2N Spark problems continued...

Here is the latest. Finally got the points gaped thanks to a fine gentleman at the State fair who told me' "Just bend em a little. Thats what I do.". Got the right gap, set static timming as per FO-4, reinstalled all parts and not even a putt to work with.

Invested in a volt meter. Got continuity from cap to all plugs. Got 3 volts to the coil. Got 6.2 volts across the coil. What is the function of the coil? Battery at 6.3 volts.
Little pig tail on coil is touching the brass screw on distributor. Got continuity from brass screw to one side of points when open and to both when closed.

I dont know how to test condesor but it is new. What does a condensor do anyway and can it be damaged by leaving the switch on???

I have heard that the distributor tang at the back can be reinstalled 180 degrees out of phase. Is this true? Perhaps this is the problem. Naturally I did not mark it when I took it off.

Totally frustrated. This darn thing ran great when I put it away last mid Nov. and has not seen a functioning day since.

Where do I go from here?

Andy

Need to check for blue spark. But I don't think the spark is actually getting to the plug.

thanks to all for the input. I will recheck all suggestions and check for spark at the plug and let you know.

JMHO

Ordinary Capacitance, as you say, is very simple.

JMHO

I am not sure you have a good Primary YET..

A). "Got 6.2 volts across the coil" You should only have ~ 2.8V Across the coil when the Points are Closed...

Across the coil means that one probe is on top of the coil and other probe is on the Pigtail..
Key ON and points Closed.. Volt Scale

B). With the Same Meter Connections OPEN the points... meter MUST now read 0.00 (ZERO)

Continuity (ohms) is not a very good method of trouble shooting current devices... unless you are measuring continuity in the .01 ohm range

If you have ~2.8 V "across the coil" with Points closed and ZERO with the points open. The coil primary is working and secondary HI-Voltage is going somewhere.

JMHO

3 volts at coil terminal means your "infamous ballast resistor" on the backside of your dashpanel is working correctly and your coil primary is being grounded thru the pigtail and brass screw to the points plate.

And since the continuitity is on and off when you move your ignition cam to open the points, that implies that you do not have shorted points or open brass spring strip to the points. And that your point are operating normally.

It also implys that your condensor is not shorted because you meter would never indicate your points were open and you can visually see it open. It could be open but that causes your points to burn. I don't think that is a concern right now because you can run (not for long) without a condensor.

All Right, we've generally confirmed that the primary side of your ignition system is probably working correctly. WHAT ABOUT THE SECONDARY???

With your frontmount coil in your lap (?) use your ohmmeter to measure coil continutity from the coil terminal to both under the coil terminals. Your primary should read about 100 ohms (exact value is not critical here) and your secondary should read about 5000 ohms (again exact value is not critical)

What we are trying to do is establish continutity of secondary. Most frontmount coil problems are usually primary. But we've established your primary is probably OK. If you get secondary continuity, when you re-install the coil make certain both under the coil contacts to the distributor cap are correct and not shorted out.

The last part of the secondary puzzle is the cap/rotor interface. The cap should have a button that contacts the spring center of the rotor.

Then last of all, are you certain that the distributor drive is even rotating? With the distributor off the engine block, have someone crank the starter and you watch the distributor drive in front of block. If'n it don't move, you've got a bad cam drive gear and an engine rebuild in your future. Let us know 'cuz we care..... ...Dell

2) Your coil is fine. Yhink of it as a device that amplifies electricity. And then don't worry about it if your readings are like they are.

3) I know of know laymen's way to test a condensor. It's a cheap part that I replace every time I put in new points UNLESS I see a waxy substance melting around the part the wire goes in. otherwise I don't worry about that part either. It stores the spark until the points open and then fires the spark thru the rotor.

4) Yes, you can install an 8N dist backwards. Yours is a 2n and has a master sline that prevents you from putting it in incorrectly unless you bag it in there with a mallet.

What kind of spark are you getting? If it's whiteish/blue it's FINE and NOT your problem. If it's yellow or intermitent, based on what you've described (and assuming you put in new points, condensor, coil, little copper grounding wire in the dist, rotor, cap, plug wires and plugs), I'm betting you still don't have the points set properly - especially since you had to bend them.

But as for a few of your questions, A condensor is a capitor.. it stores a charge or potential ( voltage / electricity ).

The coil is an inductor... it is the source of your high voltage for the ignition.. as the magnetic field on a coil collapses ( when going from an energized to a non-energized state ), it will produce a high voltage potential... thus spark.

Good luck on the rest!

Soundguy