No Spark Mystery?

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by James Rogers

Next time it happens,try shorting across the terminal box wire brass nuts. This takes all the wiring inside the car out of the equation. I have had this happen before and just clipped a paper clip across the hold down nuts on the terminal box and fire it right up. Once running I removed the paper clip and didn't have any more problems till it wouldn't start so, I did it again.
Puzzle?

That would eliminate the amp guage and two short wires running to it, but my junction box, amp guage, and two short wires are in excellent condition. Like Kurt, I also used the starter to crank the car out of the shed and into more room and light. Like Kurt said, when I opened the points with my fingers they could easily make contact in a slightly different spot on the points, but when I hand cranked I'd have thought they would be making the same exact contact as using the starter.

Guess it's time to throw away those unreliable 83 year old points and go to electronic ignition. .................................................N OT!

BTW, when you open points with your fingers you get a small shock from the higher voltage induced into the primary windings, but it isn't even enough to make one twitch.

[Milton]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Guess it's time to throw away those unreliable 83 year old points and go to electronic ignition. .................................................N OT!

BTW, when you open points with your fingers you get a small shock from the higher voltage induced into the primary windings, but it isn't even enough to make one twitch.

Sounds like the junk yard battery is fading into the sunset! With the capacity decreasing the battery, as mentioned above, is to low to supply the starter, practically a dead short, and the coil. Path of least resistance, therefore, a weaker spark when using the starter.

I have never felt the shock you refer to. But, this is a fact, by using your fingers to open the points the spark will be better. Que paso? With fingers the points stay closed longer to allow the coils magnetic field to become fully saturated. But I bet you already knew that.