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'66 Ambassador no spark again

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Trog View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Trog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/04/2011 at 9:34am
Thanks for the help guys. Another no go this morning so I'm letting the car sit for awhile.  More important things to do than this frustration.
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FuzzFace2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/04/2011 at 10:05am
I like the hot wire trick, wire from batt + side to coil + and see if it will run. If it does run then look from coil back to the key as it is not getting power. If it does NOT run then look from coil to dist. for issues. Right now it sounds like you dont know where to look?
I do here you about walking away, mine been sitting for over a month because it pissed me off.
Dave ----
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Trog View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Trog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/04/2011 at 10:54am
Tried the hot wire from battery to coil and no change.  Replaced the wire from coil to points, got spark.  Replaced everything. All the voltage and ohms readings are within specifications. Checked voltage from ignition switch to coil and 12+.  Done all this stuff.  In case it got flooded, I let it sit and cleaned all the plugs which weren't bad anyway....bene through all the motions. Burned out on it for now. There just aren't anymore places I know to look and check. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bigbad69 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/04/2011 at 11:26am
Originally posted by Trog Trog wrote:

... In case it got flooded, I let it sit and cleaned all the plugs which weren't bad anyway....bene through all the motions. Burned out on it for now. There just aren't anymore places I know to look and check. 
Did the plugs get wet? If they did, replace them no matter how clean they look. Today's plugs don't seem to recover from abuse like they did 40 years ago. Been there, done that.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FuzzFace2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/04/2011 at 11:42am
Originally posted by bigbad69 bigbad69 wrote:

Originally posted by Trog Trog wrote:

... In case it got flooded, I let it sit and cleaned all the plugs which weren't bad anyway....bene through all the motions. Burned out on it for now. There just aren't anymore places I know to look and check. 
Did the plugs get wet? If they did, replace them no matter how clean they look. Today's plugs don't seem to recover from abuse like they did 40 years ago. Been there, done that.
TRUE THAT! Had a bad carb on my street Jav project car and with just a few time running to move it around would foul them. New plugs maybe 5 or 6 starts not even an hour run time. Motor would start back firing so before the mufflers went I changed out the plugs.
If you have somethiing else they will fit you can try them in it to see.
Dave ----
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70 Javelin 360/auto drag car
70 Javelin 360/T5 Street car
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farna View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/04/2011 at 12:10pm
Once you find the problem do yourself a favor and stick a Pertronix unit in it (Ignitor or Ignitor II). Then you won't have points problems anymore. But unless you're POSITIVE the points are now the problem, fix it first. I'd try the hot-wire approach to see what happens next too (run +12V to coil). 

Edited by farna - Jul/04/2011 at 12:16pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Trog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/04/2011 at 12:49pm

Only the passenger side rear plug was damp at all and the rest were normal. I tried the hot wire from battery to coil + and there was still no change.  Since yesterday we did get spark, albeit not blue but orange after replacing the coil to points wire, we thought we had the problem solved, i.e., until I noticed the "weak" spring retaining the points and condensor terminals.  But I went back and looked again a time or two and they were still intact so it might have just been the terminal came loose the first time.  It's peculiar that it will start just for a second but after that no restart.  Then after messing around with it for awhile, you can just about repeat the happening.  Plan is to go to Pertronix to eliminate points and condensor if I ever get this figured out.  I have a '66 hardtop as well and have not experienced this problem with it and and Have had it a few years more.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/04/2011 at 6:49pm
Actually, the orange instead of blue spark indicates that the coil itself is likely bad. A weak spark won't run either -- may as well be no spark. Found that out with my 4.0L EFI engine when installing it. Was getting fire but it wouldn't run. Ended up being weak spark due to a corroded connector. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gryzynx Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/04/2011 at 8:04pm
Had a problem on a Chevy once. No spark, all looked well. found I had spark at the output of the coil, but not at the plugs. The rotor was arcing thru the center post to the distributor shaft. Did not see this until I removed the rotor. Since your 327 likely uses a Delco distributor, could be something similar.
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Trog View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Trog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/04/2011 at 8:34pm
We had a new rotor back in '09 when this no spark thing occurred....similar to what you had we had spark at the coil but not the distributor and it turned out that time to be a rotor contact buttojn too recessed apparently for the spark to jump across because a replacement rotor worked for a year until whatever this problem is.
Yes, the orange spark, the consistent orange spark bothered me but the coil is just a year old and all the ohms readings on the coil were per spec.  But the coil is easy enough to change out one more time again so I'll do that soon and see what happens. I'm just burned out of lying on top of the engine changing out distrubutor components and doing all this testing with voltmeters and ohmeters that so far hasn't gained me anything.
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