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Wedge Coil not working or what, on my TR7

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KLUTZ

KLUTZ

Luke Skywalker
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Well... I have started my 78 TR7 once in December, and again in January, just to warm it up and move it up and down the driveway. I havn't the last few weeks because of the bitter cold.
I went out today to give it a go. It is around the freezing mark today, so quite nice.
The car will not start. It turns over strong, but no go. I took the spark plug wire off of #1 and set it on the block... No spark. I took the wire from the coil to the distributor and placed it on the block too, and also no spark from it.
I checked all the connections, and they look tight, so... could the coil just die from sitting in the cold garage for a month or so? I have another one I can try in there, but is there somthing else I should try first? By the way, I leave the battery in throughout the winter if that makes a differance.
Thanks
Paul
 
For starts, find out if there really is ignition primary or secondary. Put your test light on the + side of the coil, and the little clip to a known good ground. (You know it is a good ground if, when connected to it, and the probe to the battery + terminal, it lights up. You also then know for sure that the light works.)
So, now connected to the + side of the coil, turn on the ignition switch, and the light should come on. If not, then trace back from there to the switch and repair. If so, then move the test light probe over to the - side of teh coil. Now turning the engine over, the light should blink on and off. If not, then you have a primary ignition failure - maybe like the points, or in your case, in the trigger. If the light does blink, then you know the primary ignition is making/breaking, and you're looking to see what happens on the secondary side. You already sort of did that, but don't just lay the wire near some steel, but about .025" from steel. You aren't pushing enough voltage most likely to jump a gap of several inches. If there is still not a nice big blue spark, then have a look at the rotor and distributor cap. Look closely for any signs of holes or dirt tracks. Clean or replace. If good, then you can try another coil. Or, just for fun, you could always grab the coil wire while someone cranks the engine - then you'd know for sure.
Good luck.
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Paul Johnson:
Or, just for fun, you could always grab the coil wire while someone cranks the engine - then you'd know for sure.<hr></blockquote>

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FUN
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<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Mark Beiser:


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FUN
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<hr></blockquote>

HEY Don't laugh, Mark......

Been there Done that....... Only ONCE.
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Reminds me when the kid was about four, and we caught him trying to stick a knife into a wall socket. He explained that he knew it was dangerous, but that he had special powers and it could not hurt him. I offered to take him out to the garage and hook him up to the lawn mower, but the boss vetoed it.

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Hey Paul!

If the car cranks over well the battery must be ok. Cold weather should not do anything to the coil, but I have a couple of spares sitting on a shelf you can borrow for testing. (One thing, they are for unballasted ignitions, don't know if your 7 has a ballast resistor)

by the way, Triumph club doing indoor gokart racing agau\inst the MG guys and the British sports car club at Prokart in Etobicoke, Blake and I both racing for Team Triumph!
Simon.
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by KLUTZ:


HEY Don't laugh, Mark......

Been there Done that....... Only ONCE.
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<hr></blockquote>

Only once!? You're not trying hard enough! That's how I keep my hair curly!
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<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Paul Johnson:
...just for fun, you could always grab the coil wire while someone cranks the engine...<hr></blockquote>

That's what mothers-in-law are for.

Seriously KLUTZ -- I have had dizzys lose their points gap when sitting for long spells, I think this would produce the condition you describe. Take a peek and see if they are really opening.
 
Definately check the points.. No contact there then no spark from the coil. Pull the cap off and turn the ingition on, then use a screwdriver to open and close the points. You should see all kinds of sparking from the points and the screwdriver as it grounds as well.. No spark means look further up the ignition route..As sais before, ignition switch and wiring.. If it sparks get the gap right then spin it over watching fo a spark when the points close each time. If this is ok and your coil still won't fire, dump the coil!
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TR7s are electronic ignition. No points. There should also be a ballast resistor mounted near the coil. You can always check that. I think it's supposed to be 9 ohms. But I can't say for sure.
 
Update time. Well, I finally got a day off to look closely at the beast. I made sure the battery was good and charged up first.
I noticed I was getting a spark from #1 plug wire, but not from the others, so I took the Dist. cap off, and noticed the gap was pretty wide between the .... Thingy...(don't know what it is called,) and the other Thingy in the midle of the Dist. I adjusted the gap, and cleaned up everything.
Turned over a few times, and away she went.
Thanks all for your ideas as I didn't know what could happen from just sitting for a month or so. It was nice and sunny today, around freezing... You all know how hard it was not to take it for a spin?????

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Paul
 
Hooray for you!
It usually turns out to be something simple. I am glad your persistence was rewarded. Snowing here after a brief 3 day "spring". Had to push nearly 3" off the hood and bonnet to get in to start it and let it warm up. Must go now while the roads are clear.
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Simple things can make the best mechanics look like fools.

Many years ago, my (almost new) '69 GT6+ simply would not start and I had wrestled with it for hours. I took it to a reputable, local garage with professional mechanics (Keith's Gargage in Roanoke, VA, owned by my grandfather & uncle with 60 years' combined experience!) who first checked the electrics and discovered the problem in about 10 minutes: a MICROSCOPIC crack in the distributor cap! I felt like an idiot and they ribbed me about it for months.

I learned that day to ALWAYS check the easiest things first. Usually pays off, especially with LBCs!
 
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