TR2/3/3A Help! No start! Need input from you guys.

[karls59tr]

:mad-new: No start. Battery and starter crank motor. Have gas to the carbs. Have spark to the plugs. Here's the back story. I was installing new points and condensor. I managed to drop the the hold down plate screw "lock washer" into the distributor so I had to remove the dist and shake out the lock washer. However I was very careful to mark a number of places on the distributor to make sure I put it back in the same place. Did not move the engine. I've checked the grounds at the battery and body. No wires loose at the ignition switch. Anyone have any ideas of how to track down the issue? I'm not at the side of the road or anything but in the garage.

 

[poolboy]

See if you have this..special attention to parts 2, 6 and 7

 

[DavidApp]

Rotor cap Carbon brush present? Rotor installed? I have left it off that is why I ask.

Distributor shaft engaged in the drive? Rotor pointing at No1 cylinder plug wire when No1 cylinder is TDC?

David

 

[karls59tr]

View attachment 63682See if you have this..special attention to parts 2, 6 and 7

Would that insulating washer come installed on a new set of points?

 

[Geo Hahn]

Would that insulating washer come installed on a new set of points?

If you mean #6, typically yes these days.

But if you have spark I do not think the points installation is likely to be your problem. more likely timing. If you put the engine at TDC for the compression stroke on #1 where is the rotor pointing?

 

[pdplot]

I repeat the age old mantra - if its got gas and its got spark and if they both arrive at about the same time , its got to run. If you assembled the points correctly as Poolboy pointed out (most point sets today come pre-assembled) and have spark at the plugs and gas is getting to the carbs and it ran fine prior to your pulling out the distributor, it must be the distributor in the wrong position.

 

[NutmegCT]

Just wondering ... you dropped that "hold down plate screw lock washer". Did anything else drop too?

Tom M.

 

[karls59tr]

You are right. The distributor was in the wrong position. I was trying to set the timing by using the the TDC hole in the pulley to no avail. Eventually I spotted a white mark on the pulley that I must have put there years ago. I used that as my TDC mark and now all is well. I should mention that on the new ignition parts that I ordered the capacitor and bush terminal ring ends on the wire leads were so big that they touched the plate hold down screw and the wire connections were flimsy. The points did not look too substantial either These parts came in Lucas boxes but the points did not have the Lucas engraving on them? I ended up using an old base plate for the points and changing the ends out of those lead wire with the ends of the old parts. I was looking at some old ignition parts I had saved that were genuine Lucas parts and they were made way better than the "aftermarket Lucas" parts I ended up with.

 

[karls59tr]

Just wondering ... you dropped that "hold down plate screw lock washer". Did anything else drop too?

Tom M.

Only my memory of the white TDC mark on the crank pulley.:wink-new:

 

[CJD]

I rebuilt a stack of distributors 8 years ago. The old points were well made and sturdy. The new ones are flimsy and never come close to lining up the contacts. It's a real shame the repro parts are as bad as they are.