Author	[Modern View]
William Fissell 11-11-2012 15:01:36 76.18.178.56 Report to Moderator	For those who didn't read the prior thread: 6V, pos ground, suddenly no spark after dead battery. Following sounder's advice: jumper from neg of battery to batt side of coil. Spark plug connected directly to wire from coil (no dizzy) and body of spark plug grounded via jumper cables to (+) on battery. Grounding the dizzy side of the coil -> weak blue spark on the spark plug then fat orange spark when I unground the coil. What I'd expect, except wimpy spark. Interestingly, if I do it again, a moment later -> no spark at all on the spark plug. but I still get the fat orange spark. If I wait for 5-10 min, I get the weak blue spark again. I assume I should be able to just zap zap zap zap zap until I get bored of it, no? This I think makes the coil the suspect. However... will get a new ignition switch anyway as its likely original and likely to be flaky. anything else I am missing? [Reply]   [No Email]
JEK1 11-12-2012 09:00:35 71.214.9.132 Report to Moderator	Re: 53 Jube no spark update in reply to William Fissell, 11-11-2012 15:01:36   That very same thing was happening to my 8n side mount distributor tractor. All of the electrical checks were OK. It turned out that that terminal stud located on the exterior of the distributor where the wire is hooked from the coil was shorting to ground. When the terminal nut gets torqued, the insulation gets sheared. The insulation is made from gasket like material. I made one from plastic from the top of an aerosol can. The tractor now starts Oh so much better with a rich spark. [Reply]  [No Email]
oldcase 11-12-2012 08:50:44 166.147.89.143 Report to Moderator	Re: 53 Jube no spark update in reply to William Fissell, 11-11-2012 15:01:36   Don't forget about the ballast resister between the ignition switch and the coil. They are notorious for causing the no spark condition you describe. [Reply]  [No Email]
soundguy 11-12-2012 11:26:38 184.247.62.66 Report to Moderator	Re: 53 Jube no spark update in reply to oldcase, 11-12-2012 08:50:44   there is no ballast resistor on a 6v/53 setup [Reply]  [No Email]
old 11-11-2012 16:05:56 209.86.226.40 Report to Moderator	Re: 53 Jube no spark update in reply to William Fissell, 11-11-2012 15:01:36   Sounds like and from what you typed here that your way over thinking a very simple ignition system. You have a battery which in turns powers the system by way of a switch and a wire from that going to the coil which then in turn is hooked to the points which when they open cause a spark to the plugs. A simple hot wire from the ignition side of the battery as in none ground side to the ignition side of the coil as in non- point side of the coil will tell you if the problem is in the distributor or the system back to the battery including the switch [Reply]  [No Email]
William Fissell 11-11-2012 17:30:01 76.18.178.56 Report to Moderator	Re: 53 Jube no spark update in reply to old, 11-11-2012 16:05:56   Thanks, old- I did that - no spark grounded the points side of the coil for a second- weak blue spark. did it again. no spark. [Reply]  [No Email]
soundguy 11-12-2012 07:04:45 184.246.234.190 Report to Moderator	Re: 53 Jube no spark update in reply to William Fissell, 11-11-2012 17:30:01   if you have hot wired the primary of the coil, disconnected the coil from the dizzy and are grounding it's primary on and off.. and it's not throwing a spark.. I'd swap a coil from another machine and check [Reply]  [No Email]
William Fissell 11-12-2012 07:12:21 129.59.115.13 Report to Moderator	Re: 53 Jube no spark update in reply to soundguy, 11-12-2012 07:04:45   yup. that's where I am at. Will do. [Reply]  [No Email]