electrical question

both sides of my coil are hot with the points opened or closed why please help

 

Your points are not making contact. File them and make sure they are properly grounded.
Butch

 

and make sure the dizzy and breaker plate are grounded too

 

Check the wire from the distributor to the coil. If you have an ohm-meter, it should be a short. If it is open (broke, cut, crimped-on connector that is crap), then you'll never see a ground at the coil.

 

How are you checking?

Did you not read the responses to your previous post on this exact question two days ago?

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=133623

 

voltage is potential. All it shows is that voltage is present. It doesn't tell you if current is flowing, only that it is hot. It's available when the points close. When the points close the voltage is still there only now current is flowing. When the points open the current stops but the voltage is still there. There is "potential" for current flow.

Same thing with your battery. A meter shows voltage at the battery terminals whether there is any draw on the battery or not.

If you are testing a power window motor or a blower motor, if you have voltage all the way up to the motor but it doesn't run then you know the motor is bad. The voltage (potential) was there but the motor still didn't run...faulty motor. With a new motor the voltage tests will be exactly the same only this time the motor runs. Same principle...voltage is there whether the points are open or closed.

You need to read up on basic auto electricity. Try a Google search. If you are young, get as much as you can if you like cars. They are electrical creatures. You aren't alone. Others don't seem to grasp the concept either.