I am back it has been so long since I last visited that I forgot my user name.
Anyway It is because I have finaly found time to work on this truck again. I am to the point where I am ready to start the engine. I had to pull the original 215 because it was junk but I was able to find a 223 from a wrecked 54 Ford Car. I have it in the truck and have all the wiring reconnected. I stayed with the original 6 volt system. Everything is wired correctly but there is something I am missing. I have power all the way through the system up to the top of the rotor button. I have power at the points. The Coil is the original to the truck. It has Bat on one side and distributor side on the other. Originally the distributor was mounted up side down.(which goes against everything I was ever taught) Anyway going through my old photos I don't have one that shows a clear veiw of the way it was wired. Am I Missing A ground Wire?? I can't remember if the thing was grounded or not. The Distributor is the one that came with the engine. I grounded the engine to frame. I am not saying the voltage is correct but I do know there is power all the way to the points with a power light. I did swap the rotor button but no luck there either.

 

Do you have a ground wire running to the points?

 

You have 6v at the rotor button? I don't see how! You should have high-voltage spark power there when the points open/close, but I can't thnik of any way to measure it directly. Are you getting spark out of the coil, but not to the plugs? Is the little carbon plunger in place on the inside of the distributor cap?

Do you mean the coil was upside down or the distributor??

 

Just a guess but you are probably missing the ground that goes to the back of the points.

 

I don't have power to the rotor button at all. However the wire that runs from the distributor hook up to the points is completely naked.(After doing some searching this could be my problem). I will try to take a photo to better show what I am dealing with.

 

I meant the coil was mounted upside down. Anyway I added the photos to my albums. These are the only photos that came out ok. If any one can see anything wrong let me know. It has been 30 years since I last messed with a points system.

 

See picture below

 

After now practicing with my old distributor I found that getting the old wire out from under the plate is not to hard but trying to get wire back under the plate from one side to another will be take lots of patience. the cloth on that wire was junk so i feel this wire is equally bad shape also. Finding those 2 small connectors will be more challenging.

 

The wire under the plate can be bought complete at NAPA or Ford dealers very cheaply, also gives you the rubber grommet where it enters the distributor (at least for most other Ford dizzies) as well as the connectors. I have the part # somewhere...

 

Pull the breaker plate and route the new "primary wire" so there are no sharp bends. This wire has many very fine conductors so it will flex easily, not restricting the breaker plate movement and so the wire will not break where it flexes. And yes, NAPA and many others have the primary wire, you just have to find someone who knows what you're talking about. Mac's antique auto parts has it listed for your application. The ground wire probably will not have insulation intact, not important, but if I am in a distributor I like to replace it.

 

One thing you can do is leave the dist. cap off and have someone spin the engine over so you can see what is going on with the points(are they moving as they should do you see any spark etc?)

 

I found the old thread with the numbers:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...-question.html

Here are some more numbers:
NAPA ECH LW40 - $12.99. special order http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Ca...W40_0366065575

(from NumberDummy) CODF12216A .. Distributor Primary Lead (Motorcraft DW10)

 

I had the same problem on my 215. The wire was bare like yours. I bought mine from Napa and fixed the problem.

 

Thanks guys for all the suggestions and part numbers. I wasn't able to work on it today but I will hit tomorrow. I have a Napa distribution center nearby so I will be able to get it.
I couldn't figure how to get that plate out of the distributor so that is why I practiced feeding the wire under the plate.I don't have a manual yet so I am learning as I go. I am going to test the resistance on the coil look for spark at the points while it is spinning. I will still replace the wire for piece of mind no matter what else I find.

 

Why do something longer than needed and blind? You should get a manual.