need help with ignition points..

markyb

markyb

Senior Member
Looks like this is rigged up wrong, I bought original points hardware recently to change out my modern points. I have an aftermarket ignition/key switch and the wire leading to the tab on the lower plate comes from the switch directly to the plate. Was this a shortcut vs. the spring loaded contact that is original, or is this normal for a modern points setup?

I've been fighting a shorting problem with the lower plate ever since I owned this car and never knew that this was incorrect until now, no wonder it's been shorting, the screw on the lower tab was making contact on occasion.

Moving forward, my best choice now is to add back the spring loaded contact?
 

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That looks like shorts waiting to happen. I would get a new wire from the key that has the spring loaded contact on the end. I recently discovered that my lower plate would touch the top plate when advancing it some times. Distributor shorts can be a pain in *ss. I built a new one and can't believe how much smoother the car runs. I think that plate will still be usable, that wire... not so much. The crimp butt connector, don't get me started on that
 
Yes, I would remove that cable and wire and use the spring loaded contact. Also be sure to replace the wire leading to the top plate. You need the fine strand flexible wire sold by most of the vendors. Be sure you also have the spring that fits between the plates.
 
Most of my posts on FB have been about sooty exhaust, rough running engine, etc....My engine is freshly rebuilt, carb checked and re-checked, points, timing fiddled with a LOT

I think I have now found the source of all problems.

When I removed the bottom plate before, being the first "A" that I owned, this seemed normal, with the hole on the end of the tab needed for attaching the screw. The only thing that confused me was why such a large tab was needed on the bottom, and what that little "bump" was needed for on the tab.

It all makes sense now....sheesh!
 
Tom Wesenberg said:
Yes, I would remove that cable and wire and use the spring loaded contact. Also be sure to replace the wire leading to the top plate. You need the fine strand flexible wire sold by most of the vendors. Be sure you also have the spring that fits between the plates.
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Thanks Tom, that's the wire I have, Snyder's is shipping me a new whip for my on/off switch, luckily one day service via Fed-Ex ground so I should be runnin' by this time tomorrow
 
Looking at your photo I suspect you have a modern condenser bolted to the top of the top plate. This requires a slightly longer multi-fine wire to connect upper and lower plates. Bratton's carry them. I would also recommend you install the fiber washer on the tab where you now have the ignition wire located when your new set up arrives. You could also cut the tab off as it is no longer used. To leave it adrift without the insulating fiber washer is inviting a short when you screw the new set up into the distributor.

Tom Endy
 
Since most of us rarely take our distributors completely apart, it's good if you have an old extra distributor to completely disassemble/assemble just to refresh our memory on what it's like inside when completely disassembled, then we can know where to look for problems, should they occur. Bill W.
 
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