Model a has no spark. Please help

I

IGotIt

Junior Member
Looking for some help because I am truly stumped. I was driving my banger A one day and it just shut off like you turned the key off. I checked for spark and had none. I have since put in points, condenser, coil, cap, rotor, plug wires, plugs and an ignition switch. I have been through all the wiring and everything checks out but I still do not have spark. Everything else electrical is working and fine except the ignition. I checked the wore from the lower plate to the upper and it has the modern points. I can't get any spark from the coil wire to the head either. I get I nice little blue spark at the points.


Any ideas? I could use a little help about now.

Thank you in advance

GotIt
 
ck the wire at the ignition coil from the switch. its usually the red wire with a test light. everytime you manually open/close the points the light should flash.. if it does you most likely have a bad coil or coil wire...
if it does not flash the problem may lie between the wiring from the coil to the points incld the switch , armored cable, cable screwed in to far on dist, plate wiring
 
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IGotIt,
In the most respectful manner may I suggest that every part replaced makes the solution to the problem all the more difficult.
You indicated you get a blue spark across the points, that indicates to me you have current flowing thru' the coil.
If you take the coil wire and hold it near the head and open and close the points and get no spark it sounds like the coil wire or coil may be bad.

Just as Mitch said.

If so all the other variables you interjected into the problem will have to be proven good. Now do not buy a coil. Take one of your plug wires (it sounds like you are using a modern set up) and try it in place of the existing one on the coil. BTW coils are very reliable.
Please write back and walk it thru a step at a time. Try not to replace any more parts.

Summation, Your points aren't grounded, the key is working, cap, rotor, plug wires and even the condenser are off the table by what you've told us.
So I'm trying to help you isolate the issue. In my world the less I have to think about the easier the solution ought to be.
 
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Most, but not all, Model A's have the coil wired through the ammeter, so you can crank the engine with the key ON and should see the ammeter needle flicker each time the points open and close.
 
I did all the parts swap before it died and wouldn't re start except I changed the coil and ignition after the problem. Steve at Bert's suggested this swap. I did change the cap rotor and wires after the problem also. I am going to try a condensor now and see if by chance that is the problem.

The way it is now I do not get any spark from the coil wire to ground while cranking
 
In your original post you said that you did all the parts swaps after it died. In your last post you state that you did the parts swaps before it died. Please clarify - makes a huge difference.
 
I did the points and condensor before the problem. I just now tried all new parts and its still the same but when I put a delco 12 v coil in I had spark from the coil lead for a couple times of the points opening
 
Ok. I am getting somewhere I guess. If I open and close the points by hand I will get spark on occasion but I noticed when I do get spark that the spark at the points is greater also.

Mean anything to anyone?
 
The current has to go thru the points to ground to make a spark.
You could put a piece of paper between the points and test that the moving point is hot with key on. Take a piece of wire and touch the swing arm and the other end touch the head, tap, tap tap. Simulate your points. The coil wire you have next to the head should spark each time. If it does your problem has been isolated. It's at the dist.
Kind of an obtuse way to do it but you will know where to look. Sorry I have dinner engagement, gotta go.

Don't use bare wire, might bite you.
 
Ok. I figured it out. It had been a while of tinkering when I had time and the answer was so simple. The fuel pump I had wired in to the acc. Port on the key switch and it was keeping it from sparking. Why I have no idea but it did. It worked fine for a couple months and then decided it wasn't having it but I am back up and functional.

Thank you for all the great ideas and suggestion
 
IGotIt said:
Ok. I figured it out. It had been a while of tinkering when I had time and the answer was so simple. The fuel pump I had wired in to the acc. Port on the key switch and it was keeping it from sparking. Why I have no idea but it did. It worked fine for a couple months and then decided it wasn't having it but I am back up and functional.

Thank you for all the great ideas and suggestion
Click to expand...

Feels good when you figure it out!!
 
I,m glad you found the problem.
It is help full if you can tell us every thing you have done that is different than a stock Model A.
 
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I never would have guessed the pump would have been the issue. It ran fine for quite a while. I had the fuel lines off to time it and kept cranking to see if there was spark and had nothing. I decided I was tired of the little fuel spitting every time my dad turned the key on so I disconnected the wire and had spark. Simple yet so hard to figure out

Thank you so much for all the helpful responses
 
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