Ignition Problem

[attret00]

The last two times I started my '64 327/300 it almost wouldn't. Today after a short ride I tried to restart and all it would do is crank. I replaced the points with the ones I took out 45 days ago and she fired right up. I'm not a great mechanic so can someone help and explain why new points go bad so quickly.
The timing is set up correctly, dwell at 30. The only thing I know was wrong is I left the ignition in the acc. mode for a week and had to recharge the battery. Was that the cause of it's demise? Thanks guys.:confused

 

[JohnZ]

Theoretically, leaving the key in Accessory shouldn't bother the ignition system, as the ignition feed from the key switch is disconnected with the key in that position. With your key in Accessory, check for power at the ballast resistor - there shouldn't be any; if you have power there in that mode, you may have an ignition switch problem.

 

[attret00]

Thanks for the response JohnZ. No power at the ballast resister with acc. on. I've started it up several times since I put the old points in and it fires up like it should. No cranking just starts right up. Many would probably say it's working now leave it alone, but I want to figure out what caused or the possible causes for new points to quit. Thanks again JohnZ.

 

[rwd]

attret00, are you saying that you metered the dwell on the new points during the time it wouldn't start, and the dwell was then at 30?

 

[drags1998]

Did you lube the cam in the distributer when you installed the NEW points??? Were the points that you installed (racing points) with a real stiff spring?? Have you ever thought about converting to eletronic ign.?? Also make sure to replace the condenser!!!!! Good Luck!!!!

 

[attret00]

The dwell was set about 45 days ago when I did a complete tuneup. I also lubed the cam and used AC Delco points. Everything ran great up until last Friday when it suddenly was very hard to start and then wouldn't start today. It looked to me like the points weren't breaking so I put the old ones back and it started right up.

 

[300HP]

The dwell was set about 45 days ago when I did a complete tuneup. I also lubed the cam and used AC Delco points. Everything ran great up until last Friday when it suddenly was very hard to start and then wouldn't start today. It looked to me like the points weren't breaking so I put the old ones back and it started right up.

Hi,
I am wondering if the rubbing block on the new set of points is still the original length? I noticed that you mentioned that the "points weren't breaking", and I immediately thought of 2 things: 1. the rubbing block somehow became separated from the metal bracket, or 2. the point set screw came loose but is still in the hole? Does this help? Bob.

 

[IH2LOSE]

I would suggest maybee you have a loose wire,Or you had lost the setting because of a loose screw holding down the points.eather the points are good or there bad.and to have a set all of a sudden act funney with poor start then stop working completely I would think maybee something was loose.Or even a the dist wire cracked and you now have it in a good position to run.

Check your wire that feeds the ballast,then off the ballast to the dist then wright up to the points.You know the old saying you cant see the forest thru the trees.Some times its the simplest correction.

I have a freind who collect old caddy's and recived a frantic call his car was dead and he could not figure out the problem.(they just repainted his intake manifold and he was sure it was a carb or distibutor problem ) I was there less then 10 minutes and found a loose wire from his ballast resister.
And allthought he insisted I should look else where.

I started with the basics of trouble shooting/diagnostics and found the problem

 

[JohnZ]

Check out the black ground wire that goes from the breaker plate to one of the vacuum advance can bracket screws - that wire flexes every time the vacuum advance moves the breaker plate, and they eventually fail. When they fail, the points have no ground, and nothing works.

 

[attret00]

JohnZ, I've had the problem a few more times. Each time I messed with the points and got it started. Today I checked the little black wire and found it connected by only a couple of strands. My messing with the points must have made the wire contact better so it started. I reconnected the wire and so far so good. That was probably the cause of the trouble. Hope everything stays this way. Thanks again to you and all those who gave me good advice. I sure hope to be able to help another member someday.

 

[BarryK]

JohnZ

Everytime I see one of your posts, no matter the subject topic, I get more and more impressed!
Is there anything you don't know about every aspect of these cars?!

Thanks to people like you on this forum, idiots like me might even be able to learn something.


Barry