non starter

[sebking]

Saturday:

Started ok but seemed really down on power and kept stopping at idle. Felt sort of pointsy/timing

Then it wouldn't go at all. Changed points, cap, checked timing which did seem wrong and also condenser from the spares shelf.

It's trying, but just not catching. Got plenty of fuel at the carbs too.

Wednesday:

The initial diagnosis was that the timing/points gap was out, in retrospect I think it may well have been a too thick oil in the dashpots and a cold, cold morning.

Having made this assumption things I think went from bad to worse.

It seemed like a good opportunity to change the points for a new set I had in stock (In a genuine Land Rover pack). Following this and setting them to .38mm it wouldn’t start, and checking the timing it had moved from 6btdc to 12btdc. I then moved to 6dbtc and it went down hill from there…

I’ve been here before with “new” ignition parts but you always forget the past. So new Cap, condenser, rotor arm and still nothing. Then of course flat battery.

Eventually after a bit of mucking about it was running but even worse than before – dwell angle way out and timing miles away to even get it sounding like a tractor.

So back to square one – old points back in, timing set etc and bingo it’s running but the combo of plug unplug and pulling at LT terminals, ballast resistor etc dirty connections still meant it was not quite right. The “new” points when fitted had a massive gap between the heel and the cam when closed?

So the latest update is:

New cap, new rotor arm, old condenser and points, new coil (assuming it is the right one) and a new ballast resistor (that looks like a bit of cheese/chalk with two connectors (can this be right?), New spade terminals on the LT terminals.

For reference the leads are less than a year old and I haven’t poked around at the plugs as I hate doing them in poor light and I reckon that Sods law says that bearing in mind the pain so far something nasty will happen.

It’s now running and time for a test drive – but I’d like to know:

1 what should the resistance between the –ve and +ve terminals on the coil be
2 what voltage should be on either side of the ballast resistor and can it be fitted backwards or will is work both ways?

[5988]

resistor can go either way
dont know specific coil value (3.8 for an unbalasted one rings a bell)
what you got?
if its nearly 0 coil dead
if its infinite coil dead
balast resistor 2.4Ohm rings a bell

[Bumpkin]

Ballast resist starts on 12 volts and runs on 9!! So i was told when i had the problem. Electrics are my weak point so i didnt argue.
Tel
Stage 1less

[Mrs Bingham]

Bumpkin is spot on with the ballast resistor voltage. Just check that you have the correct distributor cap. You may have one that is offset – or inline??? Basically look at the notch in the rim of the cap that locates on the base of the dizzy – look inside the cap and check to see if it is inline or offset from the HT contact and then compare it with your old one. I’ve been caught out before with this on other cars and it might explain the mysterious change in timing. You do need to get your dwell angle right.

I’ll be running my old girl up tomorrow for the first time in three weeks so I’ll measure the coil resistance for you. Mine appears to still have the original coil fitted!

Another thing – check the little braded earth wire that runs between the distributor body and the plate that the points screw to.

Good luck M…

[Jamie_grieve]

Hey there,
I'm gonna second Mrs Bingham on the HT contacts not lining up with the rotor arm when the points open. It's a common, not obvious thing. Set the dwell first using the hex adjuster on the front of the distributer with the engine running. 27 deg, or 62% in old money but not to be confused with 62 on a 4 cylinder setting on the dwell meter which would be 54.
No 8 is the rear left cylinder looking from the front of the vehicle and the HT lead is the one right above the adjuster. No 1 is next to it to the right.
Turn the engine by the starting handle or hand to 6 deg before tdc on the crank pulley then turn the distributer body until you see the points spark just as they open. Is the rotor arm pointed right at the No 1 contactor on the cap?
An earth problem gives good hard to find faults too so don't overlook the spade terminals on the coil might just be holding on by a few strands of wire if as she said the braided wire's ok.

[Jamie_grieve]

I forgot the most obvious thing on the v8 dizzy. How much play is in it and how much can you open and close the points just by moving the shaft?

[sebking]

Dizzy is fine. I left the new coil on and everything sounded and read fine.

6deg before and 27 deg on the dwell. Revved fine etc so went on a run... Oh dear, fine at 20-30mpg any more than that and no power with kangeroo juice.

Stopped and put the old coil back on and it's run well for the last 30 miles.

So to recap Cleaned contacts on lt circuit. New cap and rotor arm, new ballast resistor. Points cleaned and reset, timing etc.

Note to self: New parts may not work and will cause trouble.

[5988]

fine at 20-30mpg


Note to self: New parts may not work and will cause trouble.

yep , - found that out the hard way
Id be happy with 20-30mpg

[sebking]

I have seen 21mpg but aI guess you all know I meant 20-30 MPH

[Mrs Bingham]

Hopefully your fault has now been rectified so the new coil should be "destin a la bin". Was it a blue box jobbie?

FYI - I measured the resistance of my coil as promised and with it cold it measured 2 ohms initially rapidly reducing to 0 ohms. Whether right or wrong it works just fine! BTW I was wrong; it isn’t the original coil, after wiping off years of crud it revealed itseft to be an AC Delco coil with a reddish cap. If my memory is correct then the reddish caps are usually associated with electronic ignition applications???

Regards Mark…

[5988]

I have seen 21mpg but aI guess you all know I meant 20-30 MPH

yes