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TR2/3/3A TR3 timing/distributor question

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BillyB62

BillyB62

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I'm sure this has been answered many times before, but after searching the forum for many hours, I just can't find the answer. My car stalled last October on my last ride of the year and due to some personal problems, I didn't work on it this winter. I bought new plugs and points (TRF's uprated 2 piece set) and put them in last weekend, but my car still wouldn't start.

Today, I took to troubleshooting but the engine just spins and doesn't even give me a hint of starting. I figured I'd static time the engine so I lined the pointer with the hole in the pulley to find TDC. Oddly, when I put a non-powered timing light on the distributor side of the coil and turn on the ignition, the light turns on an never goes out, no matter how much I turn the dizzy. I can see the points are open but the light remains on. What am I doing wrong and what could be the problem?

Many thanks in advance,

Bill
TS63273L
 
By timing light I assume you mean a small bulb (like a tail lamp) possibly with two leads and an alligator clip on each.

If that is what you are using then you want to disconnect the W/B wire from the coil or distributor and substitute the bulb with one connection to power and the other to the low tension post on the distributor. Set-up like that, the bulb goes out at the moment the points open.
 
Forgot to add that - I replaced both of them with the red rotor from TRF and the new condenser that came with the points kit.

Thanks,

Bill
 
Just to be clear, I assume Geo is right and you are using a regular light bulb as a timing light. One side is connected to the distributor side of the coil and the other to ground.

A regular light bulb will not flash as quickly as a regular timing light, and hooked up like you have it, you may not notice the light blinking off as the engine spins with the starter. It may be turning off, but you can't see it. When the points are closed, the light should go out. For this to happen, the points plate must be grounded. The entire distributor, with exception of the hot side of the points should be grounded. Be sure that the tiny wire to the points plate hasn't broken. It is thin and flexible to allow the advance to function. Also be sure that when you set the static timing, you were at TDC of the #1 cylinder (when both valves are closed) and not 180 degrees off, since the crankshaft rotates twice for every one revolution of the cam shaft. At that 'time', the rotor metal end should be pointing at the wire that leads to #1 cylinder.

Regardless of the rotor, if you turn the engine over slowly by hand, your light should go out 4 times with each complete cam revolution (2 crank revolutions) each time the points close completely.
 
Make sure you have insulated the wires on the stud with the plastic piece or you probably will get your wrong symptoms. To check for spark just use any plug--- you can leave yours in and hook it up and hold to ground like on the head or block and turn the engine over and see it spark at the gap. if not-- work backwards
 
Thanks to all for helping me figure out what wasn't wrong :smile: ...Lucy is running again!

Turned out that my brand new set of points were bad out of the box!
 
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