521 Distributor

[dbuzz77]

i just bought a 71 521 and the guy said it ran before, but he couldn't get it running, so i took it as is. i have traced the spark through the coil and coil wire but nothing is coming out of the spark plug wires. the cap and rotor look new, is there something stupid with jobber caps and rotors? i want to get it running before i put an electronic distributor because if the new part brings a trouble with it , i'll never find it. thanks

[datzenmike]

You have spark at the coil when cranking but not at the plugs? Replace the cap/rotor and wires. It is probably way past due for their replacement and if you do get it running you don't want problems with these old parts anyway.

[dbuzz77]

they look brand new, no arcing or anything on them. i don't want to make the same mistake again.

[datzenmike]

Set the motor on TDC and remove the cap, the rotor should be positioned under the #1 plug wire on the cap.

[dbuzz77]

yes, i found tdc on #1 putting my finger on the hole, rotor was pointing to #1, 1-3-4-2 order. put #1 plug on the end of #1 wire and cranked, no spark

[datzenmike]

So if you have spark at the coil then there is something wrong in between.

 

Spark should travel through the coil wire to the center post on the dizzy cap and down through a carbon 'button' onto the top of the rotor and along a brass contact to the outer edge, onto the terminal post of the #1 plug lead, and down the wire to the #1 plug.

[dbuzz77]

right. i can't figure out if the rotor is touching the cap at the top. there is no way to check it electrically except for spark. i pull the points apart and the coil sparks so i know it is there at the top of the cap. i don't know how to tell if it's the wrong rotor or cap. i just read in a book to check for voltage at the coil while cranking, it could be the cranking circuit. is there a fuse or something to check?

[banzai510(hainz)]

1 3 4 2 counter clock wise fire order!!!!!!!!!

 

watch this.

http://www.guba.com/general/search?query=hainz&set=5&x=0&y=0

 

if you have spark from the center coil wire to chassis then its the routing out to the head. Ck that. or a totally misaligned distributor(dizzy) make sure rotor points at spark plug wire and is in the usable range of the timming plate. Not cranked to one side of plate to get it running . Sign of maybe a misalighned oil pump spindal.

 

if you have spark plug at wires and still dont start adjust the valves. It scould let compression out and act like no spark.

[banzai510(hainz)]

Ok I re read or post.

while cranking and you pull the center coil wirethe goes to center of cap) and place near the chassis and get spark then your points rotor and working. Thats done.

Its routing it to the correct plug wires and the time in which the spark is sent out to the plug wire.1 3 4 2 CCW is the fire order.

 

We dont not know what was done or changed. soemtimes best to assume the worst. If noting was ever swapped out I guess assume the parts are correct for the truck. that means ck spark at the spark plug end and place near chassis(head) if spark then swap out the spark plugs.

 

 

 

PS this is a EZ fix.

[Pacific coast Datsun]

I'd swap over to electronic now & eliminate points issues in the future. Theres a few writeups w/ pix on this forum including one done by me w/ help from Mklotz. Like Hainz says it's an easy fix.

[Charlie69]

Replace cap and rotor sounds like one or both are not correct for this motor. Ohm out the plug wires to be sure they are good. As of your post you are going by "looks new". "Looks new" and being new or the rite part is two different things.

 

cap& rotor < $20

[dbuzz77]

i put a spark plug on the end of #1 wire and no spark. i wonder if the crank circuit is dead (bypasses the resistor when cranking) i don't know which video to watch on that link above.

[banzai510(hainz)]

Ok lets do this in steps here.

 

Do you have spark at the coil end? The center dist wire that comes out of the coil. Place near ground . Hit start!

if it sparks then its NOT the Hot START wire that is bypassed .Doing this test cks the points also

 

olddatsuns.com go to tech section then see my L series timming chain install.I dont know what you mean as what vedio. as there should be only 1 but I cant watch my own stuff as a its blocked on my computer here at work

 

 

you really need to put motor on TDC compression stroke and see where the rotor is pointing.maybe its off that way you dont see spark .Its routing it elsewhere maybe to #4

[dbuzz77]

i put my finger on #1 hole and waited for compression to blow it off and the rotor was pointing just past wire #1. i assumed that was because you can't stop the motor immediately.

[banzai510(hainz)]

Thats not the way I would find TDC but maybe for you its close enough.

Maybe you can give a location of where you live and soembody can help you.

Watch the vid when you get a chance.

I have to assume the correct cap and rotor is on there and the points are adjusted.

 

remeber if you say its by #1 plug wire then wire 3 will be next as its a Counter clockwise fire order.

 

 

YOu never told me if you did the test with the center plug wire next to the chassis. Do you get spark???

If yes then it has to be fire order,plug wire bad,bad spark plug.

[nukeday]

Try this, it's from my 521 rescue thread:

 

I'd check a couple of things before jumping in and changing more....you may add a prob.

 

Put your test light from the neg term on the coil to the pos on the batt.....yep...backward of what you're used to. Crank the eng and watch for the light to flash. If it does, put a spark plug in the dizzy end of the coil wire.....other end still in the coil.....ground the body of the plug and crank the eng. Did you get a spark? If not, either the coil or the wire is bad....that's assuming you know for sure your wire is good.

 

If you didn't get a flashing light...the points or the wire to them are not good. The ground to the dizzy may not be good. You can now take the test light from the neg of the coil and touch it to the body of the dizzy....if it lights, you have a good ground. Now touch the plate the points are mounted on...lights? good. If the points are closed, touch both sides.....they should both light up. If only the fixed side lights.....filethe points some more or adjust them....they're not quite touching. If both sides light up, hold them apart, only the fixed side should light up the light now. If both sides lit up....your neg term on the coil should now light the light. If that term keeps the light on constantly....the points aren't opening. So....flashing neg term while cranking...... (ask PacCoast about how long this takes in text verses over the phone :)

 

If you have a spark, put the wire back in the dizzy and pull any one of the plug wires. Do the same thing with the plug...crank....no spark, it's either the cap or the wire. Clean the contacts inside the cap and the end of the rotor......also double check that the rotor is the right one....I helped a buddy that had the wrong one in and it was too short to reach. If you have jumper cables...use one end of the neg one to hold the spark plug at the threads and clamp the other end to the batt neg. Very dependable way to ensure the plug has a good ground.

 

If you get spark at one plug....check the other three. If you have spark at the wires, but it still won't fire....check the actual plugs in the holes...make sure they spark. If they do...double check your firing order and make sure plug one is lined up at TDC. Make sure it's TDC of the compression stroke.

Another 'gotcha' is the firing order and direction of rotation. The below if for a J series engine. Yours should have an L series engine, but the principle still applies:

 

pull plug one. Rotate the eng by hand (CW) while holding your left thumb over the plug hole. As the timing mark comes up on TDC, you should feel pressure blowing your thumb away. If not, keep turning another revolution and it should push your thumb off on the next go around. When you notice your thumb getting blown off.....watch the timing mark and stop at TDC. You are now at TDC on the compression stroke. Pull your dizzy cap. Make some kind of reference as to where your rotor is pointing.....ie....if it's pointing right at a hose clamp...just keep that as a mental reference for now. Put your cap back on. If the static timing is close, the plug tower on the cap should be amost perfectly lined up with the end of the rotor.......it should be between the center tower of the cap and your visual reference. Now, make sure that the wire from that tower is going to plug one....closest to radiator. The next tower......going in a COUNTERCLOCKWISE direction (you can pm paccoast to find out why I capitalize that :) )...the next wire should go to cyl 3. Next goes to 4. Last to cyl 2.

 

If the tower on the dizzy doesn't line up when you put the cap back on, loosen up the hold down bolts and turn it until it does. Snug it back down.

 

Now that you have it statically timed, you can put the plug in the end of cyl 1's wire....ground the plug....and crank it to see if you have spark at the plug. If you do, put the plug back in and prime the eng....my preference is starting fluid, but you can use an oz. of gas(a 35mm film canister is 1oz.) Try starting it!! :)

This worked to get my points dizzy operational. Good luck :)

[dbuzz77]

i got tired of trying things with the old dist so i put in the electronic dist. sparks to the end of the wire and plug. now it is just timing, setting at tdc and starting from there. it would not spark through the #1 plug so i got another plug and it sparked the plug. i bought new plugs. i put the electronic dist in backwards like the vid said but it is so tight i have no adjustment. the vacuum diaphragm hits the rad hose. i will turn it around tomorrow and find a way to keep the heat away from it later.

[banzai510(hainz)]

So it was the spark plugs?????????yeah just turn the mount 180 so the vacuum canister is in the other direction. then when it locks down that will be #1 plug.

 

Just to remind you if your going to keep the point coil in there you should keep the ballast resisiter in there also. If yes take B of the Matchbox(i assume you have this type if dizzy) and wire it to the plus side of the ballast resisitor thats should be the blk/wht wire.Get a piggyback jumper so u dont have to cut wires. It just slides on the ballast and has 2 connection.

 

C of matchbox just goes to - side of coil.

 

If you have a MSD coil or a later IE coil from a nissan you can remove the ballast. This will be in the HOW TO section on this site. there are few drawing on this.

[dbuzz77]

i still don't know why i couldn't get spark through the other dist. do i need to make a deflector for the heat from the manifold?

[banzai510(hainz)]

Be honest soembody told me they get HOT.

Its up to you if you put soemthing on there but other people said they have no proplems.

[dbuzz77]

i found tdc with the cyl and the pointer on the flywheel. the rotor points to the rad (opposite of your vid because you had the matchbox on the other side). no matter where i set the dist (some are a little better) it just sputters and backfires. moved #1 wire on the cap starting 1 position clockwise, then 1 position cclockwise. don't know what to try next.

[banzai510(hainz)]

moved #1 wire on the cap starting 1 position clockwise?????

 

rotor turns COUNTER CLOCKWISE

 

 

 

make sure when dist locks down it point to # 1 plug wire and goes 1 3 4 2 COUNTER clock wise.

Before this look at the STAR MAGNET thing and make sure they line up or is very close to ligning up when using hte adjustment plate.

 

What I have seen happen is a people get a Matchbox from soemwhere and they put it on there Mount or dizzy pedastal and the thang is slightly off. Not really pointing at #1 plug wire but inbetween #1 and #3.

 

what one can do is just remove that 10mm bolt and turn it till it starts.

 

 

all elses fail put the stock setup back in. If this was running before I can assume the carb is good.

 

 

Did you make sure the spindal was in the 11.27 position. if off you could determine the new set up

 

 

YOUR CLOSE!!!!!!!!!!

[dbuzz77]

i realized i was thinking stupid and moved the wires to where they should be like your vid, #1 pointing to carb, and it started right up. i timed it, set the carb and she purrs like a kitten. is there a good way to replace the hard line that was the vacuum advance on the old dist? i just slipped a vacuum hose over the end and onto the dist. thanks very much to everyone that helped.

[dbuzz77]

by the way i wasn't talking about the dist rotating clockwise, i moved the wire position clockwise on the dist to see i if i was in the right spot.

[banzai510(hainz)]

by the way i wasn't talking about the dist rotating clockwise, i moved the wire position clockwise on the dist .

 

 

 

I thought you might have meant that when you said clockwise, but it s best for me to know so I can guide one throw this.

 

 

Glade you got it working.

Was my Vid Ez to understand? I made a headgasketswap using wedge to hold up timming chain vid but my camera kept fucking up.

 

 

as for the hard line?????? so is this comming out of carb going to dist vac advance?

I would have done the same what you did. The early cars has a hardline like you said.