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TR6 1976 TR6 Ignition problem

Marty_Dooley

Freshman Member
Offline
Hello,

I need your help.

Two weeks ago we were driving along and all was fine - until the engine died and would not restart.

We are getting spark out of coil to the distributor.

We have the replaced coil, the condenser, and swapped out the distributor cap and the points are opening and closing.

But - no spark to the plugs.

Does anyone have any suggestions.....

Thanks and best regards,

Marty Dooley
 

TR3driver

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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Still sounds like a bum rotor to me :smile:
 

poolboy

Yoda
Country flag
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Do you see a spark jumping across the points as they open ?
There's a ground wire inside the distributor. You should see it when you remove the distributor cap. One end of it is screwed onto the rim of the distributor. Is it intact ?
Then there's the rotor; did you replace it even though it might look OK ?
 
G

Guest

Guest
Guest
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poolboy said:
Do you see a spark jumping across the points as they open ?
quote]

Marty_Dooley said:
Hello,

We are getting spark out of coil to the distributor.

Yeah, exactly where are you talking about? Primary or secondary voltage?


If you haven't serviced your ignition in a while, do: points, condenser, cap, rotor, plugs, wires. You'll be happy you did. Sounds like just the rotor or coil wire, but I'd do it all.
 
OP
M

Marty_Dooley

Freshman Member
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Yes, we did have spark across the points, and the rotor looked fine. However, when we replaced the rotor - she started immediately. I still don't understand how such a simple mechanical part that appears undamaged could cause such grief.

Anyway, Gentlemen, thank for all you help.

Best regards,
Marty Dooley
 

DNK

Great Pumpkin
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A lot of bad rotors at all the locations.
Best thing,buy a couple from Jeff. There is someone else selling the similar thing claiming they are his. They are red too.
 

TR3driver

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
Offline
Marty_Dooley said:
I still don't understand how such a simple mechanical part that appears undamaged could cause such grief.
It's an electrical part; the body of the rotor has to keep full spark voltage from jumping through it to the grounded center post. Sometimes, it doesn't make it. Once the spark starts to jump through the rotor even occasionally, it will quickly leave a carbon path that conducts enough to short out the high voltage, but is completely invisible since it's inside the body of the rotor.

I would also be looking for a bad plug wire. Sometimes when a wire starts to fail, it lets the voltage rise higher than usual before the plug fires. Last time I saw a rotor fail, there was also a broken resistor inside one plug wire.
 
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