[TR] Fwd: spark jump

[Bob]

On Sunday, September 26, 2010 01:36:45 pm Anthony Cascio wrote:
> > Subject: spark jump
> > 
> > List,
> > I am having trouble getting the 3 running right.
> > The car runs good for about one or two miles then it starts to skip real
> > bad. I changed plugs, cap, rotor and wires and it did the same thing. I
> > am running the fireball electronic ignition.
> > When I ran my hand over the wires I got zapped, then I placed an
> > insulated pair of pliers around the area where the wires come out of the
> > cap and on the lower two wires spark jumped to the pliers. I put the old
> > cap and wires on and it did the same thing, again on the lower two wires
> > only and right next to the cap where the wire comes out. I have a new
> > Pertronix that I purchased from TRF and that wouldn't even fire the car,
> > I got really fed up with that thing and changed it back to the Fireball,
> > luckily I didn't remove the entire Fireball from the car so it was an
> > easy refit and the car fired right up. BUT, I don't know what is causing
> > the spark jump out of the wires. Any thoughts???
> > It almost seems like there is too much voltage and it's going everywhere,
> > I can almost hear it sparking......
> 
> Sorry I forgot to say who I am.
> 
> 
> 
> Tony Cascio
> 58 TR3A
> TS27093L
> allegrorover at mac.com
> www.triumphowners.com/1489
> 
Tony,

Sounds to me like the wires are your problem. They must be grounding to the 
engine somehow.

Could be some moisture or something else on the wires.

I have no idea of how there could be too much voltage. I have never worked 
with electronic systems but with either system the juice is supplied by the 
coil not the system generating the interruption.

In my experience, the only time I had a similar problem was when either the 
plug ends, cap or wires were wet or oily causing grounding or spark to the 
wrong cylinder. 

Another potential problem is arching within the inside of the cap. Sometimes 
the rotor can generate a carbon trace from terminal to terminal. Very hard to 
see and only diagnosis is to replace with a new cap.

Bob