Stage 1 V8

Hi guys. Have a problem that is slowly doing my head in.

The Stage 1 was running a bit crap - in the end realised that the distributor cap was filthy, so gave it a clean and everything ran better. However, thought I would replace the cap, points and rotor, because I never had, and thought it would be a learning experience changing over and setting up points.

Switched it all over, set the gap, dwell, everything I could think of.

Ran well for a couple of days, then started having issues when I put my foot down.

Last Friday it died on the motorway, pulled over, couldn't figure it out, got it towed home.


Have had a play with it, tried checking for issues, read up online, checked some more things.

I get 12v at the coil. If I open the points up, nothing, closed, 12v... checked the resistance on the coil +/- - about 4ohm, 'through' the coil, about 10ohms... coil lead about 10ohm as well - close to the spark plug leads. However, if I crank it over, I am not getting a spark off the coil lead...

It's got a Bosch GT40RT in there - with a ballast - is there a way of checking the ballast?

What else do I check?

Many thanks.

The ballast is just a big resistor. It either works or not and that is determined by the big wire through the middle of it.

Have you replaced the condensor? Sounds like that or a failing coil.

Is the alternator charging correctly? If it faded over time, it could be that the battery has run flat and is not providing sufficient charge, but just enough to register.

Haven't checked to condenser - is there a way to test that?

I don't mind just swapping everything out with new parts, but keen to understand how to test them as well...

They are cheap and disposable items. It is just a capacitor, so from the interwebs:

http://www.smokstak.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21175

All good. Ordered.

Good read - may explain why I am getting such a good spark from between the points at the moment...

Oh, the brain hurts.

Could someone please tell me the correct wiring here?

I know the black comes from the distributor to the negative.

But what about the positive/ballast? The coil I just removed seems to have bypassed it.

I have two cables, white and purple, that has a piggy back going on, and a white one.

Also - is this in the main service manual, or the supplementary, because for the life of me, I can't find it?

Thanks.

See the circuit diagram in either the Handbook or the Land Rover V8 Repair Operation Manual Supplement

There is usually a constant 12v from 1 wire when the ignition is on which will connect to the ballast resistor then onto the positive side of the coil and 1 will be 12v only when turning the starter which connects directly to the coil positive for extra boost on initial starting.