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UPDATE! Elect to Points Ignition woes?

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Bret

Bret

Yoda
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See my last post today!

Ok I’m a little confused.

I’m trying to install a duel points Mallory distributor, but for the life of me I can’t get it to work. First thing I noticed is that the rotor is pointing about 30 degrees off from where the old unit was when I pulled it so I think the guy who drilled the hole for the drive dog is the reason for this. Other than that everything looks as it should – but still it won’t kick over.

Next I realigned the engine with both the valves closed and that the crankshaft pulley was at TDC. Confirming the location of the rotor at this point & re-checking my wires I still had no luck. Not even so much as a sputter or even a hint of trying to kick over.

So I got to thinking – I’m installing a points dizzy doesn’t its body have to be grounded in order for it to work? I mean the electronic ignition got it’s power from the positive & negative of the coil. Now I now the dizzy should be grounded by contact with the engine block but if it’s loose it’s not really the best connection.

Any thoughts?
 
Re: Electronic ignition to Points type woes?

Ok it looks like I'm fighting a no spark issue.

First measurements tell me that the coil is getting voltage but I'm having a hard time trying to figure out if it's the coil or if something else is wrong.

I'm going to rifle through a couple old boxes to see if I have an old coil I can try.

Wish me luck?
 
Re: Electronic ignition to Points type woes?

You got a voltmeter?

Follow the basic voltage path. Should have voltage to one primary(small) terminal of the coil, the voltage is going to go through the primary windings of the coil and come out the other side of the coil, check voltage there. Should be the same. Then the voltage is going through your primary pigtail to the distributor. Make sure the post in the side of the distributor has it's bushings, insulators so the voltage is not getting grounded. The voltage then goes to the points, and condensor. When the points open, the primary voltage field collapses in the coil and secondary voltage is produced. Remember the coil is, by design, just a stepping transformer.

HTH
 
Re: Electronic ignition to Points type woes?

Ok here’s where I left off yesterday – picking it up again to day.

First things first I’m going to put the drive back con my old Dizzy and drop it in to see if she starts again. If not then it’s something besides the distributor and need to start looking elsewhere.

Coil going south? Maybe. But not sure that fits with the symptoms I was seeing when I pulled the old dizzy out. Started out with intermittent sluggish accelerations then got worst where anything over 3000rpms would bog down and then she started erratic idling and would actually die. Would always start right up afterwards. Granted there are a number of other things that could be causing these systems not but it’s identical to what I’ve seen in the past when I had distributor problems with water inside the rotor cap (leaky heater valve) and another time when I didn’t give enough strain relief to the wires from the Pertronix to allow for movement inside the rotor cap & snagged bogging down the engine.

But anyway if swapping back in the old dizzy works the same and the old symptoms return, then there’s something about the set up of the new dizzy that’s not letting it work.

Again wish me luck.
 
Re: Electronic ignition to Points type woes?

Crap! The WB "White Black" wire! I just compared the schematics from a points setup to a later electronic ignition and noticed that little wire running from the coil to the dizzy. Guess I'm so used to electronic ignition setups that I totally forgot about it.

Anyway despite my feeling kind of silly right now, I’m going to try that first and let you know what happens.
 
Re: Electronic ignition to Points type woes?

Whoo hoooo! That was the problem. Got it running and everything seems fine.

I'm one happy banana! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/banana.gif

Next I installed the new Pertronix Ignitor II (Electronic ignition) upgrade. Surprised how simple it was to install compaired to when I did the same upgrade to my 45Dm4. Anyway I had my son turn over the key and did a rough dynamic setting of the timing and then put the timing light on it to fine tune it. Man its smooth - in fact it's so smooth, I keep expecting the other shoe to drop. But that probably wont be until the road test.

But the road test'll have to wait until tomorrow afternoon because I got to get ready for my son's "Parents Night" with all of his teachers. UGH! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rolleyes.gif

Edit: Also once I get her all back together & before the road test I'm going to replace the plugs & plug wires.
 
Re: Electronic ignition to Points type woes?

Gee Bret, you mean I have to connect <u>ALL</u> the wires??
Jeff /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif
 
Re: Electronic ignition to Points type woes?

Bugeye58 said:
Gee Bret, you mean I have to connect <u>ALL</u> the wires??
Jeff /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif
Click to expand...
Ah com'on give me a break will ya?
/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rolleyes.gif
I was switching from Electronic Ignition on my 78B to a Point condenser type ignition. That wire didn't exist before I put one in there.
 
Re: Electronic ignition to Points type woes?

I loved it ---Keoke--- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/lol.gif
 
Re: Electronic ignition to Points type woes?

*censored*

RTFM, Marine!!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif
 
Re: Electronic ignition to Points type woes?

For the lack of a wire.
 
Re: Electronic ignition to Points type woes?

DrEntropy said:
*censored*

RTFM, Marine!!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif
Click to expand...
None of my manuals said anything about switching from electronic to a points setup. I had to figure it out on my own looking at the Schematics.

Besides who asked you to chime in anyway? Don't you have some old music to lissen to or are you Tevoing "Dr Who" these days? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif
 
Re: Electronic ignition to Points type woes?

Hmmm... I can see you're a bit *sensitive* over this.

Fewer wires to figure out, tho. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif

I thought you'd installed an electronic fuel squirter system? Why go back to the "arc-n-spark" diz? Or was that dual-point Mallory with a wheel and trigger mod cheaper than a 25D?


... and what's a Tevo? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif
 
Re: Electronic ignition to Points type woes?

DrEntropy said:
Hmmm... I can see you're a bit *sensitive* over this.

Fewer wires to figure out, tho. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif

I thought you'd installed an electronic fuel squirter system? Why go back to the "arc-n-spark" diz? Or was that dual-point Mallory with a wheel and trigger mod cheaper than a 25D?
Click to expand...
You’d be correct about the EFI kit & actually the dual-point Mallory is now upgraded and sporting a new PerTronix “hal-fect” electronic upgrade. I’m just one of those guys who like to make sure things work first before upgrading them. Keeps it simple if there is any troubleshooting involved and allows me to take one step back if needed.

Kind’a went like this:
EFI installed – works.
New points dizzy installed – works (or it this case didn’t at first)
Electronic Ignition installed – works.

Kind of like the Marine Corps passive pacification campaign rebuilding one village at a time winning the hearts & minds one person at a time, as apposed to the Army’s brilliant plan of just making a whole area a “Free-Fire zone.

Neither might work but at least one sounds better than the other. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

DrEntropy said:
... and what's a Tevo? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif
Click to expand...
Kind of a modern day version of a Betamax.
/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif
 
Re: Electronic ignition to Points type woes?

hmm. My Betamax still works. I see no need to replace it just for the sake of 'modernization'. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif
 
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