No Spark

noveaufarmer · Oct 13, 2015

I am trying to get my '54 NAA working again. It started quickly as usual on Monday and I drove it out to the job site (about 5 minutes) to move some limbs. Just as I got there and began to work, the engine began running rough and started back firing. Then it died; I was able to get it started again but it ran poorly. I removed the distributor cap to find pitted points and a distributor cap with well worn contacts. I had some new points and a new distributor cap that I intended to install when I gotround to it so put them on. Now I have no spark at the points. I'm suspicious of the small copper connector running from the side of the dizzy to the points. Is it supposed to touch the side of the distributor housing? How is that supposed to be installed? Any other ideas on trouble shooting? Thanks!

JMOR · Oct 13, 2015

(quoted from post at 19:08:49 10/13/15) I am trying to get my '54 NAA working again. It started quickly as usual on Monday and I drove it out to the job site (about 5 minutes) to move some limbs. Just as I got there and began to work, the engine began running rough and started back firing. Then it died; I was able to get it started again but it ran poorly. I removed the distributor cap to find pitted points and a distributor cap with well worn contacts. I had some new points and a new distributor cap that I intended to install when I gotround to it so put them on. Now I have no spark at the points. I'm suspicious of the small copper connector running from the side of the dizzy to the points. Is it supposed to touch the side of the distributor housing? How is that supposed to be installed? Any other ideas on trouble shooting? Thanks!

Just think of it as an uninsulated wire connecting points to the feed-thru stud. It should not touch anything other than the two places it attaches.

Royse · Oct 13, 2015

As JMOR said, it shouldn't touch anything grounded.
Other thoughts on troubleshooting - Do you have battery voltage
to the outside of the stud on the distributor with the points open?
How about to the points themselves at that copper strip?

A bad insulator at the feed through the side of the dizzy can
cause you to have no voltage at those points or a bad key
switch can cause you to have no voltage to the coil at all.

noveaufarmer · Oct 13, 2015

JMOR, thanks for your reply. One end of the copper strip connects to the post on the points with the condensor wire; what does the other end touch or connect too? There
is no hole or evidence of how it connects to whatever.

Royse, all good questions. I'll attempt to find answers tomorrow. I've suspected the key switch might be the problem since they are known to quit suddenly. When I turn
on the switch, the amp meter responds as usual. Maybe that doesn't mean the power is getting to the coil and dizzy?

Thanks for your ideas.

old · Oct 13, 2015

In the side if the distributor there should be a insulator part and a nut/bolt sort of thing that goes in the distributor and one end has the wire that runs to the coil and the other end hooks up to the points y way of that copper strip

JMOR · Oct 13, 2015

(quoted from post at 22:54:12 10/13/15) In the side if the distributor there should be a insulator part and a nut/bolt sort of thing that goes in the distributor and one end has the wire that runs to the coil and the other end hooks up to the points y way of that copper strip

ours will be very much like these:

steve19438 · Oct 14, 2015

have you replaced the condenser?

souNdguy · Oct 14, 2015

if the ammeter moves when you turn the key, power is , for sure, getting to ground.

get back to looking at that strip and it's connections betweenthe feedthru insulator and the points.

noveaufarmer · Oct 15, 2015

Good news; my NAA is among the living again. Thank you all for your helpful suggestions and pictures! The copper strip inside the distributor came apart and no longer made the connection, so no spark at the points. After looking at the pics and reading your comments Tuesday night, I was pretty sure that was the problem. Called the Ford dealer first thing Wednesday morning and they had one. Before leaving for town I drove my '99 GMC through the pasture out to the stalled tractor to measure voltage outside and inside the dizzy as suggested. Confirmed that my switch was working and that I had no voltage inside the dizzy. So, no need to buy a new switch, just that expensive piece of copper.

When I got back on the highway, my truck did not upshift from 1st gear and the speedo no longer worked. What the ???? Drove the 6 miles at 35 mph into my mechanic who quickly diagnosed the wire from the transfer case to the computer had been eaten in two by a pack rat. No input on speed traveled, no shift message from the computer to the tranny. All in about 15 minutes the truck sat there while I worked with my mulitmeter!! So, Mr. Rat, Speedy Gonzales as I call him, put me behind the 8 ball yesterday. Today, truck shifter issue fixed, new copper strip in hand for the tractor, I went back to the scene of the crime and installed the new part inside the dizzy. I did use my '53 GMC half ton to haul the tools out to the work site this morning however. A big steel speedometer cable and no on board computer meant less opportunity for Speedy Gonzales to ruin my day!

Thanks again for your assistance!

JMOR · Oct 15, 2015

(quoted from post at 22:40:52 10/15/15) Good news; my NAA is among the living again. Thank you all for your helpful suggestions and pictures! The copper strip inside the distributor came apart and no longer made the connection, so no spark at the points. After looking at the pics and reading your comments Tuesday night, I was pretty sure that was the problem. Called the Ford dealer first thing Wednesday morning and they had one. Before leaving for town I drove my '99 GMC through the pasture out to the stalled tractor to measure voltage outside and inside the dizzy as suggested. Confirmed that my switch was working and that I had no voltage inside the dizzy. So, no need to buy a new switch, just that expensive piece of copper.

When I got back on the highway, my truck did not upshift from 1st gear and the speedo no longer worked. What the ???? Drove the 6 miles at 35 mph into my mechanic who quickly diagnosed the wire from the transfer case to the computer had been eaten in two by a pack rat. No input on speed traveled, no shift message from the computer to the tranny. All in about 15 minutes the truck sat there while I worked with my mulitmeter!! So, Mr. Rat, Speedy Gonzales as I call him, put me behind the 8 ball yesterday. Today, truck shifter issue fixed, new copper strip in hand for the tractor, I went back to the scene of the crime and installed the new part inside the dizzy. I did use my '53 GMC half ton to haul the tools out to the work site this morning however. A big steel speedometer cable and no on board computer meant less opportunity for Speedy Gonzales to ruin my day!

Thanks again for your assistance!

ood for you & as always, I'm a "picture is worth a 1000 words", kinda guy.

No Spark

noveaufarmer

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old

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