Correct Coil Resistance

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by ccnelson

Glad you found the problem and Old Henry is ready for another road trip.

Thanks. I would have gone on the trip the way it was but it wouldn't have been near as fun. Now it's going to be a blast. Leave Tuesday for 5 days on the Pacific Coast Highway, Highway 1.

[JSeery]

Good to hear and have fun on the trip!

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by FlatheadTed

At night I think you will get color (static ) of the wires even new ones .Ted

You were right. Even after installing brand new spark plug wires there were still some flashes in the dark, not as much as before, mostly around the spark plugs, but they were still there.

I'm thinking my problem was really that broken inner distributor cap way more than bad wires. But, the little bit of effort added by threading new wires through the conduit is nothing compared to the effort to get them all plugged into the inner cap then get the outer cap to close on it. So, I might as well have replaced the wires as long as I was replacing the cap. That's what I did and will do in the future when I more routinely replace that inner cap, or, at least inspect it for damage. That's hard to do without at least loosening the conduits so the cap can be turned up to inspect. That's why I haven't done it more routinely in the past. We lives and we learns.

[koates]

Hi Craig, That dist cap sure was a mess with cracks and tracking on many cylinders and on whats left of the centre contact too. There is some side play in that front dist bush and it should be replaced. It should have no side movement at all. Also it is generally usual to see a small light show around the leads and plugs at night. Make sure all your spark plugs are really in good condition. If plug centre electrodes are worn away and not square then the spark will have resistance in jumping the gap and will then want to find weak places in the cap and leads to go to ground. Fit new plugs and check that the gaps are correct before fitting. Some spark plugs don't perform very well once they are physically cleaned or sandblasted and seem to fowl up much quicker than new spark plugs. In years past I would clean plugs several times over but now I would maybe only clean them once before replacement. Keep the outside of your spark plugs and leads very clean, wipe them down now and then. Like wise wipe the inside of the dist cap and the rotor now and then. On electrical items "CLEAN IS GOOD". There is no requirement for "HOT" or "PERFORMANCE" ignition coils on standard touring car engines. All they do is place extra voltage pressure on all your high tension components and do nothing to increase power output of the engine. Good luck on your coming trip. Regards, Kevin.