My 56 F-100 with a stock 292 engine was running splendidly, but now it won’t start. It was firing and it would rev to perhaps 1500 rpm and then die suddenly without coughing, sputtering or misfiring. There seems to be no problem with fuel, both filters checked / changed. There is no change on splashing a small bit of fuel into the carb on attempting to start the engine. On checking spark, I was getting yellow, weak spark. That was after I had followed a suggestion and changed the coil. Some reading from HAMB lead me to suspect the condenser. The spare one from Carpenter I have carried in the glove box wouldn’t fit. A ninety mile round trip to the nearest open parts store today yielded one that did fit, but now I have no spark at all. It appears that the spare breaker points I had are also not correct, but I will get another set for it tomorrow.

I am working ‘solo’ and my remote starter switch does not seem to work either. Please take a look at my picture post and tell me if this is the correct connection. My existing solenoid does not have the letters S and I above the small posts at the front of the solenoid. The one pictured is a new one that I intend to install. I think the connection I am showing is correct for the remote bump start switch, but it isn’t working. My switch could be bad. Have not used it for many years. Perhaps the solenoid is bad, but engine cranks fine through the key switch in the cab.

My troubles began after a visit to a body shop for repair of slight damage from striking a deer. I think the shop may have left the key on for some time. The batter in the truck is relatively new and fully charged. When I collected the truck from the body shop, they jumped it through a booster pack and somehow they connected through the solenoid terminals. They had me get into the cab and turn the key to engage the starter. What parts could be subject to damage / detoriation from the key being left on without the engine running?

I have replaced the coil and the condenser and I am losing ground. I have gone from weak yellow spark to no spark at all. Frustrated. What should I try next?


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I would also double check that the points/dwell is set correctly.

Let the experts chime in but it might be possible to make a jumper wire to go straight from the coil to the battery to take a lot of the switches and components out of the equation.

Chris

Is your truck still 6 volt positive ground? You'll have to connect accordingly if so..

I don't know when the cable connections changed but my '64 has the main battery and start cables connected "backwards" (compared with later years) to the solenoid and it looks factory because the yellow wiring harness won't reach any other way.

In any case connect one remote starter clamp to the righthand terminal on the solenoid - that's "positive", the cable direct from the battery to be clear. The other clamp to the "I" terminal as in your pic.

The parts store condensers these days have turned out to be problematic in a big way. If you have any junkbox condensers that may be a better choice. For test purposes at least you could try the one that doesn't fit. Nothing says it has to be installed inside the distributor. Extend the lead by soldering a longer wire and shrinkwrap etc. It needs to be grounded to the housing.

Double check the gap on points and make sure the point faces are clean. They can build up a tough skunge that is difficult to remove. Modern manufacture points are crap today too, but they should at least work for a little while. Ignition coils can become defective for certain, but it's not super common. Between the two on hand, should be good to go. Let us know what you find.


I hate to suggest this but a Pertronix Ignitor may be a good plan here. Futzing with breaker points, condensers and worn out distributors is not a good use of our time particlarly.

Thanks to everyone for the tips and suggestions. And Ross I thought the bump start setup I showed in the photo was correct and that is how I had it setup on the truck. Either my remote switch is bad or the solenoid is bad. I bought anew bump start switch today, so I will have another go at it. I drive about 90 miles M - F to Centralia, WA for Radiation Therapy so I am becoming a regular at a parts store.

Oddly, the spare points and condenser that I have had in the glove box for 2+ years don’t seem to fit the distributor plate. I know I ordered correctly from Dennis Carpenter. I have checked at a local NAPA and at an O’Reily’s in Centralia and they pull out the same points as my spare ones. The position of the hinge pin and the breaker points is reversed to the points that are in the distributor and which have functioned well for the three years I have owned the truck.

Were there different distributors for 272, 292, and 312 engines? I know my Y-block is not original to the truck. The truck was initially a straight six. Other signs (dipstick placement, an angled thermostat cover) tell me it was originally installed in a Ford car. Block casting numbers do show it to be a 1956 engine from the Cleveland foundry. The identification listing I consulted said it was a 292 or a 312, but only the numbers on the crankshaft main bearing caps would tell for sure. I am confident that it is a 292. . . . . Could a different, compatible distributor have gone into this engine resulting in the different breaker points?

I think I will remove what is in it now and provide a picture comparison to the spare set and perhaps someone on our forum can put me straight on what I’ve got.

My very limited flexibility, failing vision, working solo and with the distributor being quite near the firewall are making work difficult. The daily chemical and radiation therapy makes it so that some days I don’t even want to fuss with it, but I will eventually solve the problem.

Sincerely, I want to thank everyone again for the tips and suggestions I have received.

'57 was when the distributor changed. Ford used the same points & condenser, cap & rotor up until ~1974, not sure on the points & condenser but the cap & rotor on a '56 would be different. I suggest the Pertronix Ignitor would be a good choice if mobility is an issue?