gadam05

[gadam05]

My problem: car started, ran fine at idle in garage ,took it out for a ride ,car stopped, could get it to turnover but wouldn't start. have changed condenser,and coil. I have spark from coil wire to distributor. points ok, timing right on, gas ok.
I am suspecting either an ammeter problem, or an ignition problem. How can I test for these possibilities ?------or---- what other possibilities am I missing ?
I appreciate any ideas or thoughts. Thank you

[James Rogers]

Remove the distributor cap and try to start the car while watching the rotor to see if it turns. If it doesn't turn, the cam gear is stripped.

[Tom Wesenberg]

If you have spark at the coil wire the rotor must be turning, but it could be shorting the spark to the shaft. This is rare, but I have seen it a couple of times.

If you crank the engine with the choke pulled, do you have gas running out the carb?

[gadam05]

Hi , Checked the rotor, it is turning fine. Any other thoughts ?

[gadam05]

The rotor does turn.---" What do you mean " it could be shorting the spark to the shaft "

When I crank the engine with the choke pulled , gas does run out of the carb. Does that indicate a problem, or just that I have good gas flow to the carb.?
ANOTHER QUESTION-- WHEN THE ENGINE IS CRANKING, THE AMPMETER NEEDLE DOES NOT MOVE. FRANKLY I NEVER NOTICED WHETHER IT NORMALLY MOVED OR NOT, SHOULD IT? WHEN I PUT THE LIGHTS ON ,THEN THE AMPMETER SHOWS A DISCHARGE.

[James Rogers]

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To test for a bad ammeter, wrap a bare wire around the nuts on the ignition box cover and try to start it. If you have fire at the points you don't have a ignition problem.

[700rpm]

When you break the points do you have a spark both at the points and from coil wire to ground? Hold the coil wire about 1/4" off a head nut as you break the points.

Are running a stock distributor setup or modern points/plate/condenser?

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by gadam05

The rotor does turn.---" What do you mean " it could be shorting the spark to the shaft "

When I crank the engine with the choke pulled , gas does run out of the carb. Does that indicate a problem, or just that I have good gas flow to the carb.?
ANOTHER QUESTION-- WHEN THE ENGINE IS CRANKING, THE AMPMETER NEEDLE DOES NOT MOVE. FRANKLY I NEVER NOTICED WHETHER IT NORMALLY MOVED OR NOT, SHOULD IT? WHEN I PUT THE LIGHTS ON ,THEN THE AMPMETER SHOWS A DISCHARGE.

Twice I've seen where the spark went into the rotor, jumped through the plastic and shorted to ground (the shaft). You can hold the coil wire directly on the rotor while someone else cranks the engine. This way you can see if the spark is jumping to all 4 contacts in the body. With the cap removed just be careful the body doesn't move off the distributor and get caught on the spinning rotor.

Starter current doesn't go through the ammeter, so it's normal for the needle to not move while cranking. Most Model A's have the coil wired to show current draw on the ammeter, so if your's is also this way you should see the ammeter move from about -4 to 0 and keep flicking back and forth while cranking.