Model A still wont start

[Tom Wesenberg]

Unscrew the cable from the distributor, then connect the voltmeter to the brass contact with the key on. Measure the voltage, then keep measuring as you push the contact in and flex the cable. If the voltage always stays at 6+ volts, then the cable should be OK.

 

[Mitch//pa]

Do what Tom says on the above post..



When screwing the armored cable into the distributor it only needs a few turns to make contact. Screwing it in all the way can cause it to short by pushing the buss bar in to far thus contacting the distributor housing.

 

[Terry NJ]

Do you have a Ohm or a Continuity function on your meter? (Most meters have a continuity function that buzzes with a closed circuit) A closed circuit in this case, is a short circuit. An open circuit is a circuit that is not closed. And a high resistance is a circuit that only lets partial voltage through. Frayed wires are a good examples of high resistances because as more and more wires fray and break the ones that are still carrying the voltage. This cause heat! The higher the heat, the more resistance, the more resistance, the higher the heat.
I think your next move will be to remove the distributor, if you haven't done so yet. Squirt lots of of penetrant around the base of the Distributor and let it soak for a while. Sometimes they come out easy and sometimes they don't.
Terry

How do I find out if wire is grounding out inside armored cable. I only have small window of time to work on it after work so that's why it's next day before I am able to complete some of ideas you guy have. If i unscrew the armored cable from the distributer should I check for voltage there. I will recheck readings tomrow with let on and off as well as check for 6v going in and out of ignition which I think I have since I have 6 volts at end of coil wire where it goes into cap.

 

[Terry NJ]

Do you have a Ohm or a Continuity function on your meter? (Most meters have a continuity function that buzzes with a closed circuit) A closed circuit in this case, is a short circuit. An open circuit is a circuit that is not closed. And a high resistance is a circuit that only lets partial voltage through. Frayed wires are a good examples of high resistances because as more and more wires fray and break the ones that are still carrying the voltage. This cause heat! The higher the heat, the more resistance, the more resistance, the higher the heat.
I think your next move will be to remove the distributor, if you haven't done so yet. Squirt lots of of penetrant around the base of the Distributor and let it soak for a while. Sometimes they come out easy and sometimes they don't.
Terry
Another point, If you do remove the distributor, It MUST be removed straight up, at least for the first 1/4 inch. Lift it gently with a small prybar and tap it lightly with a plastic or rubber hammer. There is a locating pin that fits a hole in the head. It must be clear of this hole before it can be rotated.
Terry

How do I find out if wire is grounding out inside armored cable. I only have small window of time to work on it after work so that's why it's next day before I am able to complete some of ideas you guy have. If i unscrew the armored cable from the distributer should I check for voltage there. I will recheck readings tomrow with let on and off as well as check for 6v going in and out of ignition which I think I have since I have 6 volts at end of coil wire where it goes into cap.

 

[Hook]

I think we all agree the problem is the voltage is only 1.2 volts at the moveable arm. My suggestion to try moving the key in the ignition switch and few times and checking to make sure the voltage doesn't drop at the moveable arm is that it doesn't require taking anything apart to check it. If the voltage changes, it is probably the ignition key. If not, it might be the wire inside the armored cable going from the switch to the distributor. The only way to check that as others have stated is to remove it from the distributor by unscrewing the large end that enters the distributor. That means you have to either remove the distributor from the engine or remove the wire from the back side of the switch, pull the wire out from behind the dash, then unscrew it from the distributor.
I did all this last fall after mine quit on the way home. I found I had both a bad switch that had been packed with grease, causing intermittent voltage at the distributor, and a frayed wire inside the cable going to the distributor. I figured this out after buying a complete new distributor cause I hadn't asked for help like you are! Keep after it, your getting close.

 

[100IH]

Follow the diagram that Mike provided. You are following the primary Circ. (small wires with thin insulation). You have most of it verified already - Starter switch, junction box, ammeter, back to the junction box, into coil primary terminal, out the other primary terminal and on to the ignition switch then down to the distributor base. The fat wire from the coil is SECONDARY (HIGH VOLTAGE). and it does go to the cap, Stay with the primary circ. where it threads into the body of the distributor. It's there or inside the distributor where the primary circuit terminates at the moveable point. It's all on the diagram. Partner, you're almost home. It is all about keeping the primary insulated from going to ground.

 

[Tom Wesenberg]

Hopefully the coil is wired to read through the ammeter. Originally the coils didn't read through the ammeter until Ford switched the wire to the other side of the terminal box in late 1929, but I switch my 28 over. When you turn the key on and the points are closed, the ammeter should show a 4 amp drain. If the needle barely moves, then you have high resistance, and it will draw less amperage. If your wire is shorting to ground inside the cable, then the ammeter should show 3 to 4 amps drain.

 

[Eskildsm]

Thanks to everyone that helped me with their model A advice. Had 2 problems -- how hell does that happen driving down road?? Anyway generator was the short problem or the wires to back of it were grounding out-- got that fixed -- then traced everything to points which I had power all way to points so figured they must be bad. They were -- new points in and she purrs like a kitten. Now maybe I will get a good nights sleep not worrying about it!! Thanks again!!

 

[Chuck Sea/Tac]

I had the same problem last week, with weak spring pressure on the power post for the movable points arm. I found it by noticing full voltage on the post, but erratic on the arm. New Napa echilin (sp) points solved that. Glad you figured it out, and thanks for telling us the solution.

 

[ericr]

I have been following this thread with great interest and thanks to the members contributing solutions towards what is a perennial topic on this site.

I heartily agree with the comment that many of us do not have an innate sense in addressing electrical concepts; maybe we would do better if we dealt with it every day.

There apparently is no easy way to print out a thread from this blog, I see one can create a link to e-mail but not print it out directly....yes?

 

[jdupay]

I have been following this thread with great interest and thanks to the members contributing solutions towards what is a perennial topic on this site.

I heartily agree with the comment that many of us do not have an innate sense in addressing electrical concepts; maybe we would do better if we dealt with it every day.

There apparently is no easy way to print out a thread from this blog, I see one can create a link to e-mail but not print it out directly....yes?

If you go to thread tools at the top of the page there is a button that says "show printable version". That should do it, I think.

 

[Terry NJ]

In a way, you were lucky. It took a lot of looking but in the end it was just a set of points. Bear this in mind, it's usually the little simple stuff, you just have to find it. However, This raises the old question of whether or not we should trust old parts VS new Chiaanese crap. The old ones may look good but for weak springs and frayed wires and god knows what else. At least once they were good, against new overpriced junk that there is a good chance they are bad from the get-go.
Terry

Thanks to everyone that helped me with their model A advice. Had 2 problems -- how hell does that happen driving down road?? Anyway generator was the short problem or the wires to back of it were grounding out-- got that fixed -- then traced everything to points which I had power all way to points so figured they must be bad. They were -- new points in and she purrs like a kitten. Now maybe I will get a good nights sleep not worrying about it!! Thanks again!!

 

[patnmand]

Glad you got it sorted out. I've been following this thread with interest as electrical stuff scares the living daylights out of me. Seems logic and step-by-step is the only way to go.