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Crypt Car blew up today

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[ QUOTE ]
Thxs Mike- I thought the little guy was for
checking out small light bulbs and gauges, etc.

Do I use the light bulb tetser with ingnition key turned on or off?

d

PS: Give me a holler later today. An easy day today for
me- no meetings, no travel, no clients stuff- nice and
enjoyable day of design projects.... at my own pace for
a change.

I had planned to try and drive the Crypt Car around the
block today but................in Spanish "El cabron no
esta corriendo hoy!"

d

[/ QUOTE ]
Ignition Key On... but remember not to Leave in this Position without Engine Running for no more than a few minutes.

Hey, I'll Ride too... U might need some Pushing Power to the next Phone Booth ;-)

Hehehheheheee,
M

PS: Just remember Folks... We have Come a Long Way from Here,

MastersBoxes2.jpg

(Powerblock in Box)

But then Again, Maybe Dale should have Listen to Janis Joplin and Bought a Mercedes Beinz Instead /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif
 
Dale,
Try a new rotor. The rotor may have cracked while it was running. A cracked rotor will kill the engine instantly. The cracks can be very small and hard to see without good light and magnification.
 
Bob, I cleaned the rotor and no change in dead status.
I'll look at under a lens for cracks.

Mike- I put a very long screwdiver into a pulled
plug wire. I got it near enough to the valve cover stud to
see it when I stand in the car, lean over the front window
and crank the key. No spark arc.

With no electric in system at all:

I connected the light gizzmo to the neg side of the coil- it lit up.

I conected the light gizzmo to the pos side of the coil nothing- no light.

I stuck the light gizzmo down inside the coil hole-no light.

I stuck the light gizzmo inside a pulled spark plug wire- no light.

With battery hooked up:

I connected the light gizzmo to the neg side of the coil- it lit up.

I conected the light gizzmo to the pos side of the coil- the
ground wire end piece started to smoke, thru a spark into a
piece of steel wool, a blazing inferno began inside the Crypt Car engine compartment.

I threw the very fast burning steel wool onto the garage
floor where it set fire to a few rags and filled the
garage with a stenchful smoke.

While rushing to grab the fire extinguisher, I tripped
over the PO's Christmas box of broken parts I'm going to send him and cut my friggin' arm.

Crypt Car is dead for today.
Wendy is going to visit her buddy at the car
crusher later this morning.

Looking mighty grim for the Crypt car. I might be
able to convince Wendy to let me take it apart and
sell pieces on E-Bay.

d
 
Dale,

This really has me puzzled! With "no electric in the system at all" you shouldn't get the light gizmo to light up at all, no matter where you place it. With the battery hooked up, there is no place you should be able to put the light gizmo to cause the ground lead to get hot.

With the battery in the car, both leads - positive and negative - connected and the key on, your light gizmo should light up when the tip is placed on the positive terminal of the coil, and the clip end of the gizmo connected to a good ground point on the car, preferably the negative lead of the battery.

If this happens, then your electrical system is in good shape, and your problem is in the ignition system - coil, distributor, or the electronic ignition module.

I would suggest removing the electronic ignition module and replacing the points. Set the timing on the points and the point gap according to the instrucions in the shop manual and try to start the engine again.

You've come to far to give up now. There is nothing seriously wrong with your car, and I see no reason why it shouldn't be on the road soon.
 
I know a lot of people swear by the electronic ignition but I (despite the fact that I am an EE specializing in electronics) like my points. They may not give me that extra fractional HP but I can tinker with them and see if they are working without resorting to my electronic test equipment (which I tend not to keep in the LBC boot).

All that to say I agree with danmas when he says put the points back in and go from there. even if you never played with points you will learn it in a matter of minutes and have it figured out in no time flat. Remember electricity is not mysterious it is just shocking.
 
Hey Dale
Looks to me you're on that hate side of the love/hate relationship that we often go thru during the reincarnation of a "mostly dead" but attractive LBC. It's time to give it (and you) a little space and let things cool. Although I've not had overt fire, I've had plenty of sparks, smoke, and clunks. I've also been towed, pushed and teased my share of times. I've also received that special "look" by wifee when stranded in a suspect area at in the middle of the night.
Hang in there. Read a little, think a little and then go back when you're ready. I know I've got a few more glitches to come, but since all the fixes during 2+ years, I've had 4 mos of relative bliss!

Pete
 
Thanks All.
Dan: The light gizzmo is fried.
But I rigged up a 3w bulb and connected
neg battery to pos coil post. The light lights
very brightly. So I guess that says ignition
problem?

I looked inside the distributor head this afternoon
to determine if I think I could install points, etc.
I believe that installing and setting this electronic
assembly is considerably beyond my knowledge level.
(Can I purchase points, etc at Western Auto or are they special to TRs?)

But I can see where the wires from the electronic
ignition box connect inside and also the other set
to the posts on the coil.

Is an electonic ignition box a "plug and play" device
or does it require settings and adjustments? Maybe I
could simply swap out the PO's box and wires for new?

I forgot totally about the distributor belonging to
the PO. Should i go ahead and order a replacement unit?

thanks,

d
 
Dale, send it to Jeff at Advanced and have him diagnose it as it is, then set it with points for you. Or call him to arrange a swap out using yours as a core.

End this DPO electrical fiasco once and for all.
 
Paul Thanks,

Who is Jeff at Advanced?

I was thinking about calling the TRF and ordering a new
distributor with the points setup components and also the
Petronix electronic set up as back-up, just in case.

Maybe I could have TRF deliver the pieces to someone in the
States who could assemble them for me (for $$) and get them to the status of "bolt on an start the engine"?

On the other hand, I visited the car crusher this afternoon
with Wendy. She is so ticked off she can't stand it. I am
almost at the point of taking the car apart and selling the pieces on E-Bay. Very discourged after getting so close to operational, street legal status.

One step forward, three steps backwards, and every month
another few $$ thousand spent fixing more newly discovered
damage hidden by the PO.

I'm really in the dumps tonight.

d
 
Are there not any mechanics at all on the island. Considering all of the time and frustration you are experiencing, it would serve you well to hire a mechanic to finish the car and get it set up and running well. It is a very basic automobile which does not require high tech ability at all. You have already done all the grunt work, have someone with some experience tweak things while you and the wife have a time out. FWIW

Dave
 
I should have mentioned that I agree with everyone that it sounds like you're suffering from an ignition failure. Make sure that the inside of your distributor cap is clean and dry, and the terminals are clean. You may be in need of new plug wires as well? I'd be glad to sort through it for you though!
Best wishes,
Jeff
 
Dale, I posted this link a while back for you in one of the many threads about this project. You won't be sorry if you go this route, either with points or electronic and you know it will be setup for many, many miles of smiles!

https://www.74tr6.com/distributor.htm

Good luck,
 
Thanks Jeff, Thanks Paul,

As everyone here is aware, I truly
know nothing about auto electronics.
I can fix just about every other TR component,
just not electronics.

Jeff, I will get out the Blue Book today and pull
out the old distributor. I will priority mail it to
you for your stockpile.

I will contact you later today and order whatever
you think is best for the Crypt car.

Again,

Many, many thanks to all.
After a decent night's sleep, I am once again
back to the challenge of fixing the PO's screw ups.

dale
 
[ QUOTE ]
Dan: The light gizmo is fried.
But I rigged up a 3w bulb and connected
neg battery to pos coil post. The light lights
very brightly. So I guess that says ignition
problem?


[/ QUOTE ]
Dale, that is a Good Sign... 12ga White Panel Power is Good.

According to Dad, there is only 12.x Volts available at all times-- anywhere from the Car UNTIL you Turn the Motor Over.

Can you retrace your Steps Before, During, & After the Sparking Incident more clearly? Did this incident occur when you Probed the Center Coil socket? This raises some Concerns based upon only having 12.x Volts with the Motor NOT Turning... Are you Sure you Wasn't just Playing 'Pocket Pool' during that Moment ;-)

I find it very hard for you to be under the Bonnet and being able to Reach the Ignition Switch on the Dash and Rotate the Motor ;-)

Guess What? I got Mail from PR!

Lovely Rita, Metermaid sent me some investment property info in response to a email I sent earlier Thanking the Fine Folks of Villa Cofresi for Such a Wonderful, Unique Time we Had there.

F-BeachTerrace_small.jpg
BeachN_small.jpg


Everybody... We Highly Recommend this Place for something Different in your Travel Dreams ;-) Cool thing is you can Fly from Orlando directly to Old Ramey AFB just North of Rincon for PEANUTS! Rental Cars from Hertz, etc are available too.

Airlines

Cheers!
M
PS: There is a Red TR6 on this Side of the Island too--
Dale says he knows of Him /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
Dale in the Morning

[ QUOTE ]

Many, many thanks to all.
After a decent night's sleep, I am once again
back to the challenge of fixing the PO's screw ups.

dale

[/ QUOTE ]

I have Seen It for Myself Folks...

sherman0322.jpg


This is Dale around 4:30am in the Morning Looking for the Coffee /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thirsty.gif

me%20n%20the%20new%20ferret.jpg


Nice Pic of Wendy & Dale /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif
 
BRDAVE:

Nope, there ain't none here on the island.
I have found only two mechanics willing to do
any work on my TR6 at all. Neither makes house
calls. I must drive the TR to their shops and
deliver the repair parts to install. I must also
supply the Bentley Blue Book for reference.
No warranty given on their work, either.

Neither knows anything about auto electrical systems.

Needless to say, I have performed the majority of the
restoration work in my garage but I am limited by having
zero knowledge or understanding of things electric.

For example: I call the local power company and request
they shut down the entire power grid in my neighborhood
when I have to change out a ceiling fan. Even then,
something usually blows up when I throw the wall switch
after the install!!

Ah life in the tropic!
dale
 
[ QUOTE ]
Where are you located in Puerto Rico

[/ QUOTE ]
Dale lives in Bayamon ;-)
 
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