No Spark on l18.

[thumper]

Hey Guys, 

 

I tried searching and I did get some good info to get me to this point. But need a little help to get further. 

 

I have a 71 510 with a l18. The swap was in there when I got it. So unsure of year it came from. 

 

Car ran fine with no issues. Came back from long trip with it and parked it. Went to drive it the next time and it was making a screeching sound. Then it cut off and won't start again. 

 

I found out that it has no spark. With some help from the site here. I did some tests. With a test light I get power at the coil positive. 

 

I do not get pulsating at the negative when cranking on the test light. 

 

Coil and ballast are from msd and are about 2 months old. Had no issues with it so far. Wires are taylor and were replaced at the same time as coil. 

 

I was going to change the cap and rotor. What year should I be looking for? I was looking for one from a 1974 610. But all the suppliers here are saying they only have a listing for a 2.0 liter. They do not have a listing for a 620. 

 

Would it be wise to just replace the whole distributor with the one in the link below or do I have other issues I should check first? 

http://www.hot-spark.com/1-HS-HIT4-Distributor.htm

 

Thanks.

 

 

[Eagle_Adam]

pull the wire from the coil to the dizzy, stick a screw driver in it and get the screwdriver close to some metal. u should see a blue spark if not its coil related 

[thumper]

oops, forgot to mention. No spark coming out of the coil. 

 

This is the post I read from Mike. 

 

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/44873-finally-got-my-l18-started-and-a-few-days-later-no-spark/?p=712712

 

I am stuck on # 5. I have a electronic dizzy from what I am aware. 

[Eagle_Adam]

as for L motors, all the 4cyl L motors will use the same dizzy 

[Eagle_Adam]

pic of your dizzy? 

 

there 2 kinds of "el dizzy's" 

[thumper]

I will be on my way home shortly from work. I will take a pic.

 

Thanks. 

[Eagle_Adam]

lemme ask this do you have a small black box on the side of your dizzy?

[thumper]

I was looking at some pics online. From what I recall it did not have the box on the side. But I can verify when I get home. 

[Eagle_Adam]

ok, if you have the box then you have a matchbox dizzy if not then you have a GM HEI module 

[datsunaholic]

as for L motors, all the 4cyl L motors will use the same dizzy 

 

Not true at all.  There are 2 different size of distributor caps- small ones for 68-73, and large ones for 74-80.  He never said he has EI at all, could be points, which then could be either size.  If he has a factory EI dist, then he needs a large cap.

 

BTW, the reason the parts store can't find a 1.8L listing for a '74 610 is because a '74 610 used an L20B.

[Eagle_Adam]

 I have a electronic dizzy from what I am aware. 

 

yes he did talk about el dizzy's

 

 

but you may be(and probably are) correct about the sizing 

[Eagle_Adam]

as for my comment, are you saying i cant use the stock dizzy from my 68 510 in my 75 620? 

 

if so why?

 

 

( i ask this not to be a smart ass but to actually learn) 

[LeviGideon]

as for my comment, are you saying i cant use the stock dizzy from my 68 510 in my 75 620? 

 

if so why?

 

 

( i ask this not to be a smart ass but to actually learn) 

 

You should be able to use it. Zach's running the points dizzy off my 510 on his l20b, and it's from a late 620, right?

 

The sizes are different, but they work all the same.

[Eagle_Adam]

The sizes are different, but they work all the same.

 

thats what i thought but datsunaholic has been around the block far more than i and ive ask him for advice in the past so before i make a fool of myself i wanna ask 

[datsunaholic]

You can use any 4-cyl L-series dist on any 4-cyl L-series engine as long as you have the right cap, rotor, pedestal, and adjuster plate (the last 2 are extremely specific to each version of the distributor).  But I thought the question was referring to why he was having trouble finding the right cap and rotor.  We don't know what kind of dist he has.  He could have the stock L16 dual-point dist for all we know.  He has an MSD coil and ballast- which indicates to me that he probably has points, but it's not at all a certainty.

 

 

EDIT:  OK, he did say he thought he had an EI dist in a different post... One I hadn't read, so I went with what was in this thread.  if it's a STOCK EI, it's large cap.  If it's a conversion EI, like a Pertronix, it could be either (small cap more likely).  But he said he doesn't have the black box on the side, SO.... it's be either a Pertronix (or like) or a stock remote ignitor, which then begs the question of where and what the ignitor box is.  But the key word is he said he THINKS he has an electronic ignition.  Without popping the cap off and taking a picture, I can't say that's really the case.

[datzenmike]

Take the cap off and crank... is the rotor turning?

 

With the cap off... does it have points?

[thumper]

This is what my dizzy looks like

 

 

 

[Eagle_Adam]

That is not a match box, follow the wires from the dizzy and take a pic of what it attaches to.

[MikeRL411]

That "reddish" color wire from the ground feed through to the advance plate runs in the wrong direction! It's also the wrong OEM color so I suspect it was a previous owner/modifier installation. It needs to be routed CCW [OK, Anti Clock Wise for our Queen's English afflicted members] so that it will "compress" on advance and not tension as in your installation. If you can't get the "proper" Nissan part number, buy a point set for an early VW "Thing" and steal their point plate to feed through wire. It's the right gauge and "extra flex" wire to outlive you. Hitachi distributers were used all around the world as OEM lowest bidders.

[datsunaholic]

That's an aftermarket EI unit, like a pertronix.  Under a small cap, so for a cap and rotor that'd be a stock 510 one. 

[thumper]

So traced the wires this morning before heading to work and took some pics. 

 

Here are the wires coming out of the dizzy. There are only 2. 

 

 

 

Then it goes to some spade connections. 

 

 

 

Then goes into this box. Guessing this is the missing box we were looking for. Both wires go into here. 

1 comes out. 

 

 

Then 1 wire comes out of the box. It splits. Goes to the lower connection of the ballast in the pic and the yellow positive wire on the msd coil. 

 

 

 

Would the dizzy just go bad like that all of a sudden. No warning? It ran fine like this for about 2 years now on this setup since I got it. 

 

Thanks

[datzenmike]

Take the cap off and crank... is the rotor turning?

.

Basic stuff. Is it turning?

[thumper]

What I was thinking and I may be wrong. Since I  am better at  fabrication more than electrical. 

 

If I am getting power at the positive terminal on the coil. And the wire for that comes from the box and then from the dizzy. I should be getting power at the dizzy.  

 

But the negative part I am missing/not getting. Am I overthinking this? or completely off path. 

 

I will check as soon as I get home if the rotor is turning when I crank. Sorry Mike I forgot to check this last night. 

 

Thanks

[banzai510(hainz)]

 

1st post on Pertronix set up piture. use stock coil 1.6 ohm coil and 1.6 ohm ballast. You may use your MSD coil but get a bigger ohm ballast.

 

 

that box at the radiator is not even being used. thats the old point system 3rd gear switch stuff. or should not be used with the pertronix.

 

The hook up is wrong what I can see on this set up. The Pertronix is a basic set up using the instructions.

 

the red of the Pertronix should go with the blk wht wire thats on one side of the ballast resisitor.

the blk goes to the - side of the coil.

 

 

the Pertronix wanbts close to a 3 ohm system by soembody putting a MSD coil(.7ohms) in there the ballast has to be a higher value like 2.3 or slightly more. If this is over 4amps of current the Pertronix module may pop/break.

 

best way to ck this is just take the center coil wire and place near the strut nut 1/4 to 1/8 inch and with the right hand try to start the car. if no spark then ther module may be bad or the Hot wire to the coil is not getting 12volts. the HOT or Bypass wire should get 12 volts with the key in start. the will the the blk/blu wire. this should be shorted to the blk grn wire and will end up on the +side coil.

 

if in doubt is on page 181 on In the Haynes manual.

 

 

going by the photos somthing is not right. that blk/wht wire should be the bigger one. it goes to the fuse box and is switchable with the key. this goes to one side of ballast. the other side ballst shoul be the blk grn wire. the blk blu will be at the + coil. the hook up the Red(pertronix)to the blk/wht wire thats the 12volt switchable

Black(Pertronix) goes to the - side coil.

 

if you dont know what your doing dont fuck with it untill clear instructions

[thumper]

^^ I will test it when I get home.