Sold Stanky's Geep - fire sale

[Stanky]

Thanks, right in response:

 

1. I'll pinch the good battery from the Yaris tomorrow morning to try. All my batteries are knackered it seems.

 

2. checked and confirmed opening and closing. Also cleaned up the pads with fine aluminium oxide paper

 

3. Will ignore for now

 

4. already done, cleaned back to fresh, clean metal on all 4 plug connections plus the central rotor arm carbon terminal. Cleaned rotor tip for good measure

 

5. Confirmed as correct

 

6. Done already

 

7. Done already, and cleaned the tips and electrode with ali oxide paper too for good measure

 

8. Currently I don't see this, as I think #1 is at fault. I will recheck with a good mattery though

 

9. I will assume the HT leads are inserted correctly. It present I don't have a spark at the king lead, so further 'downstream' can wait until i get a spark here first. Currently suspicion points to #1

 

I get a petrolly smell at the exhaust pipe and plugs are wet when removed after cranking so I think we need to fix #1 first then go from there.

 

Thanks all for the input - we're almost there.

 

Re a jump from another car, due to where i've parked/pushed the Geep and the sticky-but-not-stuck brakes, getting jump leads to it will be challenging without more muscle to move it about a bit. For now I'll use a known-good battery. On the upside, taking the three (and counting) borked batteries to the scrapyard should net me about 25% of a brand new working battery.

[twosmoke300]

If your just checking for spark at the king lead have you taken the plugs out to make the battery last longer spinning over ?

[Stanky]

I've not - I'll try that in the morning.

[dollywobbler]

Come on man. Grab a torch and get back out there! If it suddenly fires up with an almight backfire, at least folk will just assume it's part of the celebrations.

[DeeJay]

Any sparks can be seen easier now.

[DeeJay]

Come on man. Grab a torch and get back out there! If it suddenly fires up with an almight backfire, at least folk will just assume it's part of the celebrations.

Practice what you preach, go and sort your indicators 

[dollywobbler]

Practice what you preach, go and sort your indicators 

 

Hey, I've done enough in that garage today! I'm worried that if I start working again, I'll make more mess.

[Stanky]

Thwarted again.

 

Right, New battery, known good 540cca jobbie fitted. 12v run from +ve battery terminal to coil +ve. existing wire run from coil -ve to connection on dizzy

 

Test #1 - crank over with all plugs inserted and HT leads connected up. Turns over but won't start.

 

Test #2 - removed king lead from dizzy cap, inserted metal thing, placed within 5mm of the clean metal of the manifold and had neighbour turn the key while I watch. No spark at all.

 

Test #3 - swapped king lead for an HT lead, inserted metal thing, placed within 5mm of the manifold, neighbour tunred key while I watched. Still no spark.

 

What should I check next? Have I killed the coil? Should I check for 12v across the +ve and -ve terminals of the coil again?

[nigel bickle]

The points- it's the points. Get the distributor out and give it a damn good seeing too.

 

If the points are clean, check the connections aren't missing an insulating washer- effectively earthing it.

[D Spares & Tyres]

Ford coils were often 9 volt... So yes, possibly

[danthecapriman]

Have you tried doing this with your old coil? The one that was fitted to the car when you got it I mean.

 

That one I gave you was known good, it was off the Capri when it was in regular use but it's been in storage about two years or so. It 'should' be good!

It is off a Pinto engined car though... I wouldn't have thought it'd make any difference tbh but give it a try on your old coil.

[Guest Hooli]

With it wired up like that and the power on, take the wire off one side of the coil. If the coil is good you'll see a spark from the king lead.

[Mally]

[Zelandeth]

As has already been said - check the points.

 

If they're stuck closed, not closing or full of crud you won't get a spark.

 

Coils do fail, but not massively often and more normal a failure mode is for them to break down when warm than just be resolutely dead - at least in my experience.

 

I've replaced four, and so far all but one were later proven innocent.

[dollywobbler]

Didn't you say you'd swapped the terminals over on the coil? That may not have helped. I'd certainly try another.

[C1am]

As Nigel says above, the points could be missing an insulating washer. I had the same problem years ago on my Metro when I changed the points - no spark as it was earthing through the distributor body. 

[meggersdog]

Just had a look at a new set of Ford contact breaker points, the wire from the coil and the condenser both attach to the points via a screw.There doesn't seem to be an isolator.The Mini/Metro ones bolt to a post so are different.

Did you try this.....

Don't know if it's been suggested before but have you actually checked the points ?.You just need a thin flat blade screwdriver.Ignition on,distributor cap off, make sure the points are closed then manually open and close the points with the screwdriver between the distributor post and the plastic shoulder of the points.You should be able to see little sparks between the contacts as they part.If there are little sparks you can check the king lead by opening and closing the points with one hand(on the screwdriver) and hold the king lead close to a rocker cover bolt with the other.There should be a single spark.

[twosmoke300]

As Nigel says above, the points could be missing an insulating washer. I had the same problem years ago on my Metro when I changed the points - no spark as it was earthing through the distributor body.

Was going to suggest that or maybe the little braided earth strap inside the dizzy broken . ( if it has one of those )

[Stanky]

Right, points removed and contacts cleaned with emery paper. The set that Dan donated are mirror opposites of the ones on the Geep so can't be used by the looks of it - the holes don't line up right.

 

Followed Meggersdog suggestion - I get a spark at the points when the existing points are manually opened, and with the king lead inserted and hung by the manifold I get a spark there too when turned over manually.

 

so what next? Pull a plug and HT lead and crank it over to see if I'm getting a spark at the plugs?

 

***EDIT*** the coil seemed to become warm to the touch after doing this, is this normal?

[alf892]

Have you got earth continuity from the dizzy to the battery?

 

Edit...ignore as I just read above!

[Stanky]

Have you got earth continuity from the dizzy to the battery?

 

Yep, I have continuity from battery to +ve on coil, continuity across the coil terminals and continuity from coil -ve to battery -ve

[alf892]

Have you watched the points open and close when cranking on starter?

[Stanky]

I'll do that once I have a willing* volunteer to turn it over on the key while I watch. Should I see sparks then, or just the points opening and closing?

[mercrocker]

Just a thought, Huw, with it being an open, easy to steal (assuming it starts!) car - did the PO or builder wire in a crude immobiliser?   Might be worth asking matey round the corner or tracing the loom from the ignition to the HT and LT circuits for anything odd....

[Mally]

Pull a plug out, clamp it to the engine metal to metal, with plug lead on and crank or wind the engine over. Dizzy cap must be fitted.

The coil will get warm, especially if you leave it connected for a while.

Disconnect coil as often as possible

[Stanky]

Good point - however at present it's got a direct feed of 12v to the coil from the battery (not a long-term solution) which should be bypassing an immobiliser shouldn't it?

[danthecapriman]

Sorry Huw, I think I've given you a set of Pinto points by mistake if they're mirror image! My fault! That means I've also probably thrown away the good X flow points I'd kept...

The condenser should still be good though.

 

 

Just to confirm then you are getting a spark at the points? And from the king lead?

[Stanky]

No problem! The current points seem to work as they should - I think the issue may be further on than the points. I'll drop them back off at yours in the week.

 

So yes, spark at the points, spark at the king lead when operated manually. I can't tell if I have spark at the plugs yet, just waiting for a helper to arrive home now to see if I can test to see if there is a spark at the plugs now.

[meggersdog]

If you turn the engine over by hand you should see if the points are opening.Does seem like a points problem.The gap is 15 thou if you don't have feeler guages in imperial then a junior hacksaw blade is about the same thickness.

[meggersdog]

Oh, if you are brave enough.A thick screwdriver across the solenoid terminals will get the engine turning over.(ignition on obvs)