The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Distributor or points shorted

Did a stupid thing left the hot connected, melted, not just burnt the points. Installed another set of points and condenser soon as I applied the hot wire smoke started rising from distributor. Appeared ok once I rotated distributor rotated again so points contacted smoke rising again. What am I looking for before I head off in the wrong direction. 54 235

I have not worked on many of these distributors. On some old Chevy's there is a threaded machine screw that the primary feed wire connects onto the distributor that is surrounded by a piece of plastic. If that plastic got damaged then you will have a direct short to ground. There is a special tool to use so that plastic insulator does not get broken.

This may not apply to your truck. But something for you to check until others check in. Jeffrey

The hot wire goes to the Pos. side of the coil. The neg of the coil goes to the dist. The points close & completes the ground. If the points are shorted it will not damage them. If left on a while it may overheat the coil.

I found the problem more negligence on my part. Hate to admit it but perhaps it will serve as a lesson to others. I was hooking my hot wire from the battery to the same terminal on the coil as the wire going to the distributor so had fire going directly from the battery to the points. I had slip on connectors on both sides of the coil and in my haste slipped hot on wrong side. Then forgot to unhook it figuring it must be carb since truck had set a while. Changed distributor same thing happened that's when I realized my error. Truck is up and running now. Thank you to those who took the time to reply.

You are a better man than me. I would have just vanished mysteriously from the thread. Slink away, slink away.

Considered trying to delete it but if I can do it after 30 years plus of fooling with them it might save someone else the trouble. An example of haste makes waste.

Good point. Reading posts like yours makes me think about not getting into a rush and make similar mistakes. For that, I thank you!

Good man , thanks from all of us!

There is never time to do a job right, but there is always time to do it again... and if it's an electrical job, you might make some smoke.

Good lesson to learn. Always double check connections before hooking up the battery and turning things on.

Don't let the smoke out of the wires. You cannot get it to go back in