No spark from the coil. Help

[Downerman]

Events 75 914 1.8

1. 5 months ago the car ran fine. New Webers, new coil, new 009 distr, new plug wires, plugs, fuel pump, pmo regulator, it was great. Two pumps of the pedal and hit the key and you were off.

2. The rains came pretty hard in Monterey, California in January. Came out after the car sat for a month and it turned over but would not start. Sat for another few weeks and tried again. No luck. Charged the battery because of trying to start.

3. Noticed the drivers light had water in the bulb. Still worked but thought that was strange. Realized the entire area the light was closing into was full of water. I hate to admit this but the car sat for another two months like that.

4. Water leaked into the drivers side pretty bad and sat for a couple weeks but I completely dried it out, removed carpet and it's all back dry as a bone and has been for a couple months. Checked fuses and old seat belt (Disconnected years ago).

5. Yesterday I unclogged the light box that was clogged with leaves and drained water. Light still works fine. Still no spark.

6. Traced the power to pins 7 and 8 on the regulator plate inbound side. Voltage was 11.78 same as the battery when you hit the key. Pins 6 and 7 I believe (Can't remember) on the outbound side and we have 11.78 volts on the one black to the coil and 2.50 on the other black wire to the coil (One + and one -. Thought since the coil had voltage that the coil was the culpret even though the coil was a new bosh (8 months old). Bought new one. No spark.

7. The battery is 11.78 volts but I don't know the amps.

HELP...... It's got to be something really dumb.... I'm getting fuel. I watch it as you hit the pedal and spray into the bodies.

Thinking maybe my battery is not up to the task even though the starter is turning the engine. Also, has anyone heard that you need to disconnect the green wire from the distrib. (Condensor maybe) and give the coil time to charge up?


ANY assistance would be helpful. I do have a multimeter but my electrical experience is limited.

For the record, I have checked the wire out from the coil and it's good. I place the end up to the latch on the engine compartment thinking it's a decent ground. NADA. Now I did hot wire the coil directly to the battery and I did manage to get a small spark.

Dave
(831) 521-0579

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

You don't need to charge the coil, it charges between sparks.

The green wire to the coil comes from the condensor, and before that it comes from the points. How are your points? Are they opening and closing? Grounding the wire that goes to them and then breaking that connection? Check that with an ohmmeter or continuity tester.

How's the ground braid inside the distributor? There should be one to provide the ground path for the points; they ground to the plate they are bolted onto, and there should be the braid to ground the plate to the distributor body, which grounds to the crankcase and then eventually back to the battery.

Those are the easiest ways to get a no-spark condition. That, and hooking up a Pertronix backwards. Or looking at it cross-eyed, I sometimes think...

--DD

[Downerman]

Fixed.

I swear I think someone screwed with the car. Center spring loaded contact missing from Distributor cap, points tight as a drum in the closed position. Anyway, it's running fine with new points, condensor.