dizzy trouble

[EK JAY]

when i went to start the car last night she
fired up straight away i let it idol for a couple of
minutes and then went to drive it in the shed it
stalled and will not start

ok so when i turn the engine over
there is no spark between the points
but when you stick the screw driver in there
with the key on she sparks i just put a new dizzy cap on
a couple of days ago and new rotor button today but no luck
very frustrating indeed
any idea's

jay

[rosco]

Hi Jay,
yes indeed - very frustrating.
We need to know a bit more to help out.
I am assuming nothing and do not wish to indicate any ignorance on your part by re-stating what you probably already know.........

You have replaced two parts - rotor button and distributor cap.
I expect the engine was running fine prior to that?

Distributor cap - check the button on the inside is clean and the spring working.
Rotor button - there is a key which will only permit the button to fit in one spot. I don't feel you can get the distributor cap on if the button is not fully seated.

Do you have the cap and button you replaced - try cleaning them and putting them back on - process of elimination.

The rotor button must be in the correct position at the time when the points cause the charge in the coil to discharge through it to the sparking plug.
It puzzles me that it idled for some time then failed after applying some throttle - to me, that sounds as if something has moved...........when speed was increased.

Did you play with the points at all?
The contacts must be very clean and set to the right gap - you have not made mention of points or moving the distributor - we need to know if these have been altered.

This gives me reason to understand why you get spark with the screwdriver but not by starter motor - perhaps the points are not opening sufficiently.

Can you please reply with what has been altered or "inspected" - the ignition system is very, very basic but like any system, must be set within the parameters in which it is designed to function.

Waiting J - hoping to get you going soon.

frats,
Rosco

[EK JAY]

thanks rosco
this is what happen the day i drove it back from
coffs it would not start but prior to that it was running fine
it turned out to be the carbon brush in the dizzy cap was warn
down to far so a small piece of sand paper under the rotor button
and it fired up straight away and ran like a dream the whole way
to the blue mountains could not get a cap for it un coffs so when i got
here blue mountains i got a new cap put it on and it was fine but still
needed the sand paper under the rotor button so got a new button put it
in same story also got a new coil for it yesterday and will put new
points and condenser today i also have a electric dizzy i will try that in
there if all this fails

ps just noticed that what i think they call the pig tail wire
in the dizzy is broken( the braided copper wire)
could this be the problem

[FB MAD]

If the braided wire on the points is broken the points won't work.Sounds like you may have found your problem.

Terry.

[EK JAY]

what can i do about that terry

[FB MAD]

Clean the braided broken ends up in petrol so there is no oil/grease left on it and just solder them together with flux cored solder wire and it should be right again.

[EK JAY]

thanks terry i will give it a try

[EK JAY]

Well soldered the pig tail wire and away she went
amazing what one little wire can do
thanks terry
and of course thanks to the ever reliable ROSCO

[bennySA]

had a similar problem. the cable from the coil that runs to the condensor and then inside the dizzy was not insulated properly from the body of the dizzy. the car turned over and turned over but did not spark. after asking a few questions and fiddling around a tiny piece of electrical tape was all that was needed to fix the damn thing! amazing what one small part can do! @#*#