changed clutch, now no spark... WTF???

[Parkinglotslider521]

ok, so the 521 has been sitting for the past 3 weeks, i started it last week and it ran fine, started up with no issues.

over the weekend i changed the clutch and front wheel cylinders, swapped to a single point dist. and lowered it 3 inches. thats it. after everything was done, im trying to crank it, and getting a VERY weak spark, or none at all. opened the points manually and im getting a nice blue spark, so the coil is getting power. im guessing the coil died from sitting? anyone had this happen.

[MicroMachinery]

Are the lobes on the dizzy worn out? If you can open it manually and get good spark, but get weak spark when it's on it's own, that seems like the place to look..

[DanielC]

Since we are at this point, try putting the old distributor back in.

 

You say it ran fine, and then did this. Swapped to a single point distributor. Why?

[ggzilla]

im getting a nice blue spark ... trying to crank it, and getting a VERY weak spark, or none at all

 

Simple. It's not the coil.

 

Most likely:

* Points gap is incorrect. If fitting new points you can use a feeler gauge, otherwise use a dwell meter to check while cranking

OR

* Wiring to coil resistor is incorrect. It get 12V when cranking from one wire, and 12V through different wire to resister when not cranking

[Parkinglotslider521]

I heard that the dual points dizzy is poop. Don't see why, but I also got a single point dizzy with brand new point with an old 1100cc datsun motor I picked up, so it was more for the new point. I swapped my dizzy shaft and condensor into the new dizzy housing, because one of the counterweight springs was jacked on the stock shaft.

[ggzilla]

1100cc Datsun motor?

 

The dual points distributor is OK. People mainly swap to single point so they can fit an aftermarket Electronic Ignition kit (which doesn't fit dual-point distributors).

[Parkinglotslider521]

Simple. It's not the coil.

 

Most likely:

* Points gap is incorrect. If fitting new points you can use a feeler gauge, otherwise use a dwell meter to check while cranking

OR

* Wiring to coil resistor is incorrect. It get 12V when cranking from one wire, and 12V through different wire to resister when not cranking

when I say I get a nice spark when opening the points, I mean I get a nice spark between the points, but still get poo from the coil wire directly. I set the point gap to factory, and didn't touch any other wires other than the points wires going to the distributor. And I have the primary/advanced wire hooked up to the dizzy now. I even tried the retarded wire, to no avail

[Parkinglotslider521]

Yeah i picked up an old pushrod motor just because I saw it, and it says 1100cc on the side of the block. I believe it was out of a forklift or something because it had a propane carb on it. :confused:

[ggzilla]

Take one of the old condensors off the old distributor and put it on the new distributor. The condensor (capacitor) is critical to points working correctly. ESPECIALLY do this if you just fitted a new condensor. It's a test. Try it.

[banzai510(hainz)]

hopefully you still got the ballast resisitor and a stock coil.

 

never really seen a coil go bad.

 

You dont have condensation under the cap do you? Rain hard?

 

with the key ON you should close the points then open it. and the other hand hold the wire from center of the coil close to ground. when points is closed the coil is chraged up. then when open the magnectic field collaspese thru the 2ndary winding and thus spark out the coil wire.

[Parkinglotslider521]

Switched back to the old dizzy, perfect spark. I used the same condenser and shaft from my dual points dizzy on the single point, I still don't get why it didn't work. Maybe the condensers are different? Idk, but it works now. Which brings to mind the old saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it." It sucks I won't get the extra 50Hp from the alternator swap.

[ggzilla]

Glad to hear

[Parkinglotslider521]

Thanks for the help everyone