1931 roadster

Bobant

Bobant

Member
Car starts and runs fine for 10 minutes. After it gets hot it's done. It's getting gas, no spark. Checked distributor and all looks good including all wires in the distributor. Could it be the coil? Seems to be fairly hot but not sure if that is normal.
 
If your spark is disappearing as the engine warms, then its kind of a classic condenser or coil problem. That is as long as the wiring is fine and a primary lead isn't going open.
Are you using one of the newer 'burn-proof' condensers ? Is the coil correct, in that, not oil filled ? Or, if it is oil filled just tip it up so the secondary wire comes out at the top. Also just make sure the coil polarity is correct while you're checking everything.
 
When it dies, how long is it before it will start again?

Does it die all of a sudden, like turning the key off?

A coil shouldn't be very hot after only 10 minutes, but if the wire between the coil and points shorts to ground, that can overheat the coil also. Ceck the voltage on each of the 2 coil terminals with the points open and key on as soon as it dies.
 
Tom's comment about something shorting out and this causing the coil to heat could be your problem. I know a few years ago, Tom mentioned this to me when I had a problem like yours. My coil was warm and I found my ignition switch was shorting out.
 
Yep, my repro ignition terminal was touching the gas tank one day and I just happened to touch the coil and feel it was getting warm, and that's why I mention this quite often with ignition problems. The fix for me was as easy as bending the terminal to the side.
 
Update to my story. It has been 24 hours now and car will not start. Pulled a plug and turned it over and no spark at all. I am weakest in the electrical area and I am assuming it is the coil. Waiting to get another coil and see if that fixes it. It ran perfect before this. I double checked the distributor and all wires in it and all looks real good. Wrapped the wire under the plate with tape just to be double sure. I don't know what else to check. Don't own any meters or how to use them so this is the worst that could happen to me.
 
Before throwing parts at this lets just try and figure out what is wrong. Get a test light and use it to find out where you have or do not have power. A test light is very easy to use and they are cheap.
First things first. Check to see if there is power to the points when they are open and no power when closed. While there, then clean them and set to .020". If you happened to be getting power when closed see if the cleaning and re-setting corrected that.
Then let us know what you found and we'll go from there.
 
Checked power to points. None.open or closed. Key off- power on black wire to coil. No power on red wire. Key on-same as above. If I stick tester up in coil no power. If I put tester on black to red at coil it lights if ignition switch is on,doesn't if ignition is off. What next.


By the way-----thanks for helping me.
 
Sounds like the ignition switch is shorted to ground. Pull the screws and pull the instrument panel back from the gas tank and do the coil checks again. Also check for power at each of the switch terminals with the points open and the key on and again with the key off.

After reading your checks again, it could also be the wire from the switch to the distributor, or the short wire between the distributor plates. The short wire is the most likely cause. Be sure it is properly installed and not touching ground.

Do you have a picture of the wire going to the distributor? Sometimes the cabe gets screwed too far into the distributor. It only needs 2 or 3 turns in to work.
 
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Pulled dash panel away from dash . Key off no power to points. Coil power to black and red. Stick tester up in coil power.
Key on. Only power to black wire on coil
 
Bobant said:
Btw. Main wire screwed into distributor hand tight but all the way.
Click to expand...

Like Tom stated, you only need to have that screwed in a couple of turns. (Dist. body turned onto the cable I mean actually)All the way tight is too much it will cause you grief.
 
What type cable do you have screwed in?
Is it the heavy original type, or the thin easy to work with type?
Either way start by unscrewing it a couple turns and then see if you can get power to the open points with the key on.
 
Take out the tail light and solder two wires to it and use as a test light.

Oner the points place a piece of paper in between the points and see if it lights up when your touch the movable arm with one wire and the other is touching engine stud.

Is you have voltage I would "shotgun it" and replace the coil based on your previous statement that it was hot.
 
Mitch is right, lets not jump the gun. With the key on and points open check for 6 volts on the movable contact. Do the same check again when the engine dies after 10 minutes of running.

There's no point in giving any more advice or doing any more work until these two checks are made.
 
Already did that. No power to points when open. I can take distributor out - I am very comfortable with that- just a locking bolt on side.
 
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