Slant six starting woes...

[Dragsinger]

do you have any ignition "box?" I assume you have some style of box because you removed a magnetic pickup distributor and installed a point type distributor.

A point style system DOES NOT use any control box, thus making it the most simple system. A point type system has battery power on coil positive and the distributor single wire point lead connected to the coil (-) terminal. No other wires are required to make a spark.

With battery power to the coil positive you can manually open the points and the coil will spark.

So, make sure the points are clean and opening about .015" when on the distributor cam lobe. Make sure you have a new condenser in the distributor. As mentioned in an above suggestion, you can remove the distributor and turn it by hand and the coil will fire each time the points open. [you need a ground wire from distributor to the engine when testing the distributor out of the engine. No ground required when it is mounted in the engine]

Use a spark plug wire in the coil secondary tower and plug in a test spark plug gapped at .040" Ground the test plug to the engine.

Please post your results.

[Dragsinger]

A few more Chrysler ignition system notes. Some Chrysler system of about the year model you have used a "dual ballast resistor" It is a four terminal resistor usually mounted on or near the firewall. Those resistors are known to burn out.

It's function it to provide coil positive power when the ignition switch is in the "on" or "start" position. Make sure you have battery power to the coil while the "key" is in the crank position.

I do understand that you are trying to "rig" something just to fire up the engine and that is fine. Once the initial fire up is behind you a final solution can be provided. The idea of using a simple point distributor should provide an acceptable start up system.

And one note about points, they are not designed to run at full battery voltage. The points will not tolerate that voltage for long periods. They are design to run with a resistor in-line before the coil positive to give about 10 volts at the coil when running. However, you are OK without a resistor for temporary start up usage.

Also, I understand your cam break-in concern but it sounds like you are OK. Sounds like you are only spinning it for short periods. And consider this, you have weak springs and the slant 6 engine has the large .904 Chrysler lifter. That systems was never been a problem with cam/lifter life.

[bill dedman]

Originally Posted by Phillip marvetz

What does it have for ignition? MSD and stock distributor I'll assume. With the distributor hooked up but out of the engine and the ignition on you can spin the shaft and it should throw a spark out of the coil. Spin it fast. If it's not throwing a spark you either have a problem with the box or the pick up in the distributor. You can check the distributor with an ohm meter, Disconnect the the 2 prong connector and spin the shaft slowly. You should see the resistance value changing as you rotate. If that looks good test the box, I use a paper clip to touch the 2 wires together that go back to the box. This should make the box fire the coil.

No MSD at this point in time.
We bought an MSD 6-AL-II (digital) for racing, but all components for this cam break-in are stock. We were using an orange box but took it out of the loop (as well as the ballast resistor) when we weren't getting any spark. Now, it's just a direct wire from the battery + side to the + side of the coil, the distributor make/break wire to the minus side of the coil, and a stock, points type distributor.

Simple, no??? LOL!

[bill dedman]

Thanks, Larry for the encouragement RE: the cam/lifter situation. I appreciate it!

This points-type distributor will come out as soon as we get the cam broken in. IF that ever happens...

[bill dedman]

Originally Posted by Dragsinger

do you have any ignition "box?" I assume you have some style of box because you removed a magnetic pickup distributor and installed a point type distributor.

A point style system DOES NOT use any control box, thus making it the most simple system. A point type system has battery power on coil positive and the distributor single wire point lead connected to the coil (-) terminal. No other wires are required to make a spark.

With battery power to the coil positive you can manually open the points and the coil will spark.

So, make sure the points are clean and opening about .015" when on the distributor cam lobe. Make sure you have a new condenser in the distributor. As mentioned in an above suggestion, you can remove the distributor and turn it by hand and the coil will fire each time the points open. [you need a ground wire from distributor to the engine when testing the distributor out of the engine. No ground required when it is mounted in the engine]

Use a spark plug wire in the coil secondary tower and plug in a test spark plug gapped at .040" Ground the test plug to the engine.

Please post your results.

We disabled (wired around) the orange box when we installed the old, points-ty[e distributor and ran a wire ddirectly from the + post on the battery to the + side of the brand-new coil; no detours along the way... the coil plus side is getting 1.4 volts.

The wore coming out of the distributor is wired directly to the minus side of the coil; what could possible go wrong???? LOL!!

A lot, apparently.

The points are clean and gapped at .015".

The distributor came out of an engine that was running well, when it was removed.

Next step is to install a new capacitor (er, condenser.)

Thanks much for your advice!!!!

I'll get back to you, but probably not today... It's 96 degrees outr there, and the car is outside.... and I am 72 years old, and my partner is 73... too old for this XXXX..... LOL!

[bill dedman]

Originally Posted by novassdude

This maybe to simple but do you have good ground to the engine? I assume if it is cranking you do. But I find in my line of work that poor grounds cause a lot of issues.

That is a good point. Will install a new ground strap, the next time I work on it, for sure!

Thanks!

[Phillip marvetz]

1.4 volts to the coil? That doesn't sound right.

[Dragsinger]

I suppose your 1.4 volts at the coil is a typo? The coil positive voltage should be what ever the battery voltage is 12.3 - 12.5 , something close to that.

[bill dedman]

Originally Posted by Phillip marvetz

1.4 volts to the coil? That doesn't sound right.

That isn't right; it was a a typo that I didn't catch. It should have read 12.4 volts to the coil.

Sorry for the confusion...

[bill dedman]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

That isn't right; it was a a typo that I didn't catch. It should have read 12.4 volts to the coil.

Sorry for the confusion...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It still doesn't RUN, but it's getting healthy spark, now FINALLY!!!

What was wrong that it had NO spark???

Turns out, the points in that point-type distributor had an affliction that I can't explain, but here's what it was doing: When the points were CLOSED, there was NO electricity passing from the "hot" side of the contacts to the other side. NONE. How that is possible, I do not understand; I had filed the contact area of both sides of the points , wiped off all the filings (loose stuff that resulted from the abrasive) and gapped them to .015".

I set up a test light to check continuity, not expecting in a million years to find that there was NO electricity passing between them when the were closed.

Could NOT believe my eyes, but a new set of points worked as it should, and all of a sudden, the make/break function (now operating correctly) had my coil shooting a really healthy spark, just like it should have all along.

Dang....

Now, all that's left to do is properly time the distributor for correct spark advance, and I can put this sorry episode behind me.

Thanks much to the many people who took the time to educate me on the many facets of the problems that could have caused this anomaly.

50 years of working on cars, and I had never seen anything like this...

Tomorrow, we can break in the cam. What a thrash this was...

But, that's hot rodding....