ZOlds

Hi guys,I am new to the forums here. I have a 1968 Delta 88 with a 455ci motor. I searched the boards and came across some threads that had similar problems, but I didn't find one with a solution (maybe I didn't search enough?).

I recently replaced the worn out head gaskets. After reassembling the engine, it wont start. The car was driven regularly before the repair and now nothing. I'm sure most of you are fimiliar with this particular year of engine; I did not have to touch the distributor to remove the intake.

I have replaced: ignition coil, cap, rotor, condenser, points (gapped propery), the primary lead wire going from the coil to the distributor cap, and the ground wire going from the negative side of the coil to the points.

I have tested the wire going to the positive side of the coil to ensure 12v, and it is ok. It almost seems to me that the coil is being grounded the whole time reguardless of the points opening and closing?

Any help would be great, thanks.

sixty9olds

Try disconnecting the lead wire from coil to distributor at the distributor. Use a screw driver with a round shaft that will fit tightly into the lead wire. Install the screwdriver into the lead wire. Lay the screwdriver acrossed the intake so that there is a slight gap between the shaft of the screw driver and intake. Have a helper crank the engine over, you should see and hear the spark between the shaft and intake if the primary ignition side is working correctly. If you have spark from the coil then the problem is more than likely inside the distributor (cap or rotor). If you don't have spark and you have 12v at the coil then the coil is bad.

ZOlds

Ya i have tried a similar method using the primary lead wire coming off the coil and a screw driver. Still no spark. I have considered the coil many times. However, I have replaced the coil three times. I was told today by a "good ol boy" that outside case of the ignition coil should be grounded to the block through the mounting clamp? If that's true, I need to sand some of the paint off the outside of the ignition coil.

sixty9olds

I don't think there is any truth to the coil case being a ground. You should be able to isolate the problem and either replace or fix the problem. Have you checked the ignition points gap? The points "open" the primary circuit of the coil and cause the primary ignition side of the coil to induce current into the secondary side of the coil. An ignition coil is a "step up transformer" that transforms 12v into 20 to 30,000 volts through windings and a iron core inside of the coil. So, if the points aren't opening correctly, the coil will not generate a spark.
If the points are gapped correctly, are they opening and closing as the engine is cranked over? The points should contact each other on the low step of the cam and create a gap on the high step of the cam.

ZOlds

I set the point gap to .016 which i believe is correct, from what I could find on the inet. The points are new, and they are opening and closing while the engine is cranked over.

Yellowstatue

With 12 volts on the coil and the points wire removed from the coil (no wires at all on that term.) put a ground directly to the terminal with a test lead (on and off, repeatedly) and it better spark or else...

ZOlds

Yellowstatue, thanks for the idea. I kind of figured the points were being constantly grounded, but I couldn't figure out how or why. I put a spark plug in the high voltage cable coming off the ignition coil and grounded the spark plug by wrapping wire around the threads and touching to the negative side of the battery. I then disconnected the negative side of the coil and turned the ignition on. I tapped the wire coming from the distributor/points to the negative side of the coil, and guess what, spark. However, like I said in an earlier post, I had already installed new points, condenser, and a new lead wire from the points to the coil. So, why was it constantly being grounded? And yes i set the correct gap in the points. I don't know why the new points were grounding out, but they were. I bought another set of new points (a slightly more expensive one made a little different), installed them, and it started right up.

Thanks for the help folks.

Yellowstatue

There will be a small fee of .50 or cake and ice cream...

sixty9olds

ZOLDS,
I am glad to hear that you got it running, and it wasn't an expensive fix.

BAM583

I can't seem to find a primary lead wire for my 61 Olds 98. Any ideas where to find one or if some other make will work the same?

Lady72nRob71

You could not imagine how many things I have fixed with just threats like this. It is almost like the machines can understand!
Too bad the ipod didn't listen...

ZOlds - glad you got it up and running.
Moral of the story - new parts are not necessarily GOOD parts...