Distributor cap problems 460 Lincoln

PaleWhale

PaleWhale

Junior Member
Hey guys, a couple weeks ago I was driving home from the shore when I started loosing power instantly. Pulled over, took the Cap off and noticed black soot on each point on the cap. We scraped some off with our nails and made it home fine. This happened many more times, even after removing soot and putting dielectric grease on each point.
Yesterday, I replaced the old cap with a new MSD cap with brass points, just like the other one. Within about 20 miles, same problem happened. 460 wouldn't accelerate. (Good thing I was near an empty parking lot.)
When installing the cap, the grease was put on each cap and terminal. I'm Confused on why this is happening.
New Wires
New Plugs
Newer coil.
Any ideas on why this is happening?
 
Coil wired backwards-thus wrong polarity? The "-" primary terminal goes to the distributor; the"+" terminal comes from the ignition switch.
 
I forgot to mention, I've replaced the points and condenser with a Pertronix ignition kit.
Could that be part of the problem?
 
Check the coil. If it's getting hot, like too hot to touch it's fried, so to speak. Usually they'll work until they heat up, then the spark gets weaker and weaker. Pertronix needs a certain resistance to operate properly and their instructions are vague on the subject, possibly because they want to sell you the matching coil.
 
Ill check that out dobbie. Ive read somewhere else that improper spark plug gaps can be a cause for the soot. Anyone have experience with that?
Thanks
 
check the magnets on the piece that goes on shaft I had mine fall off try putting points back in that's what I did no problem now a lot of these parts are overseas now thus goes the workman ship
 
I've seen caps with vent holes in them. I don't know if that has anything to do with the problem though. I'll bet Bubba's Ignition would know about the problem if he chimes in. If not, send him a PM.

Sal
 
When Ford came out with the electronic ignition I thought the manuals said to only put the dielectric grease along the edge of the rotor, any that you would find on the outer contacts was what was flung out excess. Maybe the thinking has changed by now, I've only put it on rotor with good luck. Never had a pertronix, just points or DuraSpark. Don't think the grease would make your problem though.
 
He seems to think it has to do with oil vapor in the cap. I'm going to replace all the seals and see if that works. Anybody have this problem?
 
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