Spark/coil/distributor problems plz help!!

Monkeycsa13

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Apr 27, 2016
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I have a 22ft 1970 fiberform spokane with a 6 cylinder 155hp omc engine. I am getting power to the (new)coil and to the points. But am not getting it back to the coil and out to the cap. Points are newish and even put a new condenser on and still nothing. Can someone plz help. Thats my only hold up to getting out on the water.... i have even hard wired it bypassing my ignition.
 

alldodge

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Are the points opening and closing as the distributer turns?
 

alldodge

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Try this, remove all wires from pos side of coil except 12V jumper from battery. Remove all wires from neg side of coil except one going to distributer. Remove distributer cap, rotate the distributer to where the points are open. With 12V applied to pos side of coil take a screw driver and touch the point ends (grounding). This should cause a spark
 

Monkeycsa13

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Yes i get a spark when i do that. atleast im pretty sure thats where i was touching when it was sparking. thinking of just doing an HEI conversion kit if i cant get it working today.. im going to check the wire from the starter again as well as do that test again. And if i am getting spark at the end? Or if not then what? Could my points be shot already? Is my distributor not getting a good ground from the block? Electrical is not my strongest quality.
 

alldodge

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Getting spark this way means things are working. If you had a wire on the neg side other then the distributer one, this could be the issue. Most have a wire going to the tachometer and if it shorts out you cannot start.

Did you remove any wires off the coil for the test?
 

Monkeycsa13

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Apr 27, 2016
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Getting spark this way means things are working. If you had a wire on the neg side other then the distributer one, this could be the issue. Most have a wire going to the tachometer and if it shorts out you cannot start.

Did you remove any wires off the coil for the test?

Just did the test and i am getting spark at the point and coil now. Gunna try to wire it back up without the tach wire hooked up.


Now not getting anything at coil even the other way
 
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alldodge

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Just did the test and i am getting spark at the point and coil now. Gunna try to wire it back up without the tach wire hooked up.


Now not getting anything at coil even the other way

It was working, then reinstall without tach wire and it doesn't work. If it doesn't work even with a jumper from the Bat to pos side, then I'm going to say your points are not closing and need readjustment
 

Monkeycsa13

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Apr 27, 2016
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It was working, then reinstall without tach wire and it doesn't work. If it doesn't work even with a jumper from the Bat to pos side, then I'm going to say your points are not closing and need readjustment

Got it figured out. I guess i didnt clean off the points good enough. Cleand them again and now starting up both ways. Thanks for alk your help. Going to be switching over to HEI as soon as i can just to avoid this in the future.
 
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