Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

I need to get this thing going tonight because I am supposed to have it driving somewhere in the morning. I have a 31 Model a Pickup sitting on a 31 A coupe chassis. It has been running well until today I have not gotten it to start at all. I am not getting any spark to the plugs. I have a brand new coil, brand new points, new wires, new condensor, and ner wire from coil to distributor. I get fire up to the points but no fire to the plug wires. I have checked all the parts with a test light and all test to be good. What the heck is my problem? could someone PLEASE help me with getting this thing started and quick!! I am in a big bind for it. Thanks alot for any help.

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

Change back your coil, the new one could be faulty!

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

I have tried both coils. The new one and the old one. No difference.

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

Did you put the rotor back on? Sorry, just a thought!

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

I have put everything back like it should be and got an older guys I know who is a model A guy and he came over messing with it for several hours and still no fire.

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

Its related to something you handled:
check the condenser screw or contact bar is not grounding against the distributor . There should be a fiber washer between the screw and bar that prevents contact with the sides of the distributor. Its often missing. Also check that the terminal flag of the wire between the top and bottom plate is not grounding against the dist or the center spring. If you replaced the points post you loosened this wire and its very critical where the flag is placed so it clears all grounds. If you unscrewed the ignition wire and screwed it back in, it is possible to screw it too far, bending the contact bar and grounding it against the distributor.

If you have another distributor, swap it.

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

Are you getting a nice blue spark at least 1/4" long when you hold the coil wire near a head stud? If not, then stop the engine where the points are open, then turn the key on and see if you have 6 volts at the movable contact of the points. If so, then short the points with a screwdriver and see if you have a good spark at the end of the coil wire. If so, then the points need cleaning. That's assuming they are set at .020" and opening and closing OK.

As Jim said, if you have spark at the end of the coil wire, but not the plugs, then change the rotor. I've also seen the distributor body short between the strips inside the bakelite.

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

Remove the distributor cap, and turn the engine-watching the points to verify spark across the points. Check under the distributor plate that mounts the points to see if there is a short in the wire that brings the power from the ignition switch up to the points. The ignition switch may be bad, cutting off power to the system. If you are getting fire to your points, check the gap between the contact points inside the cap to the rotor. Check the resistance on the coil wire. Just some places to look.

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

Thanks guys I am outside trying it out right now. I will keep yall posted.

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

Still no luck at all with this thing. I have looked at a couple of different wiring diagrams. I have the ignition switch wire one side to the distributor, and one side wired to the positive side of the coil. Then I have a wire fron the negative on the battery to the post on the starter. From there it has a smaller wire ran to one of the post on the block mounted on the firewall. That same post on the firewall is also wire from there to the negative side on the coil. From the coil to the distributor I have a brand new plug wire. I also have a wire from the generator solenoid wire to the block on the firewall. I don't know what the hell is going on and why none of this will get spark. Does anyone know what is going on??

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

is the key on?

(sorry, but i will admit that i've cranked mine over without the key in the on position before and wondered why it wouldn't fire. duh....)

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

If you painted the head or distributor you could have lost a ground. Make sure the distributor and the head make contact with no paint between the two.

An oil film or paint can act as an insulator when you do not want one.

Be sure to post what worked.

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

if you have a fuse make sure its not blown

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

We need some answers to the questions in post #7 so we can know what's going on!

We can't help without ACCURATE feedback.

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

Last week I had no spark so checked all of the above.Which one was the cause remained a mystery. Upon completion, spark was back but I remembered the condenser screw still needed to be snugged. Doing so lost the spark. When this screw was loosened a quarter turn the spark was back.Drove me crazy!

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

Sounds like the connection terminal on the condenser is loose and turning. The only fix for that is a new condenser.

I had a repro ignition switch that drove me nuts trying to find the problem. One day I noticed that when I barely touched the key, the engine died, so I knew the contacts in the switch were barely making connection. I took it apart and worked it over so it has a good solid contact in the ON position.

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

Hope you find a cure, I may use the tips to get Dad's Roadster going again. Elictrical problems are what kill most Model A's IMO.

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

I do have the key on. The head has not been painted. Actually no parts have been painted. The new parts I have changed onto it were changed after I could not get it running. So I started changing the parts hoping to find the problems. I have put a test light on everything and just cant get spark to the plugs.

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

also Its not a fuse. No fuses on the car

Re: Not getting fire!! Won't start. PLEASE HELP FAST!!
 

run a jumper wire across the Ing. switch,you have to remove the switch from the dash to do this but like Tom states above, the switch may have lost contact inside.I had this problem and took the switch apart and made correction, or if the contacts on the amp meter are grounding out it will not fire either. You could have a bad wire ,test light them for continuity .