No-start mystery after recurve - apparent no spark
#1206484
03/30/12 02:46 PM
03/30/12 02:46 PM
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 817
Eugene, Oregon
Secret Chimp
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Eugene, Oregon
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I got my distributor back from FBO and now I can't get my car to start.
I installed new plug wires at the same time - I verified my coil wire has continuity to the positive terminal of the coil so I know that's not the problem.
I took out one of my plugs and wired the ground strap to the battery and didn't see any spark when I cranked it.
It has a brand-new cap and rotor from FBO so I'm pretty sure those aren't the problem.
Is it possible the reluctor gap is set too wide? I've heard of it being set wide on FBO setups before and causing high-RPM problems, but not no-starts. Everything worked perfectly before so I'm kind of at a loss here.
Last edited by Secret Chimp; 03/30/12 02:47 PM.
1967 Dodge Coronet Deluxe station wagon
1.03" T-bars, QA1 arms/rods, Cordoba/GM Metric/Volare brake & knuckle, XHDs, Hellwig rear sway, 318 Magnum w/ air gap, 727, 3.23s
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Re: No-start mystery after recurve - apparent no spark
[Re: Secret Chimp]
#1206485
03/30/12 03:19 PM
03/30/12 03:19 PM
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 817
Eugene, Oregon
Secret Chimp
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I also just tested my coil and MSD 6AL - I get a strong spark from the coil wire if I loop the magnetic pickup wires together. So for some reason I'm just not getting the coil voltage out to the wires.
How can I check the distributor with my ignition setup? Should I be able to stick my multimeter in one of the cap terminals and see if current pops up when I spin it by hand with the key on?
1967 Dodge Coronet Deluxe station wagon
1.03" T-bars, QA1 arms/rods, Cordoba/GM Metric/Volare brake & knuckle, XHDs, Hellwig rear sway, 318 Magnum w/ air gap, 727, 3.23s
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Re: No-start mystery after recurve - apparent no spark
[Re: Secret Chimp]
#1206486
03/30/12 03:23 PM
03/30/12 03:23 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 27,347
Today? Who Knows?
1_WILD_RT
Management Trainee
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Management Trainee
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 27,347
Today? Who Knows?
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Do you have a spare distributor? If so don't bolt it in, just plug it in & with the key on get the coil wire close to a ground & spin the distributor... You'll know immediately...
"The Armies of our ancestors were lucky, in that they were not trailed by a second army of pencil pushers."
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Re: No-start mystery after recurve - apparent no spark
[Re: 1_WILD_RT]
#1206487
03/30/12 03:32 PM
03/30/12 03:32 PM
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 817
Eugene, Oregon
Secret Chimp
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I don't, unfortunately, the car came already converted to a newer distributor without whatever was in there before.
Is there some way I can jimmy something inside of the distributor to see if the pickup itself is OK? Would tapping a magnet against it trigger it?
1967 Dodge Coronet Deluxe station wagon
1.03" T-bars, QA1 arms/rods, Cordoba/GM Metric/Volare brake & knuckle, XHDs, Hellwig rear sway, 318 Magnum w/ air gap, 727, 3.23s
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Re: No-start mystery after recurve - apparent no spark
[Re: DARTH V8Я]
#1206489
03/30/12 04:01 PM
03/30/12 04:01 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 75,089
A Banana Republic near you.
JohnRR
I Win
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I Win
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 75,089
A Banana Republic near you.
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Quote:
Yah, put an ohm meter on the pickup leads and see if the readings change when you spin it. Close the air gap if nessessary.
You can do the same thing as jumping the MSD wires by connecting the distributor and spinning the distributor back and forth to get a spark.
What is it doing when you try to start? Are you getting a backfire?
Gap is .006 , get a brass feeler blade and check it.
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Re: No-start mystery after recurve - apparent no spark
[Re: JohnRR]
#1206490
03/30/12 04:36 PM
03/30/12 04:36 PM
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 817
Eugene, Oregon
Secret Chimp
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Eugene, Oregon
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Quote:
Quote:
Yah, put an ohm meter on the pickup leads and see if the readings change when you spin it. Close the air gap if nessessary.
You can do the same thing as jumping the MSD wires by connecting the distributor and spinning the distributor back and forth to get a spark.
What is it doing when you try to start? Are you getting a backfire?
Gap is .006 , get a brass feeler blade and check it.
I'm getting absolutely nothing.
I just tried spinning the dist and the coil wire still sparks... I tried spinning it with the cap on and I can hear all of the plugs make a little spark "beep" noise. So I guess I do have spark?
I must not have had something connected right earlier when I tested a plug out of the engine.
Is there any difference with how the MSD box works in the run versus the start position? I probably just have my initial set too low or somehow the new rotor is keyed 180 degrees different than the old one (I installed the dist pointing the same direction as when I pulled it) but I want to make sure before I start fiddling again.
1967 Dodge Coronet Deluxe station wagon
1.03" T-bars, QA1 arms/rods, Cordoba/GM Metric/Volare brake & knuckle, XHDs, Hellwig rear sway, 318 Magnum w/ air gap, 727, 3.23s
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Re: No-start mystery after recurve - apparent no spark
[Re: JohnRR]
#1206492
03/30/12 05:52 PM
03/30/12 05:52 PM
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 817
Eugene, Oregon
Secret Chimp
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Eugene, Oregon
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On my motor TDC is based off of 6, which the rotor is still pointing towards.
I just found something strange - I tried cranking the engine with the coil wire near a ground - it didn't spark.
I pulled the distributor and spun it by hand without touching anything else - it sparked.
When I spin the distributor (I'm just rolling the shaft in my fingers) it only sparks consistently if I spin it above a certain speed. If I just kind of roll it by it doesn't go off. I can get it to spark if quickly I wiggle it back and forth near a trigger point too.
Is this normal, or is it possible the distributor isn't spinning fast enough when I'm cranking to trigger the pickup? Will tightening the gap fix this?
1967 Dodge Coronet Deluxe station wagon
1.03" T-bars, QA1 arms/rods, Cordoba/GM Metric/Volare brake & knuckle, XHDs, Hellwig rear sway, 318 Magnum w/ air gap, 727, 3.23s
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Re: No-start mystery after recurve - apparent no spark
[Re: DARTH V8Я]
#1206494
03/30/12 05:57 PM
03/30/12 05:57 PM
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 817
Eugene, Oregon
Secret Chimp
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Eugene, Oregon
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Quote:
The FAST racer is correct, close the gap to .006-.008 inch.
I just accidentally shocked myself with coil voltage doing the spin test (don't touch the coil wire while you're spinning, dummies) so I'll give that a try after I get the fear of God out of me 
1967 Dodge Coronet Deluxe station wagon
1.03" T-bars, QA1 arms/rods, Cordoba/GM Metric/Volare brake & knuckle, XHDs, Hellwig rear sway, 318 Magnum w/ air gap, 727, 3.23s
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Re: No-start mystery after recurve - apparent no spark
[Re: DARTH V8Я]
#1206497
03/30/12 06:56 PM
03/30/12 06:56 PM
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 817
Eugene, Oregon
Secret Chimp
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Eugene, Oregon
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OK, so the reluctor gap fixed the no-spark on crank AND I had it installed 180 around. Or rather, apparently the new rotor is keyed 180 degrees off of the old on (I had permanent marker on one side of the reluctor I matched up).
Rumblin' away again! Thanks again for your help guys.
1967 Dodge Coronet Deluxe station wagon
1.03" T-bars, QA1 arms/rods, Cordoba/GM Metric/Volare brake & knuckle, XHDs, Hellwig rear sway, 318 Magnum w/ air gap, 727, 3.23s
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Re: No-start mystery after recurve - apparent no spark
[Re: Secret Chimp]
#1206498
03/31/12 01:07 PM
03/31/12 01:07 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 75,089
A Banana Republic near you.
JohnRR
I Win
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I Win
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 75,089
A Banana Republic near you.
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Quote:
OK, so the reluctor gap fixed the no-spark on crank AND I had it installed 180 around. Or rather, apparently the new rotor is keyed 180 degrees off of the old on (I had permanent marker on one side of the reluctor I matched up).
Rumblin' away again! Thanks again for your help guys.
Good work , confused on how the rotor is different , but that doesn't matter ...
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