more on the 2000

s19438

Well-known Member
this morning I tried again to get it running.
with the test light on the dist. connection from coil and with the engine turning over the light was going on and off with what seemed like every rev. of the engine.
is this an indication that the all is right with the coil, rotor, points and condenser?
thanks.
 
The light will go out when the points close because it's a lower resistance path. You get the spark when they open. I've been following this saga and you shouldn't be having this much trouble so let's go back to basics.
Cylinders are numbered front to rear.
Verify your firing order. Every engine I've ever seen has it cast on, usually the intake manifold.
Put No 1 at TDC on the COMPRESSION stroke.
Find your distributor rotation and rotor position. The points should have JUST opened to fire No 1. Put the plug wires on in the correct order according to the dist. rotation. I'm not familiar with 4 cyl Fords but almost every other 4 I've seen is 1-3-4-2. Hope this helps.
 
(quoted from post at 18:31:22 03/20/14) this morning I tried again to get it running.
with the test light on the dist. connection from coil and with the engine turning over the light was going on and off with what seemed like every rev. of the engine.
is this an indication that the all is right with the coil, rotor, points and condenser?
thanks.
oil has some kind of continuity, points are making & breaking, condenser isn't shorted. So, ...."all" is not a good word, here. Plenty of opportunity for other coil or condenser problems.
 
s19438,

If I'm reading your post right, I would conclude that the only thing indicated by the flashing light is that you have continuity through the primary winding of your coil and that the points are opening and closing.

I don't think the flashing light says anything about the secondary winding of the coil or anything about the rotor. Also, you know that the condenser isn't shorted across the points, but you don't know anything about its condition nor do you even know if it is connected to your points.

I commend your determination on a very frustrating problem that you have been working on. I'm really eager to hear what the final solution is.

Tom in TN
 
(quoted from post at 18:48:56 03/20/14) The light will go out when the points close because it's a lower resistance path. You get the spark when they open. I've been following this saga and you shouldn't be having this much trouble so let's go back to basics.
Cylinders are numbered front to rear.
Verify your firing order. Every engine I've ever seen has it cast on, usually the intake manifold.
Put No 1 at TDC on the COMPRESSION stroke.
Find your distributor rotation and rotor position. The points should have JUST opened to fire No 1. Put the plug wires on in the correct order according to the dist. rotation. I'm not familiar with 4 cyl Fords but almost every other 4 I've seen is 1-3-4-2. Hope this helps.
ell, you haven't seen his 4 cylinder yet, because it is 1-2-4-3
 
I"ve had problems with voltage getting where it is suppose to be but no current. look for a terminal with a loose crimp or only one strand holding.
 
if his test lamp is in series with the coil and points, it ONLY comes on when points close.

if it is across points, it is only on when they are open.
 

Hello s19438,

The light blinking shows you are getting voltage to the coil and the points are operating. The points are making and breaking the electrical path to the coil.

To prove the coil, condenser, rotor, and cap you can check for spark at the end of each spark plug wire. Remove the test light and pull one plug wire at a time and check for spark at the end of each. You should be getting a nice blue/white spark that will bridge 1/4" gap or more.

Did you try rotating the plug wires in order around the cap this morning?
 
I did try rotating the wires, same result, nuthin.
tomorrow or sat I will be installing new points, condenser, rotor and a new coil.
 

I gotta feeling you don't need all that.
The backfires and flame out the carb tells me it ain't all dead.

Definitely don't go out and buy anything yet. But if you got them spare and they're just hanging around it never hurts to go with the new stuff (long as it's good quality).

Check the spark at the wire end. All you have to do is pull the boot off of the plug and lay it near the block to check each.
If it's there and strong on all four wires, all is good with creating the spark and you don't need to worry about any of those.
 
Still think all you've got to do is get the plug wires in the right order with #1 in the correct hole. However, the first thing I'd do is verify that the spark at the plugs is fat, blue and will jump a good quarter to half inch gap.

Without being where I can look at it, I believe a distributor oriented as yours is in the picture should have #1 at about the 10 or 11 o'clock position, then 2,4,3 in a clockwise direction around the cap. Of course, someone could have your distributor shaft 90, 180 or 270 degrees off too.

Since swapping 1 and 2 in the cap didn't work (you did try that didn't you?) you are down to figuring out where TDC compression stroke is on #1 and checking which terminal in the distributor cap the rotor is pointing at.

Your test light is a good indicator that points, condenser, coil, etc. are doing their thing. Add to that, the fact that your trouble started with chewed wires and you should have an easy answer here![u:6f1771fff9] [b:6f1771fff9]Getting the plug wires in the right holes on the distributor cap would be my first priority![/b:6f1771fff9][/u:6f1771fff9]
 
Number one spark plug wire in this photo is at the 8 o'clock position.

mvphoto5047.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 06:09:51 03/21/14) Number one spark plug wire in this photo is at the 8 o'clock position.

mvphoto5047.jpg
es, sir! It seems that more than not fail to realize that #1 can be ANYWHERE around the distributor, from 12 o'clock, all the way around 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 o'clock. There is no magic position, they can be made to run perfectly in any position, although 'show' people like to place #1 in the factory position.
 
that distributor is not set in the orientation it came from the factory in!

How about this one - Is that how they came originally?

mvphoto5071.jpg


I've heard on the flat heads number one pointed to the right, front cylinder head bolt but have never seen a reference for the OHV motors.
 

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