[ke5aux]

So the carbs are almost rebuilt and working (I hope) so I went ahead and tried to see if I would get spark before I tried it with gasoline.

I put in a new spark plug into one of the wires, left the plug touching the block or the neg batt. terminal later. Checked to make sure all the rest of the electronics worked (lights, horn) and cranked the engine over both with the electric and kick start. Now, I see the points moving, but I do not get spark from either of the coils. When I touch a screwdriver to one of the points, it arcs across the screw driver. But I do not get spark from the plug.

Can somebody please explain how I would test the coils and the points? The repair manual says to just replace if in doubt. I am a child of the distributor age and am pretty lost here.

 

[jayel]

one points wire and one wire from condenser pack plugged into one coil, other points wire and condenser plugged into other coil and both of the other coil wires plugged into the black/white feed wire from kill switch, opening a points set should fire the grounded plug if the coil, spark plug wire, and cap are good and plug is not fouled

 

[ke5aux]

one points wire and one wire from condenser pack plugged into one coil, other points wire and condenser plugged into other coil and both of the other coil wires plugged into the black/white feed wire from kill switch, opening a points set should fire the grounded plug if the coil, spark plug wire, and cap are good and plug is not fouled

Ok, there is a killswitch? Where? :shock:

 

[66Sprint]

Take the plug "boots" off and check with the bare secondary wire ALMOST grounded....The spark should jump to ground...The boots are a common "gone-bad" problem....

 

[jayel]

Ok, there is a killswitch? Where? :shock:

Ha you were to quick reading it got to thinking and if you had fire at the points it wouldn't be the kill switch (if you had one) :lol:

 

[Honest Don]

Take the plug "boots" off and check with the bare secondary wire ALMOST grounded....The spark should jump to ground...The boots are a common "gone-bad" problem....

I agree. I'd pull the "boot" and check with a meter, rather than the arc method. It should read 5k ohm or whatever it says on the side.

 

[tbpmusic]

Take the plug "boots" off and check with the bare secondary wire ALMOST grounded....The spark should jump to ground...The boots are a common "gone-bad" problem....

I agree. I'd pull the "boot" and check with a meter, rather than the arc method. It should read 5k ohm or whatever it says on the side.

Hmmm... most of us run non-resistor caps on our 450's.

 

[Honest Don]

Take the plug "boots" off and check with the bare secondary wire ALMOST grounded....The spark should jump to ground...The boots are a common "gone-bad" problem....

I agree. I'd pull the "boot" and check with a meter, rather than the arc method. It should read 5k ohm or whatever it says on the side.

Hmmm... most of us run non-resistor caps on our 450's.

really? I've never used anything but. Interesting...

 

[KERRY]

Using the non-resistor caps will increase ignition noise in your AM radio. On the off chance that your 450 doesn't have a radio, the resistance caps would just further weaken the already not-so-hot spark that this machine develops. I'm going to get around to putting more reasonable coils on mine one of these days, even though it's running OK as is. Maybe I'll even gap my plugs all the way out to .030 then!

 

[Honest Don]

NGK BR8EIX'es work miracles. They are kinda spendy though

 

[Bird76Mojo]

I do remember reading somewhere about using resistor caps on the 450. Maybe it was when you're installing Dyna 3 ohm coils, and that's where I read it?? That's what I've got installed on my frame, and I hope to use one of my Prestolite electronic ignitions with good results...

Sorry to threadjack..

GB :mrgreen: