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| | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 49 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 49 | Howdy folks. I've been away for a while but I'm driving the old boy plenty  I've got a problem with arcing *I think. I can hear clicking from what sounds like electrical arcing under the hood and I sometimes get a mild shock from touching metal surfaces inside the truck. I've got the usual braided ground strap and the connection is tight and clean. The truck is converted to 12 volt. Thanks in advance | | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 49 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 49 | Possibly related? I cleaned inside the dist. cap. Sprayed with WD40 and used dielectic grease on all fittings (spark plugs, rotor and coil).
Problem seems resolved.
Comments welcome, I'm working without a net! | | | | | Joined: Dec 2015 Posts: 2,063 Big Bolt Forum Moderator | | Big Bolt Forum Moderator Joined: Dec 2015 Posts: 2,063 | if you can hear the arcing, my experience has been it is probably not the vehicle electrical (6 or 12v) but ignition. Sounds like you are on the right track with what you did on the dist cap etc. Another trick is to look under the hood at night (darker the better). The arcing you hear should show up at in the dark! (I have found some bad plug wires that way, or the coil wire as well!) | | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 49 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 49 | Good idea. I'll get on that. I think I'll add a extra ground strap to the firewall while I'm at it.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,274 Renaissance Man | | Renaissance Man Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,274 | Carbon arcing on the distributor cap would show up in the dark.
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
| | | | | Joined: May 2015 Posts: 11,045 Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums | | Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums Joined: May 2015 Posts: 11,045 | I've got a problem with arcing *I think. I can hear clicking from what sounds like electrical arcing under the hood and I sometimes get a mild shock from touching metal surfaces inside the truck. If you're feeling a shock, it's not a 12V problem. That's not enough voltage to feel, unless you're using your tongue. Like the other guys suggested, concentrate on your high voltage ignition wires and the distributor. What you're probably hearing is a short to ground from one of the spark plug wires.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truckFollow this saga in Project JournalPhotos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together. | | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 49 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 49 | Problem went away after the aforementioned PM work.
Dang if only everything was that easy. | | | | | Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 1,747 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 1,747 | Did the same a while back. Nice shiny clean distributor cap. Nice and shiny. Forgot to wipe the inside and ...you get the results posted above. Nice shiny cap by the way.
Steve H
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