HELP What Diid I Do

uss1814

uss1814

Junior Member
I wired the car and messed around all day before we figured out the dist. cable was to far in which caused us to have no spark.

One I figured that out I re-timed the car and started her up following the starting proceedure and she fired right up and ran for ten minutes like a clock. I had a couple of water leaks so I shut her down tightened them up and re-started her fired right up.

I moved the spark advance up and she ran even better to a point where she started to stumble and I went to back it back down and she quit.

Now she will not start so I checked everthing plenty of fuel a nice white spark from the coil lead but no spark at the points nor at the plugs.

Is it possible I messed something up from go from fully retarded to fully advance while at fast idle.

Everthing is new balanced series B engine and modern distributor, new carb, and new wiring.

I check the five points for voltage with my amp meter and I'm getting six volts.

Any pointers on how to fix this and get my car back running.

Thanks,

John
 
uss1814, Check flexible wire under point plate for short or broken wire. Just in case you have the wireless plate , Throw it away and replace with one of the new long flex wires . Bubby Sharp in KY
 
Check at the ignition switch to make sure the back of the switch isn't shorting against the gas tank. Looks like you are not running with an original popout. The exposed wire connections on the back side of the replacement switches sometimes interfere with the tank. Bob
 
you say a nice spark from the coil lead do you mean the high tension lead? .if you hold the coil high tension wire going into the dist . about a 1/4 inch from a ground do you get a spark if yes that means the ign circit is working which leaves two things 1-it jumped time 2- the high volatge is not being distributed check carbon brush in cap check roter for crack thus shorting curent. if no spark at high tension lead primary ign circut is at falt.
 
Did you take up the excess play in the distributor shaft?
Hopefully that is causing your problem.
Way to do this is to, while at #1 TDC, rotate the cam CLOCKWISE until the points are just closed completely. Then tighten up the screw on top.
That would be the same thing as rotating CCW until the points JUST OPEN.

The theory being if you have "slop" in the distributor shaft that causes your adjustment to be too far advanced, and any advancement throws it way out of time.
 
I'll throw in with Bubby on this one. It's probably the pigtail wire from the upper plate to the lower plate in the distributor. What happens is the flag terminal on the end of the wire has very little clearance and when you advance or retard the spark the plate moves a little closer to the casting and the flag terminal touches the casting and shorts the whole system out. The good news: you can reposition the terminal and everything is back to normal. I think Marco did a dissertation on this subject once. It may be on his website -abarnyard.com
 
When I was doing my A the same thing happened. I was running the original everything so replaced most of the original everything.
Turned out even though there was petrol in the bowl and a little in the tank the pressure wasn't enough to get it running.

Is your petcock turned on, I used to forget mine a lot.
 
Also, no, you won't hurt anything advancing or retarding the spark when running at fast idle.
 
m4rt1n said:
When I was doing my A the same thing happened. I was running the original everything so replaced most of the original everything.
Turned out even though there was petrol in the bowl and a little in the tank the pressure wasn't enough to get it running.

Is your petcock turned on, I used to forget mine a lot.
Click to expand...

Been there, done that, freaked out, felt stupid, turned gas on, smile returned :)
 
There are modifications which may be made to the A dist in order to utilize "modern" points and condenser. It involves replacing the upper and lower pates (eliminating the pigtail wire). There are also drop in electronic replacemnet dist. Most, if no all vendors carry these "upgrades".
Paul in CT
 
1931 flamingo said:
There are modifications which may be made to the A dist in order to utilize "modern" points and condenser. It involves replacing the upper and lower pates (eliminating the pigtail wire). There are also drop in electronic replacemnet dist. Most, if no all vendors carry these "upgrades".
Paul in CT
Click to expand...

ya, There are lots of possibilities to the words "modern distributor" I am just wondering what he has running in his; he hasn't said yet. A little more info might help.
 
Since he has a spark advance and referred to screwing in the ignition cable into the distributor, I figure "Modern" means modern points in a traditional distributor.
The connection between plates would certainly be a prime suspect.
 
Moden Dist. I meant I bount an origianl model a dist. that had been rebuilt and the modified it so the condensor is on the top plate and the pig tail wire was removed.

What it turned out to be was two cracks in the rotor which caused the spark from the high tension lead to short out to the dist. cam.

Replaced the rotor and it started right up.

Thank to eveyone for their input I used every suggestion I never thought to look at the sides of rotor I guess taking it off and on a dozen times must have caused it it does fit really tight and takes a lot of pressure to get it to seat.

I decided that I just do not want to fiddle with the dist. every other time I want to drive the car so I have orderd a new FS electronic ingnition and dist..

Thanks everyone,

John
 
"I decided that I just do not want to fiddle with the dist. every other time I want to drive the car so I have orderd a new FS electronic ingnition and dist.."

By "FIDDLE" I assume you mean you don't want to have to push the left lever up to start, then pull it half way down when the engine starts.:confused:
 
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