jimh_1962

So far, I have checked or done the following:

Replaced the coil. Still no spark jumping off of the coil on a ground.
Replaced the brown wire in the wiring loom for the engine harness. It is connected to the ignition and connected the coil. I am bypassing the ballast since I am running a Petronix.

I do not see any spark coming off of the coil wire going to a gound.

The starter is turning over the engine. I added fuses on the brown ignition wire, black wire to the ammeter, clock and lighter. All of the fuses are good (non of them blown). The ignition wires are in the right location.

Counterclockwise... Red brown violet on back of the ignition switch. Red is connected to the single slot where brown and violet are going into double slot.

Frankie the Fink

A quick check is to run a jumper from the "+" battery terminal to the "+" ignition coil terminal and see if you get the car to start; if so then you problem is back towards the ignition switch...if not, you could have a bad coil, dead Pertronix, bad ground somewhere or other wiring issues...

AZDoug

Buy a VOM, Volt Ohm Meter.

Inexpensive to buy easy to use.

Read up on how to use it if you haven't before. Never put it in Ohm mode on hot power connected stuff.

Doug

jimh_1962

I have fluke which automatically can detect which mode to switch to.

jimh_1962

I will try that.

MikeM

An even quicker and more revealing check is to hood a test light to the minus side of the coil and ground the other end. Crank the engine. If you get a steady light, your ignition is good to the coil. If you get a flashing light, your Pertronix is probably good and your coil should spark to ground. If the light doesn't flash, yer Pertronix done blowed up on ya'!

Real quick and simple. No need to mess with all those jumper wires and such.

AZDoug

Your VOM probably would have told you coil was OK and you didn't have to replace it and saved you some money, unless you just wanted to replace it anyway.

The primary and secondary Ohms values are on the web. Obviously, an infinity reading means it is bad.



Doug

Frankie the Fink

My check takes two seconds and anybody with a C1 should carry a jumper wire in the glove box for emergencies anyway. You also get to hear the car actually start instead of looking at a blinking light.

But, pick your own poison...

MikeM

I honed my suggestions with a brand new car coming off the line every 45 seconds. Occasionally, one wouldn't start. Sometimes two in a row.

If you wanted to stand around with yer thumb in yer butt with a jumper wire, you'd quickly have the line shut down and find yourself on the carpet explaining why you couldn't run the place.

There is an easy way and a hard way.

PS. In all my years of tinkering with old Chevys, I've NEVER seen a bad ballast resistor. Unlike what is widely reported as a likely culprit on this forum.

jimh_1962

You guys want me to do both?

Frankie the Fink

So much drama. Use either method and God forbid if one takes 2 minutes longer.

We're on a tight schedule dammit!

MikeM

Did you want to have sex or just look at pictures?

jimh_1962

I tried the test and no light on the minus side when the engine is cranking. Petronix took a dump...

jimh_1962

You got my reference!

MikeM

Yeah, but I forgot to tell you one thing. If you have no light on the minus side, see if the test light glows on the + side with the key on OR cranking.

Do you have power on the plus side with the key on and/or cranking the engine?

jimh_1962

It did light up on the plus side with the key on.

jimh_1962

I did find a place where the black wire was pinched underneath the distributor hold down. I could see bare wires.

MikeM

If that is the black wire that goes from the coil to the points, that'd kill your coil spark if it was grounded.

If it was grounded, I have no idea what it would do to a Pertronix.

jimh_1962

I am going to pick up both and see what happens.

MikeM

As a test, I would stick the points back in there after you fix the wire and see if your coil will fire using the test light.