69volunteer 84 Report post Posted November 5, 2014 I have an engine on a test stand and trying to fire it up for the first time. I have no spark at the plug. I have checked and have 12v to the coil. I tried plugging a spark plug wire with a plug in it directly to the coil and still no spark. Bad coil or am I missing something? I had an Ignitor coil that went bad and replaced it with a Autozone part. Could it be bad too? The ignitor coil was not that old...couple of years and new in the box. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
magician 13 Report post Posted November 5, 2014 Coil grounded ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rcodenewf 44 Report post Posted November 5, 2014 I'm assuming you mean you have power to the coil with the key on...but do you have power while in crank? John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
69volunteer 84 Report post Posted November 5, 2014 I'm assuming you mean you have power to the coil with the key on...but do you have power while in crank? John Yes and Yes Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
69volunteer 84 Report post Posted November 5, 2014 Coil grounded ? How would I check that? Its on a bracket on the engine Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheRktmn 15 Report post Posted November 5, 2014 Always check the obvious: Did you forget to install the rotor? What ignition? If points, are they gapped correctly? You checked for spark at the plugs and power to the coil, did you check the spark from the coil itself? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LoneWolf2U 136 Report post Posted November 5, 2014 Check dist, That is next inline for spark distribution. What type are you using? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1969_Mach1 333 Report post Posted November 5, 2014 Probably not your coil. Whatever triggers it is not working. Don't know what type of distributor you have. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dave R. 85 Report post Posted November 5, 2014 Is the coil wire from the coil to the distributor pushed in securely on both ends? Those sometimes feel like they are fully seated but aren't. Dave R. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jmlay 80 Report post Posted November 5, 2014 Please outline all components in your ignition system. If you have points it could be the condenser. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
69volunteer 84 Report post Posted November 5, 2014 (edited) Points are new. I am pretty sure we gapped them correctly but I will double check. I will check the connection at the distrib to coil. How do I check the condenser or should I just get a new one? Edited November 5, 2014 by 69volunteer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheRktmn 15 Report post Posted November 5, 2014 Make sure the little braided ground wire is connected to the points as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jagbucket 10 Report post Posted November 6, 2014 review the installation of the points if not installed correctly the points will be grounded. you should see a spark when you open them from closed with the key on Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danno 128 Report post Posted November 6, 2014 It seems you have checked all the obvious possibilities. They have all been mentioned. There is a remote chance the wire from the key switch to the coil is bad. I would put a voltmeter right on the coil wire that goes the ignition harness, and watch the voltage as you are cranking the engine. First measure the voltage on your battery, the voltage on your coil (with the key switch in the run position) should be the same. When you are trying to start the engine, this will drop to maybe 9 volts. If it drops to below 6 volts, that could be the problem. You can also check your coil with the ohms section on a digital voltmeter. It should be about 50 ohms between the wire connection to the ignition harness and connection to the distributor. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
69volunteer 84 Report post Posted November 7, 2014 (edited) I adjusted the gap on the points. It was a little too much. I grounded a plug and I swear I got a spark but only once. If I put my positive lead of my multi meter on the + side of the coil, and the negative lead on the - side of the coil, i have nothing. If I ground it to the block, I have 12v. This is when the points are open and closed. If I ground the lead on the exhaust and positive on the + side of the coil while cranking, it drops to 9v. Thoughts? Should i just go get a coil, set of points, and condensor and start over? Edited November 7, 2014 by 69volunteer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LoneWolf2U 136 Report post Posted November 7, 2014 Gap the points at .017 and recheck for spark. No spark replace condenser. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mustangmike6996 34 Report post Posted November 7, 2014 Hmm..... there has to be something else here, are all of your engine ground bolts tight? Have you checked continuity of all wires to rule out high resistance. Could the spark be carbon tracking from the cap down the dist to ground? Is the inside of the cap clean with no moisture and no carbon/contact point dust build up. Are the contact points perfectly square with no corrosion? Do you have a spark tester? Can you install it inline between the ignition coil wire and coil plug on the dist cap? if you have spark there then I would look back into a cap or points issue Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
69volunteer 84 Report post Posted November 7, 2014 (edited) Hmm..... there has to be something else here, are all of your engine ground bolts tight? Have you checked continuity of all wires to rule out high resistance. Could the spark be carbon tracking from the cap down the dist to ground? Is the inside of the cap clean with no moisture and no carbon/contact point dust build up. Are the contact points perfectly square with no corrosion? Do you have a spark tester? Can you install it inline between the ignition coil wire and coil plug on the dist cap? if you have spark there then I would look back into a cap or points issue I am at the limit of what I would know to check. The engine is sitting on a stand so not sure where else to check for ground. Cap is also new with no corrosion. I don't have a spark tester. I measured and I have 12v at the points. I am a little suspect of the ground line from the distributor to the negative side of the coil. It has been but jointed but all seems ok. Should I abandon that wire and run a wire from the points to the negative side of the coil to rule this out? I was going to swing by NAPA and get a new condenser, coil and set of points. My battery is 13+ volts but it drains pretty quick down to about 12.5 when the starter starts to slow. That's not the issue is it? Edited November 7, 2014 by 69volunteer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1969_Mach1 333 Report post Posted November 7, 2014 (edited) It's been since high school, 30 yrs. since I messed with points. Is the distributor old? I ask because I remember on a couple of cars having to replace the wire that attaches to the points, passes through the distributor housing, and connects to the negative side of the coil. I think this was referred to as the primary lead wire, its more flexible than standard electrical wire, and used to be available through Napa. The short section inside the distributor will go bad. Also, have you placed a test light, connected to ground and touching the negative side of the coil, while cranking to see if it blinks on and off indicating the points are triggering the coil? Since you already verified 12V on the + side of the coil, a light on all the time indicates an open in the circuit between the negative side of the coil and the points. A light off all the time indicates a short to ground in the circuit between the negative side of the coil and the points, an open in the primary windings in the coil (bad coil), or a shorted (bad) condenser. Both of these conditions can also be caused by the points not opening and closing correctly, extremely out of adjustment. Fairly straight forward, when points are closed current passes through the primary windings in the coil and a magnetic field builds around the windings. When points open, the magnetic field collapses, and through Faraday's law of induction, induces an electrical current in the secondary windings that ultimately connect to the spark plugs through the plug wires, dist rotor and cap. Edited November 7, 2014 by 1969_Mach1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jagbucket 10 Report post Posted November 8, 2014 If you have a new motor you should start with new electrical also . or perhaps you have bought new and have a defective new part. on your test stand do you have a resistance wire to the coil if not and you left the key on the points could be burnt . i have seen coils heat up and fail from this but experts say the resistance wire is for the points not the coil . a separate ceramic ballast resister can be installed . On the one spark you mentioned i would replace the condenser first , also the cheapest component. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
69volunteer 84 Report post Posted November 10, 2014 Thanks everyone for the help. I bought a new set of points, condenser and coil. Replaced both the points and condenser and got spark at the #1 plug. Originally, I did NOT have a ballast resistor in line between the coil and very well could have left the key on possibly burning up the points. I have since installed a resistor. I did not try to get it started since my oil pump primer is in my other tool box and I ran out of time. I am sure I will have more questions as I continue down the path of getting it to fire up. Thanks again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barnett468 418 Report post Posted November 10, 2014 you should not run a resistor if you are using the original ignition wire . . if you have bypasses the orig wire then run an external resister. . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jagbucket 10 Report post Posted November 10, 2014 i understood he was on a test stand and not using the original harness Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1969_Mach1 333 Report post Posted November 10, 2014 I thought the motor was on a test stand as well. Now, its unknown. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
