I killed my Ford 8N ... now it won't start

[Sprocket1]

Remember that when you have an open spark plug hole in the cylinder head you are pumping fuel/air mixture out when cranking the engine. Kinda pretty at night when a spark hits it. Also kinda dangerous if standing in front of the hole.
Are you sure the plug wires are plugged into the distributor cap in the right sequence?

I found this link. Don't know if it will help, but might be worth reading for inspiration.
http://home.earthlink.net/~8ntractor/ignition.html

[whistlepig]

I don't know about condensers now but years ago they were so cheap we just bought another. You must have a dead wire or short somewhere if you are not getting spark at all. I know it's easy for me to say but there isn't all that much to check on a six volt system. Something just ain't hooked up, is loose, or something is broken in two. There is something basic that needs to be looked at. We didn't have meters or scopes in the 6 volt days.

[Sprocket1]

Don't touch both the wire terminal and the body of the condenser at the same time.
It will flat out light you up if it is charged. We used to charge up condensers and lay them on a work bench or counter just to watch nosy people get zapped. Not advisable to do that these days though.

[jinman]

Originally Posted by Sprocket1

Don't touch both the wire terminal and the body of the condenser at the same time.
It will flat out light you up if it is charged. We used to charge up condensers and lay them on a work bench or counter just to watch nosy people get zapped. Not advisable to do that these days though.

While this is possible with higher voltage, a condenser charged to 6 VDC is no more dangerous than the common 6 volt battery. A condenser charged to 100 VDC using a DC power supply is different and will certainly get your attention.

[Mikeeemo]

"The pole which attaches to the distributor body and then on to the points shows some voltage, less than one volt, when I go to ground."

I think you may have the wrong coil. On a 6 volt system, you should have 6 volts to the points from the coil. On a 12 volt system, you will have 6 volts to the points, as well. If you use a "12 volt coil" in place of a "6 volt coil", you will end up with too little voltage on the points side.

Make sure the coil you purchased is for a 6 volt system or convert to 12 volts.

I spent 20+ years in the parts industry, please believe me... Not all coils are the same & not all parts people are experts.

[Soot]

Originally Posted by Redneck in training

... If the meter shows open circuit right away there is some break inside of the condenser.

Take the disributor cap off. Turn the engine so the points are closed. Remove the cable from the coil to the distributor and place it somewhere on the engine so it can throw a spark. Turn ignition ON and use insulated screwdriver to open the points. If the coil throw sparks the problem is the distributor.

The saga continues

1) Condenser shows open circuit. I assume it is then bad and will pick up a new one next time I'm in town. (150 mile round trip so might be a while)

2) Did coil test (without condenser in circuit) and found that I got a very weak spark when I opened the points ONCE. Subsequent attempts did not spark although I didn't give it a long time to recharg the coil. Wife was calling.

Will replace condenser at first opportunity and report progress.

Thanks again for the assistance

[jinman]

Originally Posted by Soot

The saga continues

1) Condenser shows open circuit. I assume it is then bad and will pick up a new one next time I'm in town. (150 mile round trip so might be a while)

2) Did coil test (without condenser in circuit) and found that I got a very weak spark when I opened the points ONCE. Subsequent attempts did not spark although I didn't give it a long time to recharg the coil. Wife was calling.

Will replace condenser at first opportunity and report progress.

Thanks again for the assistance

Condensers should show open. If they are not open, they are shorted and will blow up. You can use an analog meter to watch them charge/discharge by changing the polarity on a high resistance scale, but I'd bet if the condenser reads open and it does not look burned or swollen, it is perfectly fine. Also, most 6 volt system sparks are pretty weak. Checking for them in the dark or reduced light is often the best way to do it.

[Sprocket1]

I'll bet if he pulled the tractor with his pickup it would start.

[whitedogone]

Just a tought, The ign. switch can check good but may not be.

[whistlepig]

Coils rarely go bad. When they do go bad they are usually leaking oil. Points can be looked at to see if they are good or not. Points can be dressed with a point file or any other small thin file. Points are pretty forgiving. Timing has to be close. If the timing has slipped all efforts to start will fail. Even with bad timing the plug will give good arc if the plug has the power available. It just won't spark at the right time.