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i did not. i have a tool to check it. i also pulled the plugs and laid it on block to see the spark. after i cleaned the points up i left the cap off and rotated the motor to see the spark at the points. is it possible the timing is now off. i don't know how, but i am at my wits end and am looking for something! i smell fuel at the cylinders....so i imagine the fuel thing is ok. could this be all from being flooded. i took all the plugs out and turned the motor over to exhaust that.
 
Sounds to me like the most likely thing is that you messed up the wiring (don't ask me how I know) you have gas, you have air and you have spark -just not at the right time. Make sure you have the wires in the correct order, (1324) and try the engine. If it doesn't start move each wire one space and try again. You have only four possible settings. It's easy to eliminate quickly
 
wondering if it jumped timing. just checking, the rotor should be pointing at no. 1 if cylinder is up, correct? then i can go from there with the firing order. i manually cranked the motor to tdc from the markings on motor. when i did this, the rotor looked 180 degrees off. right by no.4 cylinder. i checked again for spark and got zip. nothing on the points. gotta get new ones. i did clean them up before but now there is nothing. stay tuned...
 
Check for power at the coil, key on.
You will be at the TDC mark with therotor at #1 and at 180 off.
You need to know which time around on the crank is compression on #1. Finger in the hole and a remote starter (or button on the solenoid like mine have).
Don't go yanking the distributor and turning the rotor around until you know FOR SURE.
Then, crank it again with cap still off, see rotation, set you wires for firing order from the confirmed #1.

This works on all, and is handy when you don't have a manual to refer to.
 
shouldn't the rotor be pointing at #1 when tdc? or, are you saying, wherever that rotor ends up at tdc is where i start my wiring?
 
rotor should be at tdc
 
Rotor should be. However, didn't you say you thought it was pointing 180 off?
Entirely possible, and not wrong.
Crank trurns twice for one roatation of cam and distributor. IF you are NOT on compression stroke, but on split overlap stroke, your #1 piston can be up, timing pointers lined up, and rotor 180 from where it should be.

What I said was make sure, finger in the hole, crank it, see where compression is BEFORE you start pulling distributors or moving wires.
 
well, it seems i have lost spark all of a sudden. i ordered new points and condenser and will be here tomorrow.
 
The only reason I ask these questions is experience.
One can throw a whole lot of time, effort, parts and money at a problem, just changing parts out.
It is generally a good idea to actually discover what the problem is, and go from there.
Like, check for power at the coil.
Then, slip a pice of cardboard between the points and check for the same voltage present at the power side of the coil (no current flow, no resistance, same voltage).
Then, with the coil wire removed from the cap, and an old plug stuck in the end, laid on the manifold or head, with a jumper wire short the moving arm of the points to the distributor case, flashing it on/off/on/off, and watch for spark.
This tells you the ignition switch and wiring are intact, the coil works, and you get spark.
No spark, let me know.
Bad condensor can give no or weak spark.

I actually have a coil tester and condensor tester.
Used it a lot over the decades.
 
i had spark. i don't now. i am not just changing things out for kicks. i checked coil, ok, checked spark, had it. i am trying to be systematic about this. it was running at idle, i went upstairs for maybe 15mins while the car was still running and came back down to a car not running. i have a distributor that is a 45d body with 25d points in it. didn't know that. when i got new points and condensor, it did not match. after talking to the tech, we both surmised that someone changed the original at some point and used what they could in it. i am switching that distributor to electronic so at least i now know what i have and not have points anymore.
 
went with electronic ignition with new distributor and still no spark. i have a new coil also. why the h wouldn't i be getting spark?
 
marco68 said:
went with electronic ignition with new distributor and still no spark. i have a new coil also. why the h wouldn't i be getting spark?
Click to expand...

are you getting any spark at all? which is to say, if you lay a plug on the block and turn it over, do you have spark at all?
 
nothing. wondering if the new starter has anything to do with it. could it be wired wrong? it turns over and seems to kill the battery after awhile. i know the starter draws a lot but i get nothing after awhile. funny thing, the battery shows 12.74v. i just don't know.
 
Never did read you checked and actually have power at the coil.
 
Marco, just read the whole thread and I am lost and I'm sure you are as well. If I understand, you currently have no spark at all, even when you lay a plug on the block. Is this correct?

you have replaced cap and rotor? Is this correct?

you have replaced coil? Is this correct?

you have installed electronic ignition? Is this correct?

you said you replaced the starter, was this before or after it last ran?
 
I put the questions in a separate post, we have so many responses in so many directions that I think we need to consolidate what we do know.
 
hey there. all of that is true and the starter was after it quit running. i have no spark. kind of wondering about the starter, the wiring and such. but i had it turning over with new starter. at some point i had spark and it is now gone.
 
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