Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Hold 2bb's hand with ignition basics for the 23rd time
- Thread starter 2big bronco
- Start date
Ummduh
Red Skull Member
Honestly that looks fine. Did you put a timing light on it yet?
Ummduh
Red Skull Member
Ok, so you have spark from the coil... To the cap?
Bad coil wire? Broken before the cap?
Verify spark coming from each wire.
Spark = yes > check timing. I'm not familiar with the Lima 2.3 but the rest of Fords engines can spin the gear on the distributor, instead of outright breaking the roll pin and spinning free. Or even catch/spin/catch/spin/etc. So it'll gall in a different spot and still spin the distributor but the timing will be fucked.
Spark into distributor but not out to the plugs, should be pretty obvious what to check. Cap/rotor/wires.
I don't know anything about propane, but if nothing else fixes anything it's time to start back at square 1.
I wouldn't discount that the new msd box could be DOA either. Fuck those things. I'd rather have a distributor mounted tfi.
Last edited:
2big bronco
Og irate
Spark coming to the cap via the coil wire and not out of the end of any of the plug wires
GM Guy
rollin' along...
Grab the rotor and twist. You able to turn it through some friction stick (more than the usual gear engament movement)
Is that rivet holding the electode on the rotor shorting to the guts of the distributor? Looks for burns and streaks under the rotor.
Is that rivet holding the electode on the rotor shorting to the guts of the distributor? Looks for burns and streaks under the rotor.
Ummduh
Red Skull Member
how are you proving this?
2big bronco
Og irate
I agree but it ran for a long time like that and i actually went as far as to measure the depth compared to the rotor height. It checks out
2big bronco
Og irate
I can un plug the coil wire from the cap and watch it arc to ground while cranking.
Then i pull the spark plug wires off the plug and plug in my spark test light and get nothing, tried a loose spark plug grounded with nothing, and went as far as holding the plug in my bare hand while grounded to verrify there isnt even a weak spark.
It makes no sence to me at all. And it happened at idle... like i turned the key off
2big bronco
Og irate
Ummduh
Red Skull Member
Man it is really difficult to tell via the pics. The strap on the rotor seems like it's wore into the retainer for the carbon button instead of the button itself. Can you bend the strap a bit to get some better engagement? Maybe mark it with something to verify you're getting contact. Lightly sand the button to break up any glaze that might be present.
Perhaps whatever mechanism is inside the cap connecting the carbon button to the coil tower terminal failed?
Perhaps whatever mechanism is inside the cap connecting the carbon button to the coil tower terminal failed?
2big bronco
Og irate
Maybe i can just go park it in fucked up concrete guys shop when he burns it down so both our problems disapear.
Rivit doesnt make it to underside of rotor to arc out. The rotor and mechanism underneath seem solid and not twistable so i dont think anything slipped.
For the 23 time i verified spark going into the cap and not comming out.
Hopefully the new cap/rotor show up friday and everything is fixed. I swear i have the stupidest problems with shit.
Maybe if i keep posting pictures somebody will see the totally obvious problem i missed
Rivit doesnt make it to underside of rotor to arc out. The rotor and mechanism underneath seem solid and not twistable so i dont think anything slipped.
For the 23 time i verified spark going into the cap and not comming out.
Hopefully the new cap/rotor show up friday and everything is fixed. I swear i have the stupidest problems with shit.
Maybe if i keep posting pictures somebody will see the totally obvious problem i missed
MSD used Chevy points rotor with a Ford cap ( escort, IIRC)...weird, but works. Had an MSD dist and 6al in my Bug 25 years ago, same head/cap rotor combo.
2big bronco
Og irate
Thats kinda where im at... when it gets light out at 6am tommorow morning ill be up there checking for continuity on both ends.
Maybe Jimmy#s does house calls to California
2big bronco
Og irate
Yep, same part numbers
2big bronco
Og irate
Yes
Boss
Rabble-Rouser
Fuck MSD. Those thing are hard on coils. I will never take one in the middle of nowhere again. Not dependable IMHO.
2big bronco
Og irate
If somehow my timing jumped 45*......
2big bronco
Og irate
Well now i have spare everything, lol. Ive had that box for 19ish years and its still working.
Boss
Rabble-Rouser
Is it now?
Are you sure your coil is still good? I burnt up an Accel. Never had a coil problem in my life until I used an MSD. Not willing to give it a second chance.
vetteboy79
It's bent. #ttb
Check continuity between the center post and the individual posts on the cap while cranking (leave coil disconnected). Should see a little blip on the meter every time the rotor passes by.
Even if the timing jumped you'd still be getting spark at each cylinder.
edit: unless the window and/or the pickup moved out of sync from the rotor, but usually those only go together one way. Continuity check first though.
![[486]](https://data.irate4x4.com/avatars/m/0/94.jpg?1700178133){kind=avatar}
[486]
smells things
I dunno, 45 crank deg is 22.5 at the dist... that still should be close enough for it to jump to the posts.
45 deg of advance would be almost normal with that 10k RPM thing, but 45 deg of retard is pretty far from anything reasonable (and timing doesn't jump forward)
A_G
Semi-Controlled rage
tried ohming center pin to cylinder pins of the cap while baring it over? maybe its bad machining but it looks like the outter pins are wearing down from contact.
coils also have two windings on them, you can have voltage on one side but not enough amps to jump the gap on a plug. i have the inline plug tester aswell it just reads voltage but it would read enough power to jump a gap.
itstillruns.com
coils also have two windings on them, you can have voltage on one side but not enough amps to jump the gap on a plug. i have the inline plug tester aswell it just reads voltage but it would read enough power to jump a gap.
How to Test 12 Volt Ignition Coils
An automobile ignition coil acts as a transformer, having a primary and secondary bundle of wires that create and send an electrical charge to the spark plugs, causing them to fire. While ignition coils will generally last for the life of a vehicle, faulty spark plugs or spark plug wires can...
itstillruns.com
2big bronco
Og irate
tried ohming center pin to cylinder pins of the cap while baring it over? maybe its bad machining but it looks like the outter pins are wearing down from contact.
coils also have two windings on them, you can have voltage on one side but not enough amps to jump the gap on a plug. i have the inline plug tester aswell it just reads voltage but it would read enough power to jump a gap.
How to Test 12 Volt Ignition Coils
An automobile ignition coil acts as a transformer, having a primary and secondary bundle of wires that create and send an electrical charge to the spark plugs, causing them to fire. While ignition coils will generally last for the life of a vehicle, faulty spark plugs or spark plug wires can...
Ill try testing while cranking in the morning. With a plug stuck in the coil wire it sparks.
The pins probably look worn because i did a halfassed job of hitting them with sand paper
2big bronco
Og irate
I might try twisting the distributer a bit both ways and see what happens. Not going to hurt at this point.
A_G
Semi-Controlled rage
am i understanding this
your testing it with a plug in the coil out put wire? or a wire out of the dizzy?
[486]
smells things
fuck yeah
twist it while cranking until it happens to start firing and then adjust it from there
unless your cam timing also jumped and now you're mashing valves into pistons
