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*Super M Again*

G

gatorhide

Member
I NEED HELP ! I'm out of patience and ideas for this stubborn red iron,
It's smarter than I am.
Here's the problem, When I turn the switch on and test with a test light, I'm getting fire to the + side of the coil. But Not to the - side of the coil, unless I disconnect the - wire to the distributor, then it shows current to the - side of the coil.
New points set @ .020 New condenser. New rotor.
Not firing. What am I doing wrong or missing ? Thanks for ANY advise and help. gatorhide
 
if its 12v neg ground, the - wire should be connected to the ignition points. if its still 6v + ground, the + side should be connected to the points. even if reversed, it should still fire. get a test light and hook one end to the hot side of the battery, with the ignition points open, remove the wire from the coil that goes to the points and put the test light on the wire. if the lamp lights, the points are grounding out. check the insluator where the wire connects to the side of the distributor to see if the insulation is bad, or if something is touching to ground out the points.
 
If the points were closed when you did this test that would be
entirely normal. The purpose of the points is to take the power to
ground, the coil is the load, and so after the load the voltage will
be zero (it's voltage rather than current that you see with the test
light) if the circuit is complete (points closed). If you have an
assistant crank the tractor while you watch the light (connected on
the distributer side of the coil) you should see it flash as the points
open and close. Hope that helps, Sam
 
...I took the small bolt out of the distributor where - wire hooks up and put new brass washers and new brass nuts. The insulator looked to be ok and is not touching the distributor on the outside or inside. BUT, since I did not get it to fire I'm wrong in doing or not doing something. Could the new coil be bad ??
 
Just to add to what Sam said, turn engine until points are open, then you should get a test light to light up on both side of coil, + and -. If you do not get a light, you have an internal ground like condenser or lead wire is touching side or you do not have continuity through primary winding of coil. That is easy to find out by unhooking wire to points and if you get a light then you know current is available through coil. If these things check out, what I do is, pull high tension wire out of dist cap, with switch on and points still open , all wires hooked up, merely make and break contact of the terminal at points or coil with a screw driver or what ever, which will simulate points opening and closing, and you should get a nice healthy spark to a good ground out of that high tension coil wire. Tells you if coil and condensor and all wires leading to it are good.
 
Need to find out if you got spark or not. When you say no fire I assume you mean it wont start. Pull the wires off at the dist and check contnituy to ground. Should be nothing when the points are open and a direct short when closed.

Then if that is good move onto the coil. If you are 12v neg ground then it is neg side of coil to the dist. And a hot switched wire on the pos side. If that is all good and you still got no spark, pull the condenser out and try it again. Could be shorted. If that still gives nothing, then replace coil.

If you are 6v pos ground, then switch the pos and neg directions on the coil for optimal performance.
 
As I read the responses to your question I had in my mind that the bolt on the side of the distributor was grounding to it. I would still double check it.
 
Whatever's wrong, it's a simple and obvious problem. There's no magic involved here.

Problem is you've been struggling with this problem for so long that you've developed mechanic's blindness. You're checking things off in your head instead of actually checking them physically. Yup, I did this. Yup, I did that. Yup, I did the other thing...

You need another set of eyes on the issue.

You've got no fire...

Is the distributor turning?
Does the coil spark to ground when you remove the center wire off the distributor cap and hold it to the engine block?
 
..You're right about mechanics blindness, I didn't check to see if there is spark from the coil wire to ground, that's next. Thanks!
 
Put it together except the distributor cap and rotor.
Put the coil wire (cap end) near the block and tape it so it stays near the block 1/8" will do)
use a plastic handled small screw driver to touch the rubbig block of the points, weaseling them open. If you get a spark, and the points are gapped when the cam has them max open, it should run. If no spark, the points are grounded or the condenser is shorted, or the stack of washers and insulators is shorted to the distributor housing. Jim
 
I re read your post below!!
There are two parts to the insulation. One is a fiber/plastic tube with flange, the other is a fiber/plastic washer. without the washer it will short to ground! Jim
 
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