The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay No Spark, need help!!!!

Heres the question. I just put my engine into my 55. It is a 58 261. I hooked up the wire coming from the ballast resistor to the positive side of the coil, and the neg. side to the distributor. When I turn on the ignition I get 12 volts to the coil, and out of the coil. But no spark to the distributor. Is the spark generated in the coil first, and down to the distributor, or am I going backwards. I have a new battery and she turns over real good. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Check for Voltage at the wire where it attaches to the points. You may be grounding where the wire from the coil attaches to the stud on the distributor before it enters the distributor.

You should be able to see a spark at the points or hear the points snap when the points open.

Are you sure the points are fully closing?

Probe the (-) terminal on the coil with a test light. (Connect the test light wire to a good ground) The light should be illuminated when the points are open, and it should go out when the points close. if it's on all the time, points open or closed, you've got an open circuit between the coil and the points. (Dirty points, broken wire inside the distributor, etc.) If it's off all the time, you've got a short, maybe the distributor primary wire shorted to ground upstream of the points, shorted condenser, or a ground where the stud goes through the distributor housing. If it's working right, the light will flash on and off as the engine is cranked. The on-and-off current in the primary circuit generates the magnetism necessary to develop the high voltage in the coil's secondary windings.
Jerry