Re: 55 hp triumh Evinrude
I should tell you to get a service manual or somebody qualified to fix it. But I will tell you some checks if you promise to do them exactly as I say. You can blow expensive parts otherwise. Do them in order till you find the problem.
1. Make sure the battery is fully charged and the terminals clean and tight. Don't just look at them...clean them shiny bright and tighten them.
2. Check all other wiring for damage, loose connections etc.
3. This requires a voltmeter: Insert the probe in the amplifier connector red wire cavity and turn on the key. Should show battery voltage. Note: 1968 is red, 1969 is purple. Same thing, different color.
4. If voltage is OK, disconnect and unbolt coil, and remove wire from distributor cap. The wire unscrews from the cap...turn the entire coil to unscrew it. Remount coil and reconnect the blue wire and ground. Affix the spark wire so the terminal is 3/8" away from ground. Don't hold it in your hand, it can give you a severe whallop. Crank engine and observe if spark will jump the 3/8" gap from coil wire. If it does, the amplifier and coil are OK and there is a problem in the distributor cap. If no spark off the coil wire, either the coil, points or amplifier is bad.
5. Disconnect the black/white wire going to the points. Coil spark wire still 3/8" gap. With key on, tap the black/white amplifier wire to a good ground. Should be a spark from coil each time you make/break contact with ground. If it does, amplifier and coil are good and breaker points are bad. No spark means either the coil or amplifier are bad.
6. Special testers are required for testing coil and amplifier beyond this point.
