On Tue, 26 Apr 1994 lesnyd@bb1t.monsanto.com wrote:
> over great, the the plugs got wet, so the fuel pump and carb are doing their
> part. No spark, however. I checked and the coil is getting +12v when the
> ignition switch is on. Funny, though, the - side of the coil showed +12v, too!
> I assume this isn't right? Anyway, I put on a spare coil and it did NOT show
> +12v on the - side of the coil, but still no spark.
Whoa. Very likely you tested the original coil when the points happened
to be open. When the ignition is on, but the points are open, there is no
current through the coil primary to ground, so you will see +12V on both
sides. Then, I dare say, you put in your spare coil, tried the engine to
see if it would start, and when it did not, you tested the voltage at the
coil primary terminals. This time, the points were closed, so current was
flowing through them to ground, therefore the voltage on the - side of the
coil was not +12. Easy way to check your coil is to have ign on and the
points closed. Remove the dist cap, disconnect the center lead from the
cap leaving it attached to the coil center post, and using insulated
pliers hold the free end about 1/8 inch from a good ground. With your
finger, push the points open, let them close, push them open, etc. There
should be a spark from the lead to ground each time you open the points.
If there is none, and you know there is 12V to the + side of the coil,
then either your primary lead between the coil and the distributor is
totally gone, or the coil itself is bad.
> I believe I'll try new plugs and a new coil next, since my spare isn't
>exactly
> dependable. The points and rotor and cap look pretty good. I'll try replacing
> the condensor too. Any other ideas?
Under the circumstances, this sounds reasonable.
> Once it's running, I plan to strip it all the way down and get it media
> blasted. There are several thick coats of paint on the car, and the top coat
> is horribly oxidized and chipped. I can't see any other way to clean this up
> in any reasonable amount of time. The cost will be about $300. The firewall
> has quite a bit of rust, but there appears to be enough good metal under it,
> except for the battery box, which I'm going to have to replace.
>
> Has anyone out there used media blasting before? Any cautions or warnings
> before I commit to this?
I am not sure what you mean by media blasting. I assume you mean blasting
by plastic beads. I have not tried it, but I understand it is great for
removing paint without damaging metalwork. I have also heard, however,
that it won't do much to remove rust.
Ray Gibbons Dept. of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Univ. of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
gibbons@northpole.med.uvm.edu (802) 656-8910
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