Dirty points. Run a nail file between the points. Walt.

Walt,

Thanks for the suggestion. Dave sells his rebuilt distributors with new points and capacitor. The points look new and are set properly. I went ahead and filed them very lightly anyway just in case. Still no luck.

The paper that sets behind the points to insulate them from the housing was not replaced, it is still there with just some small tears in it. Might that be the problem? A continuity test shows no short between the points and housing when the points are open. Is that a special type of paper or will any thick paper do? Just wondering if it might short under load.

Thanks,

Mike

Mike,

Did you check continuity between the movable point and the end of the wire which attaches to the coil? I am assuming that when you said , "nothing at the points", it means that when you have the ignition on and you fool around with a screwdriver when the points are open, that you get no spark. In this case the wire might be broken inside the insulation somewhere.

However, if you do get sparks when doing this, try and see if there is friction at the post the point arm pivots on. One more possibility if you do get sparks is that the points you have (which are the same style as in my 1935 Hudson) require a rather strong springy piece in addition to the copper band that conducts the electricity. The NAPA CS 709 points which I use have this. If this springy piece is not there, the conducting copper band does not provide enough force to close the points properly. Someone in the club had this problem a few months ago.

Per

Per,

Thank you for the information. I will check the points yet again. next time I am in town I will check out NAPA for a new set of points. Between rain storms I am trying to get my harvest done so this is about the worst time of the year for me to be messing around with this.

You are correct, when the points are open there is no spark. In fact there is no spark when they are open or closing , etc.

Thank you for again, any insight or suggestion is welcome as I am out of ideas. At least my old distributor will get the motor running so I am not dead in the water. I just do not like running the car when the advance is not working properly.

Mike

Mike,

I forgot to ask whether you are using the same wire from the coil to the distributor when you run the old distributor or the new one. If you are using the same wire, then the wire is OK, and try this:

With the points open, and the ignition on, take the voltage reading between the terminal on the distributor (or the terminal on the coil at the other end of the wire). This should be 6 volts. If it is approximately zero volts, there is a short circuit in the distributor. If this is what is happening, I suggest that you take apart the terminal on the distributor. One of the little pieces of insulation might not be there. A metal part of the terminal could be touching the wall of the distributor, grounding the terminal.

Before I got a good distributor, I had one with a very worn advance mechanism. I had the choice of poor power and easy starting, or better power but the engine would "fight" the starter. I know how you feel about not wanting to run your old distributor!

Per

Mike

Like Per says, if you are using your old wire with the new distributor then the old one is probably good. If not, try replacing the new wire with the old one and if it still doesn't work, replace the new points with the old ones.

Per and Ed,

Yes, I am using the old wire from the coil.

Once harvest is done I am going to delve into this. I have had the rebuilt distributor apart to check to see if any of the little insulation parts are missing and they seem to all be there. A little dried out but still there. I will check the voltage and either use the points in my old distributor or get a new set from NAPA.

What is the deal with the paper that insulates the backside of the points from the distributor housing? Is that a special paper?

Mike

One last question. The distributor mounting plate is grounded right?

Yes, it should be.

I'm back,

Harvest is done for another year and now I get to have some fun tinkerizing with the 35T.

I finally had a chance to tackle the distributor problem. I took the advice you guys gave me and went over the distributor with a fine toothed comb. The points while stated that they were new when I purchased the rebuilt distributor had a coating of paint or oxidation on them that required some serious filing to get cleaned up. I also went over all connections to make sure they were clean and that the distributor grounded well. I placed it in the engine and actually got it to fire. I timed it and took it for a test drive. Holy Cow!! What a difference having a distributor with a properly working advance can make. The power and torque going up hills is incredible compared to what I had.

I want to thank everyone of you that gave me advice on getting the distributor working properly.

Mike Schlepp

That's great, Mike!

New old stock points often have this problem, I've found.

Per