2F Ignition updgrade

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Ok, now we can move on. Good job.

According to Jim C, igniters rarely go bad...they can, but it's rare.

Condenser ? Yes, I believe yours should have one, and yes they do go bad. Can you take a pic of your distributor area and also your coil/igniter ?

And you do have the rotor installed, right ? I was trouble shooting a no start issue one time and found out it was because I forgot to put the rotor back on.

Pics will help. John

Edit: just now saw your pic. What's going on at 8 O'clock inside your dist. Could be bad lighting, but it 'appears' to have a defect at 8 o'clock.

Edit # 2: never mind the 8 o'clock thing, I see that's the slot for the rotor. It's on...right ?
 
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So with the key on, I get 12V across the terminals of the coil. I get 12V at the lead heading to the distributor. I took the #1 spark plug out, hooked it to the plug wire, had someone turn the key and held the plug onto the frame near where the motor mount is welded. No paint or bad corrosion on the frame in that area. Saw no spark. Moved the plug around the frame while engine was cranking over....no spark. Points are opening and closing as described in this thread. I can't figure out what's holding the spark back.
 
Have you tried to sand the contact area of the points... The contact area could be burnt thru bad oxidized or dirty

With the points way open look at the surface area of the points contact area... It should be clean flat metal surface...

When the points are closed ... Slide a nail file or double folded small piece of fine sand paper between the contact areas... Still with the points closed... Move the sandpaper/file and clean contact area...
 
Did not sand the contacts....they opened and closed with a good click, but I will try that.

As far as the voltage across the coil......when I used my multimeter attached to the coil, I got voltage readings all over the place (0-5V) and it jumped around. If I held the pos. end of the tester to the coil and the neg. end of the tester to the neg. post on the battery, I got right at 12V. I'm pretty sure I was testing with the points closed and the key on. I got 12V at the lead that connects to the dist. with the key on.

What reading should I get testing both sides of the coil with the key on and points closed?
 
if the voltage of the + of the coil drops much below 5V when the points are closed, then there is likely a bad connection upstream toward the ballast resistor, ignition wire and ignition switch.

There isn't much point in measuring voltage on an open circuit because it doesn't tell you much. It only tells you the wire is connected because it will always read battery voltage regardless of whether the connections are good or bad in terms of their resistance.
 
So I'll have to check again today, but the vehicle ran OK for the past few years, and then one morning I'm getting no spark. That's OK, I'll keep looking, but what would cause the spark plugs to burn so bad? Would a weak spark due to weak wiring cause that? It always cranked and ran, but over the past month I was getting a slight miss at idle, but at speed it was fine.
 
The spark plugs are not something I would worry about. They may be slightly on the cold side for your situation, but they may also just be old.

If you want to worry about something, then remove all the wire connections on the coil and ballast resistor and then shine them up and reinstall them.
 
Doesn't that Ignitor ground thru the mount to the fender? I know on my 78 and 79 Ignitors I had to have a good ground to the fender. Maybe try to clean that area up while you hit the other connections.
 
Yea....it grounds to the fender. I took the coil/ignitor off the fender.... Cleaned all connections and put it back on. No go.

Then I turned the engine over till the points were open.....tested voltage across coil.....can't get a reading with points open and key on. Stumped.

These have nothing to do with it, cause they have been this way forever, but I have 2 open connections coming off the ignitor.... Any clue?

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OK....just so I'm clear.....Pinhead, what do you mean by 0V on neg side and 12V on pos side? I'm putting both leads on the coil contact area. With the points open and key on, I get no reading. With the points closed and key on, when measuring at coil, I get random voltage numbers, it jumps around. If I hold the pos end of my tester on the coil and touch the neg side of the battery, I get 12V with key on.
 
I dont have an ignitor - so no help there.

Post up in the Old North State Clubhouse.. You probly have help nearby..... Seems like you have a bad connection - jut need to find WHERE it is.
 
onemanarmy said:
OK....just so I'm clear.....Pinhead, what do you mean by 0V on neg side and 12V on pos side? I'm putting both leads on the coil contact area. With the points open and key on, I get no reading. With the points closed and key on, when measuring at coil, I get random voltage numbers, it jumps around. If I hold the pos end of my tester on the coil and touch the neg side of the battery, I get 12V with key on.
Click to expand...

No. You put the - meter probe on the - side of the battery or the engine block and then you put the+ meter probe on the + or - side of the coil. Do this with the points closed. It doesn't mean much with the points open.
 
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