Have you taken the time to do a compression check to make sure that nothing went wrong mechanically after the rebuild?
This vacuum leak has ruined my motivation for my car (long post)
- Thread starter Izyk
- Start date
Have you checked your primary voltage to the coil when running?
Have you visually checked the hot wire under the breaker plate. the one that runs from the external hot wire connection on outside of the distributor to the stud on the points. The wire is very fine because it has to flex with every vacuum change as does the insulation. The ground wire from under the the points hold down screw to the distributor case is made from the same fine wire and can have the same problem; endless flexing for nearly 50 years can fray the wire or the insulation and bad insulation an allow the wire to intertmitantly ground if it rubs on something. How about a bad ignition switch? Check it while cranking with a jumper wire from the positive battery terminal to the points and a 1/4 inch gap in a high tension wire from the coil to the head.
Junk you distributor& install one of my DS11's along with the MSD 6425 ignition box & a MSD Blaster coil. Then get the MSD 8869 harness which will connect the dist. to the ignition.
Your present resistor wire will trigger the MSD box. Bill
Your present resistor wire will trigger the MSD box. Bill
Izyk
New member
Today I changed the coil and condenser incase of any ignition issues and same result doesn’t want to run. Also threw back on the 1 barrel and same issue. I will do a compression test soon, but if it’s because of low compression I’m going to probably trash the vehicle or sell it for a low price. I don’t have the patience to take it apart again lol After days of working on it this is the result I’m left with after every attempt.
In this video I had plugged up all vacuum ports to take away the possibility of a vacuum leak and I have everything set the way it should be but I have still gotten nowhere.
Thanks for the video, it explains a lot
Don't worry about the compression test. The compression is good
What has happened is, the ignition coil is only getting voltage from the ballast resistor bypass wire from the starter solenoid's "I" terminal.
Once the engine starts and you let go of the ignition key the starter solenoid disengages and you lose power to the coil.
The resistor wire from the ignition switch may be burned out or the ignition switch itself may be bad.
If you temporarily run a wire from the battery to the + side of the ignition coil the engine should start and run.
Don't leave it that way if it works or the points will take a beating.
Don't worry about the compression test. The compression is good
What has happened is, the ignition coil is only getting voltage from the ballast resistor bypass wire from the starter solenoid's "I" terminal.
Once the engine starts and you let go of the ignition key the starter solenoid disengages and you lose power to the coil.
The resistor wire from the ignition switch may be burned out or the ignition switch itself may be bad.
If you temporarily run a wire from the battery to the + side of the ignition coil the engine should start and run.
Don't leave it that way if it works or the points will take a beating.
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Izyk
New member
Oh my god thank you so much. I’ve had people tell me a dozen different things and none of them have gotten me anywhere but back to square one. I will definitely give this a try tomorrow. Hopefully that is the problem so I can finally fix it and drive this thing.
WHAT PMULLER SAID 100%. WHEN YOU LET GO THE KEY, THERE IS NO POWER TO THE IGNITION. Nice looking build! Don't give up- it's a one circuit, one wire fix.
Cheez post 17 and 22 didn't say enough. I need to practice my French some more
Verify good spark, firing order and ignition timing first, something is missing in the diagnostic procedure, fouled plugs are due to excessive fuel and or oil being burned, a vacuum leak makes it run lean, usually covering the carb with your hand or closing the choke butterfly some will at least counteract the vacuum leak....had a 170 recently that was "rebuilt", ran awful with random valves hanging open, the lifters were shot, replaced and it runs great, compression check might be a good place to start...keep us in the loop, hang in there