Ford 8N having trouble starting -- many troubleshooting steps take -- suggestions?

[eddie48]

To test coil. Disconnect both small wires. ground the terminal that used to go to the points. run a wire from Hot terminal on battery (the not grounded side of the battery) and, while holding the coil wire near the block, touch the wire from the battery to the empty small terminal on the coil. You should get a spark from the coil wire to the block. If it is good, it will be blue/white and snappy and will jump a gap of over a quarter inch.

 

[Soundguy]

he is SO not a mechanic.

even if you ran a 6v coil on 12v.. it wouldn't die that fast.

I would test it with a hitwire from the bat to the coil for the heck of it.

also.. if it has low compression.. you do a dry / wet test and find out why.. you don't just give up.

a hand lap on a head forhte valves and some rings are pretty cheap.

mind you just having a head job ain't bad either.. wet vs dry test results will tell you if it is rings or valves... though could be other things like head gasket as well.

you need to find a real mechanic.. not someone who has 'mechanic' on his overalls.

Fudge. Got a call from the tractor guy.

He installed the new condenser and while the distributor assembly was out he tested everything again. While we were able to get strong spark/voltage from the coil on Saturday and get it running he said he is getting very weak spark today -- more like an orange spark/glow. Not sure how I could have blown another coil unless the one I got was bad.

He made the comment that on his 12V converted tractor he has a wire going directly from the key switch (he may have been speaking generally) directly to the coil so that it bypasses the resistor. He was suggesting I try a new coil and try bypassing the resistor to see if that helps.

The key was not left on or anything while the tractor was sitting between Saturday and today and supposedly the coil doesn't have any burn marks on it.

He couldn't get it firing so he couldn't test each cylinder by pulling the spark plug wire. I mentioned this test to him and he said if you have bad compression you might as well cut your losses with the tractor and look for something else.

 

[Soundguy]

To test coil. Disconnect both small wires. ground the terminal that used to go to the points. run a wire from Hot terminal on battery (the not grounded side of the battery) and, while holding the coil wire near the block, touch the wire from the battery to the empty small terminal on the coil. You should get a spark from the coil wire to the block. If it is good, it will be blue/white and snappy and will jump a gap of over a quarter inch.

it would be awesome if you knew the specifics of the application you were working on.. but that 'general' advice is virtually useless here.

 

[Willl]

To test coil. Disconnect both small wires. ground the terminal that used to go to the points. run a wire from Hot terminal on battery (the not grounded side of the battery) and, while holding the coil wire near the block, touch the wire from the battery to the empty small terminal on the coil. You should get a spark from the coil wire to the block. If it is good, it will be blue/white and snappy and will jump a gap of over a quarter inch.

Just so he understands, spark occurs at the moment power is REMOVED.

 

[Soundguy]

Just so he understands, spark occurs at the moment power is REMOVED.

this is a front mount!.. not a sidemount.

HUGE difference guys.... this advice is not helpfull and will only muddy the waters for the OP and the clown posing as a mechanic he's using.

 

[Willl]

this is a front mount!.. not a sidemount.

HUGE difference guys.... this advice is not helpfull and will only muddy the waters for the OP and the clown posing as a mechanic he's using.

This isn't a ignition coil ?

As in iron core wound ?

 

[Soundguy]

This isn't a ignition coil ?

witht hat statement.. I'll assume you've never seen or worked on a ford front mountd distribuitor....

 

[Willl]

Is it or is it not a iron core wound ignition coil ?

 

[murphy1244]

Popcorn time.unch:

 

[Soundguy]

Is it or is it not a iron core wound ignition coil ?

it is a coil.. but it's not one that would easilly work with those instructions for the unfamiliar.

the ford front mount coil is square, and fastened to the distribuitor with a flip over wire bail.

there is a scre post on top for the incoming primary wire.

under the base of the coil, at the union with the distribuitor, are 2 spring connections.

one spring, a pigtail, protrudes down into a recess inthe top of the distribuitor and rides in a concave headed screw that attaches to the points and the condensor.

the other spring, a flattened tab, rides a nub onthe distribuitor cap that fastens to the front of the distribuitor, before the coil is attached. IE.. it's not the style that has a 'tower' where you plus a wire into, to attach over to a standard looking distribuitor cap. IE.. a ford front mount 4 cyl dizzy cap ONLY has 4 towers.. as the connection from the ignition coil is made internally..

here's a pic

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?fo...-9N12024.jpg&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13637344518902

to sucessfully use the previous advice given would require a lil knowledge of the system, and some jumper wires for the primary, plus a insulated cut up coil wire for the seondary and a spark plug.. it would be a bit of a juggling act.. can be done.. and I did post instructions before on how to test a front mount coil.. but it is not as simple as the cylindrical style coil like has bee referred to.