6v battery has a power wire going from the + of the battery to the starter. So that should mean I should have power coming from the switch to the + side of the coil. If I am wrong let me know. I tried pulling the coil wire off of the distributor and touching it to the head to get a spark. I had no spark.
Yes. With your negative-ground system that is right. ... Someone already suggested the coil could be defective; I have encountered defective condensers more often. If you don't have extra new components, try the old ones.
Yes, positive terminal on the coil goes to the switch, negative to the points. And for those of you questioning the ballast resistor, there is none in a 6-volt system. If you happened to get a new coil with an internal ballast resistor, that would cause a weak spark, as ballasts are normally just used on 12 volt systems. Creepjohnny is assuming that your distributor ground, points, condenser and wiring are all correct when he describes the coil test. It's much more likely that one of the previously mentioned items is at fault.
Just now had time to work on it. I decided to take the points and condenser out and clean up the points plate as it was really dirty. Here is a pic of the distributor before I replaced anything. No there looked to be a riveted piece that was broken. Not sure what it went to and could not find anything about it in the manual. I circled what I am talking about. Looks like it might had just been a wire clamp to hold the connector lead wire. I had to replace the connector lead wire and the ground lead wire.
Update, I took everything apart and cleaned all connections. Turned it over and we have spark! Thanks for your help guys. Now, I'm going to power up the electric fuel pumps and get some gas to the carb.
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