Ignition problem...

[surroundsound64]

I've been in the process of getting the boat ready for the summer. I went to start it and to make a long story short, had no spark. I traced it back to no spark comming out of the ignition coil. I have a new coil and good resistance on the P and secondary leads.

I have a voltage loss when I measure from the positive of the coil to the engine block, but I can't find a voltage loss anywhere. The ballast resistor has good resistance, but there is no voltage loss across it.

I can't figure out where I'm losing the power. Does anyone have any ideas?

[surroundsound64]

And I forgot to say it is a breakered ignition system.

[Laptom]

I don't try to be a wise a$$, but are you sure that the resistor doesn't take some voltage? As far as I know the coil get about 7-8V when starting.

[Rick]

Are youir points fused. if you open the points with a screwdriver with the ignition on do you get a spark from the coil? If not replace the points and condenser. I think I would start there anyway. If you can afford it replace them with a petronics breakerless (about 120.00). If you have voltage to the coil with the ignitionon it is most likely a points/ condenser problem. Also check that the plate the points are mounted on isn't corroded enough that it is not grounding to the distributor. Good Luck

[surroundsound64]

Tom, you're right, there should be a voltage loss across the resistor, because it is a resistor. The problem is, I'm not getting a loss across it. Or... I think that's a problem anyway.

The points and condenser are new. Or, as of last July new. They look pretty clean. There is no spark when I watch the points and crank on the engine. The capacitor could be bad, that may be the next step.

We had an elect. ignition in there, but it never worked right. It would start great and idle great, but it wouldn't ever run right up at speed. So we put the points and stuff back in it.
The plate is new as well.

And I set the point gap, so it is correct.

[surroundsound64]

I just learned I was measuring the ballast resistor wrong. I should be measuring from one pole to ground, then the other to gnd. Not pole to pole.

So everything appears to be working up to the coil. That once again leavs the points and condenser, which are new. But I always had trouble with them before I went electronic. Then the electronic didn't work well, so I went back. And now I'm having trouble again.

More trouble shooting to come.

[clayk]

first i would try to sand the points with either a fingernail file or a small piece of sandpaper. but, your coil may be bad. i would reccomend changing it with a mallory or msd coil that puts out about 10,000 volts. after that i would put the electronic ignition back in it. what brand ele. ign. did you get? also ,points in my experience need to be replaced every year. and be sure that you get a good set. i had trouble once getting mine from autozone , and the spring part of them was not stiff enough and at high rpm's the points would float and cause a major skip. i finally found a good set at napa.

[Rick]

When you had the electronic ign hooked up did you bypass the ballast resistor? That may have caused the problem. Thinking outside the box Is the coil wired properly? Is there a short in your Tach? Is your coil wire good? Is the rotor in? Some of these seem dumb but have been overlooked at one time or another

[surroundsound64]

Clayk,
The points are clean. I may try cleaning them again. This may be more personal opinion, but files and sand paper are typically a little too abrasive for the points. In the aviation world they use a business card to clean them. The sand paper takes off the coating on the points and allows the points to arc more which makes them dirty quicker.

It is a new coil. It's the origional style. PCM says it puts out about 14,000V. I would like to go back with the elect. ign. I can't remember which brand it was. It was whatever the CC dealer sold me.

Rick, yes the resistor was bypassed. When the elect. ign. was it, the boat would start great and idle great, but up at speed it would cut out and spit and sputter. I've also checked and rechecked the wiring, so I'm pretty sure it's right. The wire out of the voltage regulator to the ballast resistor. The other side of the BR goes to the + on the coil. The - of the coil goes into the dist. The other wire on the - and on the right pole on the BR are ign resistor and choke resistor wires.

I may try to go buy some more points. We'll see. Thanks for the input guys.

[clayk]

have you tried to put the elec. ign. back in to see if you can get fire? also when you had them in before did you check the timing? and make sure that your distributor is advancing.

[DavidF]

I doubt a business card will clean corroded points. Go ahead and change them or use the sandpaper. With the key on, open and close the points with a screw driver...if you get a spark at the screwdriver, then you are getting voltage.

Also, make sure you bypass the ballast resistor while troubleshooting. Once things are going strong, do not forget to put the ballast resistor back into operation.

[surroundsound64]

I don't have the elect. ign. anymore. SWCC was generous enough to give me a refund. A business card cleans the points in a magneto in an airplane, and they are just nearly exactly the same thing.

I'm getting ready to go mess with it, I'll let you guys know what I find. Thanks for the input.

[clayk]

i agree with davidf , but i probably would not mess with the resistor , since you proved it was working. i also was thinking the same with the business card , but i've never tried it so i wasn't going to say it would not work. also , what about the kill switch ?

[surroundsound64]

Ah ha! I got it working. I put everything back together and checked the wires again. Cleaned the points (with a Double Daves Pizza free pizza after 8 visits card) and put the cap on. Then I sprayed some carb cleaner in the carb and it fired right up!

Who knows what it was, but it's working now! hehe.

[Rick]

Excellent. glad to hear it.