No spark!

79nautique wrote: well if the spark isn't strong enough to clear the boot then you really don't have a strong enough spark to fire the engine, the spark should jump a good 1/2" or so easy. also did you ever change the ground brown wire from the distributor to the good ground source of the Block? because if you haven't then quit d*cking around untill you do ok.

Yes I moved the ground. I bought a bigger ring terminal and soldered the ground (brown wire) to it and then ran it to one of the unused threaded holes on the block that you said and attached with a bolt and washer.

What do you think of the numbers I'm getting from my coil, that is 12 volts on either side with ignition on and then it drops to 8.5 on either side with engine cranking? I just read the post from MADTOWN78 where he is asking for advice on a new coil and you commented that the wiring harness could have all kinds of screw-ups from previous splices etc. I'm thinking I might have some issues here as well.

What do you think about putting the old distributor in just to see if I get a spark? I'll have to get new points, but their cheap.

Thanks

George,

You shouldn't have 12V at the (+) coil if you have a ballast resistor. The resistor cuts down batt voltage on it's way to the coil so you don't cook it.

Trying the old distributor again may at least narrow things down a bit.

OK, so I have just installed a Mallory Distributor, using the same hand drawn diagram you used. My issue is that once wired I went to turn the engine over and it sounded like the solanoid click or pop and then i lost all electrical power. The boaat didnt even get a second to turn over an inch its like as soon as I turned the key it just popped and now I have nothing.

my pic shows how I have my system wired, now granted before I did this the previous owner did not use the outgoing side of the resister or shall I say nothing was even connected to it. except the ignition wire coil wire on one post.

So I wired it like the instructions said my pink wire in the picture is going to the positive side of the coil, the blue wire is connected to the red wire of the distributor, the orange wire is the ignition.

The old distributor had two wires and both wires went to the coil negative and positive.

Any help would be great, I have a dead boat at the moment





Wiring

H2Oextremes.

I just went thru the same symptoms your having.

I would turn the key over and hear a click and then no power to dash etc...

Turns out the battery terminals weren't getting good contact.

Good charged battery and good wires but there was just enough corrosion that any draw on the system and it would crap out.   

Clean your terminals and check your ground wire.   Fixed it for me.