The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop no spark to plugs

I tried to fire up the engine in the Blue Funk (see my signature)and found no fire to the plugs. I put in a new battery, points, plugs, condensor, rotor, dizzy cap, leads, and coil. Points have been set and rechecked. Fire is getting to the coil, dizzy, and points. The rotor is up against the center dizzy cap terminal, points were opened and spark was seen jumping from the rotor to one of the dizzy's terminals.

Connections were checked, rechecked, and checked agian. A testor from the lead to the plug was checked to make sure it worked and it does. But it shows no fire. #1 and #2 plugs were each removed and each independent of the other held against the block and did not spark. I've had a Buddy double check me on everything. He also does not understand why fire is getting to the dizzy's terminals but not to the plugs.

The only thing that I can come up with is that the old leads were bad and now the new leads are also not allowing current to get to the plugs. Unless you Guys can come up with something else.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

Don't know how you saw spark from rotor to dizzy term unless you have a clear dizzy? Explain the following a different way? "A testor from the lead to the plug was checked to make sure it worked and it does". Possible causes: Weak/no spark caused by bad ground, bad condenser, bad resistor, bad plug wires, Bad points, loose points, bad new part, or you have made an error in your checking.
I assume you have no engine fire up? not trying to start? not even a little? NONE of the plugs have ANY spark or just 1 and 2? Timing chain/gears. DId you do all that new stuff before you tried to start or after it would not start? Was running good last time? When was that?

Thanks for the reply.
Took the dizzy cap off with the coil lead attached. With the ignition switch on, and the rotor pressed against the center terminal, the points were opened with an insulated screwdriver. Spark was seen jumping from the rotor to the dizzy terminal.
I used an inline tester to check for fire through the lead to the plug. To make sure the tester worked, I tested it on an engine that runs and the tester worked. My point was to validate that the tester was not faulty.
6 volt systems don't have a resistor, or do they? The Line from the battery positve cable to the ammeter doesn't have one, to my recollection.
Edit:Bad ground? With the dizzy? With the plugs? Your premise is worth consideration bartomos, in that the grounding during tests are primarily performed with the negative probe touched to the engine. Perhaps the dizzy's grounding isn't occurring during the actual hookup. However, on second thought, I tested the dizzy lead from the coil and touched the negative probe to the dizzy housing and the 6 volt bulb lit up.
I remember reading in one post where a Member said he had seen more bad condensors come off of the shelf than he found on cars. So, bad condensor/leads/points could be the cause.
Edit:The engine isn't trying to start even a little. I haven't checked ALL of the plugs for spark, but will do so. Who knows?
Timing gears/chains are being considered.
Edit:I tried to start the Blue Funk once everything was back together after its MVA in July of '11. Of course, it was running at the time of the accident. The only repairs I did on the engine was to replace a broken oil line connection at the block and a cracked carb base. I changed nothing on the ignition system until after I found no fire at the plugs.

Again, bartamos, I thank you for your reply and areas of consideration. I hoped I have adequately answered your inquiries.

REASON FOR EDITTING: Some quotes added after initial post was generarted to add additional information from various Searches.

Might want to get a point file and clean the points and readjust them.

Bad wire from coil to dist cap?

Check to make sure that nothing is grounded in the dist. Points or at least half of them should be isolated. Is the coil wired the right way, I believe it's neg in pos out for the six volt system? Good motor ground to frame?

With all that you replaced and checked it does not leave much other than a rotor that is not contacting the dizzy cap. I purchased a cap and rotor from a vendor and the cap was wrong. Too tall, engine would not start. Replaced the new cap and the engine started.also ran across one open rotor. Spark would not travel from center to end when at running temp. Would start cold and die when it got to operating temp. My 2 cents

Leads is a bad word. It covers all electrical wires on a truck. Please say Spark plug wire, dizzy wire from XXX, etc. If you actually got big spark to one of the dizzy posts and if that particular spark plug is grounded to the engine and the engine is grounded to the neg batt terminal and the plug did not have spark, then it's the spark plug wire or plug itself, or plug gap or plug wire metal end termination, at least at that one location. Are these new spark plug wires the type you assemble yourself? If the spark is too weak to get there, that's another story. I am assuming that that test you did, that I still don't understand, was that you did a continuity test on a spark plug wire. Replace/add temporary ground to dizzy. If you have NO FIRE AT ALL, it's something needed to generate big spark, not a spark plug or spark plug wire or dizzy cap. You would get some fire (meaning trying to start) with those problems. It's ground, timing, condenser, rotor, battery, ignition/switch breakdown. I am brainstorming and trying to help without being there and reading the manual and having a schematic, use my suggestions as brain joggers, no need to critique. Others will add and advise also. You will find it. good luck.

Hello Daveydo, did you try to remove the dist. cap and crank the engine over to make sure the dist. shaft is turning? Had a ford years ago and the pin sheared off in the dist. gear. I'm not sure how the 235 dist. Is made but its an easy check, sounds like you covered everything else. Just my two cents. Apache c-10.

Good one c-10! I mentioned timing chain/gears. No chain but could be a gear somewhere as you say. The gears can spin, break, crack, skip or be a car 235 fiber gear. I guess trucks had aluminum.

is the rotor cap cracked or corroded? it will refuse to spark if there is even a hairline crack in it. been there, done that, didn't get any postcards and don't wanna go back.


Indy

Thanks for all the replies, Guys!

I did finally get spark, but I'm not 100% sure which intervention rectified the situation. Here's what happened:

It was noted that the new points were hot to touch. The old ones were cleaned up and in the process of being installed when it was also noted that the insulated plastic piece that recieves the lead from the the coil and connects with the points/condensor was a little loose. The insulater was tightened and the engine cranked. Spark was had! The new points were once again installed and no fire resulted.

I guess the points could have been defective and grounding to the dizzy. However, Spark did occur when the points were separated with a screwdriver.

I'm gonna play around with the points and such some more, so I'll keep you posted on what I find. But right now I have to deal with the carburetor.

I'll post the situation with it in the appropriate forum.

Thanks again!