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Posted By Discussion Topic: No spark     Ronald 05-10-2011 @ 10:59 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 3 Joined: May 2011 I have a '36 Ford V-8 and am getting no spark to the plugs. I had the coil and condensor checked, both are ok. Is the resistor the next thing to check? If so, is it continuity that tells me it's ok? I'm stumped with no one to look to for help. Ronald carcrazy 05-10-2011 @ 12:42 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1659 Joined: Oct 2009 Check to make sure you have voltage at the primary coil terminal when you turn on the ignition switch. Also make sure that the coil output terminal is making contact (inside the distributor) with the rotor. Check the ground path between the engine block and the battery. Hope this helps. supereal 05-10-2011 @ 2:07 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Do you have a wiring diagram for your '36? If not, will post one for you so you can trace the circuit. supereal 05-10-2011 @ 2:20 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Here is the "road map". Follow it and you can find the answer. 37RAGTOPMAN 05-11-2011 @ 5:48 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1961 Joined: Oct 2009 did you check for power at the coil,if so, if you want to check the points if they are working, ASSUMING you have a original ign system on your 36 try this, disconnect the wire going to the terminal on the coil feed wire,put a test light one end to the feed wire and the other end to the terminal on the coil, crank the engine over with the ign on, the light should blink off and on, this will tell you if the points are making and breaking the circuit,and you have power going to the coil and condensor. if you do, if the coil is good you should have spark, if not trace the circuit ,,, you can for a few minutes use a jumper wire over the resister, it will feed the coil 6 volts, so becarefull, not leaving on more then a few minutes,1-2 also a CRC electric motive cleaner sprayed on the points might get them to arc,if the car was sitting for a long period, they will might have a little residue,coroding ,this will wash that off. if not remove the distributer and send to SKIP, with the coil and have both rebuilt.he will set them up and your troubles will be over for many years, hope this helps 37RAGTOPMAN This message was edited by 37RAGTOPMAN on 5-11-11 @ 5:57 AM supereal 05-11-2011 @ 7:34 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Be careful about moving things around, or you will likely either mask the cause, or create a new problem in addition to the original. As Henry put it "diagnose, don't guess"! Follow the diagram I posted, and check each "leg" of the circuit from the ignition switch to the distributor input terminal with a voltmeter. Remember that you are dealing with a dual point distributor where one set of points "makes" and the other "breaks" the ground to the coil. One of the two sets can be open, preventing adequate spark. The voltage at the coil should be about 3 1/2 with the points closed, but will read the battery (6) with the points open. You can watch the meter as you crank the engine to see the points open and close, if the distributor is working correctly. This message was edited by supereal on 5-11-11 @ 11:41 AM TomO 05-11-2011 @ 7:59 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7253 Joined: Oct 2009 You should have more than 3 volts at the coil terminal with the ignition switch in the on position and the points closed. Tap the starter and the voltage should change when the points open to more than 5 volts. If you have 0 volts, check the voltage at the ignition switch, then the input and output of the resister. Tom drkbp 05-12-2011 @ 10:47 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 180 Joined: Aug 2010 Ron, As the others have said, when you turn the ignition switch "on" at the key, hit the starter and you should see the amp meter move down and back to zero as it turns over. Opening and closing. Be sure the screw is in the back side of the condenser attaching it to the coil and the other end is under the bolt. Also, if the red wire "jumper" across the resistor fires the engine (to check the resistor), stop right there and turn it off. Go get another resistor because you will cook the good coil in a relatively short time. If you are using a coil with an internal resistor, bypass the resistor. It will be the round type coil, not original. Flat top 68 2-screw coils (late '36) need the resistor but you can check the resisitor as above. Be sure you have the gasket under the biscuit and flat top coils because the contact that is soldered under the coil can contact the distributor and you have NO spark, period. If the gasket is there, be sure it hasn't poked through. Same thing. Look under the coil and you will see the contact I'm talking about. New plugs? Ken in Texas

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