No spark through distributor

pcbauer

New User
Hello. I have a 1962 Ford 861 that was converted to 12v some years ago. Was hauling a log section when tractor just quit. No sputter just wound down suddenly which usually meant a wire came off someplace. After tracing wires and finding no problems checked distributor. Rotor ok. Pulled rotor to check points and noticed metal flecks on points plate. Pulled points and plate and found that one of the advance timing weights had broken off. Bought new distributor from YT. Installed and did static spark test w/#1 cylinder plug. Nothing. Checked coil by pulling neg. wire and center coil wire from distributor turned on ignition and grounded neg. wire while keeping tip of center coil wire just off of engine block. Had nice blue spark jump the clearance. Pulled distributor and set #1 cylinder to 24* of TDC by timing marks as given in shop manual. Installed distributor with rotor at #1 post and adjusted so points just start to separate. Put all together and checked for static spark on #1 plug by shifting distributor body back and forth but nothing. I don't seem to be getting any spark from distributor to any of the plugs. Checked all plug wires by using timing light to see if anything was coming through. I replaced coil just to make sure that wasn't somehow the problem. Still nothing.

I must be missing something or messing something up that I'm not getting a spark through the distributor. Anyone have an idea of where to go from here?
 
Pull the cap rotor rotor clip and dust cover. Then with the ignition on open the point by hand carefully and see if you have a spark at the points. No spark at points mean dirty point that need to be cleaned some
 
"Checked for static spark on #1 plug by shifting distributor body back and forth but nothing. I don't seem to be getting any spark from distributor to any of the plugs."

Are you getting spark out of the coil high tension lead that goes to the distributor cap?
 
It was not a 861 but I remember having a similar problem with my 1962 Fairlane Ford. I had the distributor out for a valve job and even though I would have bet I had the timing right, I was wrong and had it out by 180 degs. After almost running my battery down, I pulled the distributor out and rotated the crankshaft one more time and it fired up the first time.
 
You mention 12 volts - have you got a resistor somewhere in the system or a 12 volt coil. Those resistors do go bad and when they do you have no spark.
 
If you have a test light or volt meter, connect one lead to the - (distributor side) terminal of the coil, ground the other lead.

Crank the engine through, watch the light.

If it stays on, the distributor circuit is open. As in the points are not making contact, the primary wire is not connected, or the distributor housing is not grounded.

If no light, the points are not opening, the condenser is shorted to ground, the points or the primary wire are shorted to ground.
 
If all else fails in order to determine the cause of no spark work through my Ignition Troubleshooting Procedure linked below:

The most common cause of no fire is the points are dirty or oxidized or burned and pitted, try cleaning first or replace if necessary.

http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=farmall&th=5745

John T
John Ts Ignition Troubleshooting
 
Reset the distributor, pulled cover and hooked up wires. Turned ignition on. Separated points by hand and no spark. Pulled distributor and removed points plate. Removed terminal that passes through body of distributor and found that the insulator (pressed card board) had been sheared against a small metal shelf on the underside of bolt molded into the body of the distributor. This allowed the square head of the bolt to come in contact with the lower distributor housing. Looks like it occurred during original assembly. Replaced insulator cardboard with some gasket material and reassembled. Have spark now. Thanks to all for the guidance and things to check. Helped solve problem. Kind of irritating that this occurred with a brand new distributor. I know you have to expect some defective parts in manufacturing as a percentage but it doesn't make you feel any better. Luckily I was able to work through it with every ones assistance.

Thanks again.
 

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