Need help...

[pagezeo]

Hello everyone... new to this group and have found alot of great information! Hoping someone can help my husband who is getting frustrated quickly with his new toy (which has some issues)....

Have a 1946 Chevy 327 small block - brought it home - engine ran but not great - found out it had a vacuum leak - it was a stripped stud on the intake. Got that problem fixed - ran great.... shut car off and not even 10 minutes later went back out to start it up again and now it doesn't appear to be firing at all.

It is getting gas - fire at the points - but the spark doesn't look blue - looks reddish and not steady.... tried starting fluid - NOTHING - not even a pop...

Any suggestions you all have would be GREATLY appreciated... it is driving him crazy.....he is thinking it might be a coil but if not then he may just switch everything to hei....

Thanks for your help!
Angie & Pete

[BigTruckDriver]

IMO , switch it to HEI he would be happier.

[Matt167]

if it's not getting much at the points, the condensor could have gone bad, which is common for engines that sit

[Dave Severson]

If it's the fire at the plug that isn't blue and hot, then the coil could be fried... As Matt said, try a new condensor, then a coil....

[Bug]

If it is firing at the points but not at the plugs it could be a bad rotor cap. I have had them crap out before.

Bug

[pagezeo]

Hey gang...

Thanks for the replies so far.... we are loving the input.... KEEP THEM COMING PLEASE!!!

Matt....we did replace the condensor already - could the condensor have gone bad again? Or do you think the coil (a bigger Accel super coil) be too large for the points which are stock?

BigTruck.... he does eventually want to go hei but he is pissed and wants to figure out why it was running great then just stopped before he does the swap....

Bug... good suggestion... he said he didn't get a chance to try the plugs yet to see but will check that and the rotor cap too.....

Thanks everyone - like I said.... keep em' coming... we appreciate it tremendously!!

Angie & Pete

[ted dehaan]

make sure you have a bypass circuit that is battery voltage wile cranking the eng. and then goes to the run circuit through the ballast resister or nichrome wire that reduces the voltage to 8to9 volts if you don't have a bypass when the starter draws the voltage down and it goes through the ballast resistor the voltage is too low ...ted

[BigTruckDriver]

I have never had points so I have no clue with them besides everyone has told me there troublesome. By the time you go through the trouble of figuring out your ignition issues you could of paid for a new HEI dist. and be done with it.
I am like your husband though I would want to figure out the problem at hand.

[pagezeo]

Hey gang... UPDATE today.... Hubby changed the coil but not the condensor since he did that already and it fired right up cold and ran GREAT.... turned the key off and then tried to re-start it and we are back to the same problem.... won't start, smell alot of gas, doesn't even start with starting fluid...

He did check the plug and he said he is getting fire at the plug - but not a nice "blue" fire - he said it was more red....

Is there a way to check to check the condensor?

BigTruck..... he is going to switch to hei but he really wants to find the problem first - he is worried that won't solve the problem and then he may be creating more.

Current status....Got mad again and went in the house for some coffee.....

HELP?!?!?!?!

Thanks!
Angie & Pete

[BigTruckDriver]

Its a new engine to your husband and it seems to work every now and then with a lot of gas smell. Make sure you guys are not flooding the engine with gas while trying to get it going. Probably not your problem but just a thought. Good luck , keep us posted.

[Bouncer]

Hey gang... UPDATE today.... Hubby changed the coil but not the condensor since he did that already and it fired right up cold and ran GREAT.... turned the key off and then tried to re-start it and we are back to the same problem.... won't start, smell alot of gas, doesn't even start with starting fluid...

He did check the plug and he said he is getting fire at the plug - but not a nice "blue" fire - he said it was more red....

Is there a way to check to check the condensor?

BigTruck..... he is going to switch to hei but he really wants to find the problem first - he is worried that won't solve the problem and then he may be creating more.

Current status....Got mad again and went in the house for some coffee.....

HELP?!?!?!?!

Thanks!
Angie & Pete

The points work like a switch. It completes a ground circuit. Very simple.
If the spark is weak that indicates a coil problem on a point system. If the condenser is bad the you will have excessive arching at the points and it will burn them up.

I would take it slow and start with the distributor. Replace the points. Get em gaped at about 18 to 20 thousands when wide open. (high spot on the lobe) Replace the condenser again, they are cheap. When you hook the wires to the points make sure they do not ground out on anything. The point terminal is insulated from the point body. Some had a nut you would tighten or screw some the wires just clipped in. These must not ground out on the point body or distributor.

Your coil should have 2 wires. One side is 12 volts, the other side runs to the points.

If you take the wire from the points off the coil, attach a new wire, turn the key on, and every time you touch and remove this new wire to a ground point the coil will fire. This is what your points are doing completing and disconnecting a ground source to fire the coil. The condenser stops the points from arching and burning up nothing more.

One more quick thing to mention, If you leave the ignition switch on with out the engine running too long you will also burn up the points and or coil. Good Luck and as you can see, it's really quite simple.