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To quote Bobbytnm "This is a stupid F***in' hobby!!"
My son on Friday @Kirby32 "Buy an old truck, you said. We can work on it together, you said. It will be fun, you said!"
We don't seem to be getting any spark, what do we try next?
As I see the picture, the points are up on the cam and the points should be open, but they look closed. Find your .017 .025 (for 6 cylinder engines, .017 is the V8 gap, sorry) feeler gauge and set the point gap. Check that ground wire under the screw on the points and make sure that has continuity.
I bought the Pertronix Electronic ignition bolt in module. It replaces the condenser, points and rotor. I think it turns it into a Hall effect ignition. I wasn't super cheap but it took one variable out of trouble shooting and adjusting and I think increased reliability.
Are you sure the rotor top tab is properly positioned?
Are you sure the shaft that goes down into the oil pump is not rounded off. Mine was shot and need to be replaced.
Here is my post on it which includes the following electronic ignition. And below it is the shaft. Melling IS43
Good catch Wayne. The other thing is I don't see the wire from the coil connected to the points.
Yes sir, I dont see one either. If you look just to the upper right of the points mounting and grounding or breaker plate screw, and look really closely at the connecting block on the points, you will see a wire that connects to the condenser. Just underneath that there looks like ring terminal that looks maybe looose and like the crimp body of that terminal facing up with the wire broken off. The points also look fairly oily and I wonder if the points contacts have grease, oil or dirt on them.
A good test to see if your points are indeed closing and is grounding the coil is testing the voltage on the points side of your coil. Engine not running with the key on and the points open you should see I think around 5 to 6 volts. Roll over the engine to close the points and the voltage should drop down to about a tenth of a volt or less if I remember correctly.
Hopefully I described this correctly. Its been a while.
It looks like the points are open, but probably not enough. It also looks like the clip for the coil wire is there (red arrow) but it's not fully engaged. It's hard to tell but there might not be a wire on it.
Grease can be conductive. The inside needs a good cleaning. The points look to be carbon scored. They could use a little polishing with super fine Emory cloth/paper.
Last edited by EffieTrucker; Feb 16, 2026 at 10:42 PM.
When I was a teenager, I worked in a lawn mower shop. Any time we had a no spark situation, we cleaned the points with the corner of a rag dipped in gasoline. It was surprising how many times, that would cure the problem. Years later, I used that same technique to get the small block v8 engine to run in a boat.
I used a nail file on the points and it was gapped at 19. I will double check and also go through all your suggestions....when I get to the shop next...
I had the same problem on my truck a few weeks ago, no start situation. Turns out the points were out of adjustment, Spark plugs were fouled from trying to start it. But what was pointed out to me was that the adjustment screws are supposed to be Fillister Screw head as well as have a star lock washers on them, thus preventing; the screw from getting stripped easily, and it readily going out of adjustment. Mine without the lock washer went out of adjustment in a year and half.
It looks like the points are open, but probably not enough. It also looks like the clip for the coil wire is there (red arrow) but it's not fully engaged. It's hard to tell but there might not be a wire on it.
Grease can be conductive. The inside needs a good cleaning. The points look to be carbon scored. They could use a little polishing with super fine Emory cloth/paper.
That coil wire clip looks like it may be grounding out on the points plate.
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