No spark

[Dude68]

I have new coil with condenser. There is 5.3 volts coming in to the coil from starter, 12 when being cranked, but nothing coming out of coil???? Any ideas?

A pic of where exactly neg wire from coil mounts in distributor would also help.

[Dude68]

It’s a 250 six cylinder

[Steeveedee]

The wire from the coil goes to the points. Have you recently replaced the points? That connector has to be insulated from the ground side of the points. I learned that lesson 56 years go, but I was working in the (literal) dark at the time.

[Dude68]

Everything has been replaced. Points, condenser, rotor, coil. Motor is rebuilt and this is first time to start. Grounded to points. I need a picture

One of the pics I have seen shows ground going to same spot condenser is connected

[Rust_never_sleeps]

Like this?

[Rust_never_sleeps]

I refer back to this animated video every time I forget the details, cuz it's never intuitive for me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqQE0xkCJ8c

[franken]

Stop replacing parts and research what the problem might be. Asking other people to vote on what the problem is won't help.

[Dude68]

I’m not replacing parts cause I have a problem I replaced all of these parts for the rebuild since it has been sitting since 1992. So, I have all new parts installed correctly and cannot get spark from coil. Except for the distributor it self and the cap. The parts appear to be installed correctly, I need that pic to verify that I had the ground from the coil in the correct position.
I have verified with 1.52 ohms resistance on the new coil with a multimeter.

So please no votes, just help a guy out with some suggestions.

It turns over and it is getting fuel.

If you hold the end of coil wire to head while cranking, no spark, buy as you turn ignition switch off the coil wire delivers a shock to your hand.

I appreciate the pic!!!!

I joined the site to learn and get help on the things I cannot remember. You guys built this truck with me, and it has been great. We are near the end!

[Dude68]

Originally Posted by Rust_never_sleeps

Like this?

EXACTLY what I needed. That’s where I have it!

Thanks

[Dude68]

Still no fire out of coil I got the old coil and hooked it up, no fire out from it either.

[raggedjim]

It sounds like the points are not opening to break the circuit. Especially if the coil wire shocks you when you turn the ign off.

Did you gap the points? Are they adjusted properly? They have to be closed when on the flats and open on the "points" of the cam.

[Dude68]

They are gapped. When the coil wire is detached from distributor and put close to block there is no spark, I got shocked doing this

[RichardJ]

>> Grounded to points. I need a picture
One of the pics I have seen shows ground going to same spot condenser is connected<<

>>, I need that pic to verify that I had the ground from the coil in the correct position.<<

"Ground from the coil", makes no sense.
There are polarity makings on the coil (+ and -). 12volts from the ign switch is connected to the "+" terminal. The "-" terminal is connected to the distributor wire.

If you have a condenser mounted on the coil, it would be connected to the "+" terminal. It has nothing to do with the operation of the ignition system. This condenser and another one like it on the voltage regulator is there to filter OUT electrical noise for the radio.
Vehicles originally sold without radios would not have those two condensers.

Yes, the Ign points ground the "-" terminal of the coil, but there is no ground wire connected anywhere.

You are getting spark. You mentioned getting shocked.

In all probability, you have the distributor installed incorrectly.

You have a new engine so don't be cranking the engine over with the starter anymore, until you get this figured out.
You say you have the points adjusted. Take the cap off and rotate the dist until the points are on any flat of the cam. Connect a plug wire, directly into the coil. connect a spark plug in the other end and ground that plug to a bare, clean spot on the engine.

With the ignition key ON (not cranking), push the points open with a plastic or wood stick. Each time they are opened, you should see a spark across the points and across the spark plug.

[raggedjim]

The points open up the coil primary winding causing it's field to collapse and induce the voltage in the secondary. When you turn off the ignition the field also collapses, that's why you can get a spark when turning the key off.

My money is on a problem with the points.

[RichardJ]

>>raggedjim
My money is on a problem with the points.<<

Could be. That's why I suggested the test above at the end of my way too long post.

If it passes the test above, then we can move on to making sure TDC compression was found, Then correctly installing distributor. Then move on to static timing the Ign.

[RichardJ]

Originally Posted by Rust_never_sleeps

I refer back to this animated video every time I forget the details, cuz it's never intuitive for me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqQE0xkCJ8c

That caption to the right is hogwash. The guy that wrote that had no idea how the secondary voltage is generated.

raggedjim did a much better job in his post above, explaining how the collapsing magnetic field generates the secondary voltage.

12volts creates the magnetic field, but the magnetic field creates the secondary voltage, after the 12 V is removed.

[Dude68]

My points gap is set at .016. Should it be wider?

[RustyPile]

As others have stated, cease operating the starter until the problem is solved.. The coil and the circuit between it and ignition switch is in proper working order.. The points provide the ground path for the coil primary winding.. When the points open, that ground path is interrupted, and spark occurs.. Somewhere along its path, that wire going to the distributor is grounded... Could be defective points, improper connection at the points, shorted condenser, or wire is grounded at the coil negative terminal..

[HO455]

No need to run the starter. Turn engine to TDC pull #1 plug, ground the plug. Now pull the distributor and verify the rotor is pointing towards the number one plug wire. In reality it will be slightly offset from the wire.

Now replace the cap, loosen the distributor lock down clamp and turn the distributor about 10 degrees counterclockwise.

Now turn the ignition on and turn the distributor slowly clockwise while watching the plug. When the points open the plug will spark. You can move the distributor back and forth as many times as necessary to test for spark.

When your done and ready to fire the engine. Move the crankshaft until the timing marks on the balancer line up to what you want your initial timing to be set at. Say 8 degrees, now hook up a timing light up and while pointing it on the balancer move the distributor back and forth until you have the distributor located where it needs to be. The timing light will flash just like the engine is running when the plug fires.

Then snug the distributor clamp down and start your engine with no worries about where the timing is set.

I've set the timing this way on many new engines and it's seldom more than 1 degree off of where I wanted it at.

Since it seems that you have spark on the lead from the coil to the cap I would inspect the cap. I've seen new caps with defective center buttons where it contacts the rotor.

You can also use the timing light on the coil wire to check it for spark while turning the distributor by hand.

One more thing I will add is 5.3 volts at the coil is low for a 12dc vehicle. It may be that your spark is too weak to jump the gap. You should be seeing more like 8 to 9 volts. I'm not up on 6 cylinder coils but is the 1.5 ohm coil for a truck with a ballast wire or for one with 12dc supplied to the coil?

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by Dude68

My points gap is set at .016. Should it be wider?

They used to say .019 for new points.
Once you reset the gap on a Dwellmeter, that goes out the window, as the Dwell is what you set the gap to. That is, setting to the dwell changes the gap.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by Rust_never_sleeps

Like this?

Wherever this pic came from, it looks like the advance canister isn't going to be able to move the breaker plate, and the wire will eventually pull out of that crimp connector unless it's PDT.

Also, there are a lot of people on this forum. Is there not some member who is watching this situation, who may be close by and knowledgeable enough to get this guy some help?

[Myself]

If you'd just switch over to electronic like the PerTronix,....this whole thread would be pointless............

[RustyPile]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

Wherever this pic came from, it looks like the advance canister isn't going to be able to move the breaker plate, and the wire will eventually pull out of that crimp connector unless it's PDT.........

Look closer Steven.. The condenser is mounted on the stationary plate.. The points are mounted on a separate "floating" plate.. The pivot point is visible near the "rear" of the condenser..

[RichardJ]

Steeveedee is correct. In this picture, I borrowed from the internet (HotSpark), it's easier to see that when the Advance pulls the point plate, the "primary lead wire" as the retailers call it must flex. In fact, that is why that wire often fails from the constant flexing.

raggedjim and RustyPile both pointed to this wire as being the possible sole source of the problem in this case.

I don't agree that >> "setting to the dwell changes the gap."<<

The real problem is that a lot of guys aren't as good at using the feeler gauge as they think they are. The feeler gauge must slide between the point contacts with slight drag, but IT CANNOT MOVE THE MOVABLE CONTACT AND POINT ARM WHILE DOING IT.

If you slide a .019" feeler between the contacts and it moves, even a little, you will NOT have a .019" gap.

The dwellmeter is just the truth teller.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by RustyPile

Look closer Steven.. The condenser is mounted on the stationary plate.. The points are mounted on a separate "floating" plate.. The pivot point is visible near the "rear" of the condenser..

When the breaker plate pivots with vacuum advance, that is going to pull on that wire. There should be some slack for the wire from the coil to flex when the breaker plate moves.