Help spark at points but not at plug

steve66 · Post by **steve66** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 11:59 am

Hello Again,hope you may be able to help me again.After getting my old engine up and running i decided to build another bitsa.The problem im getting is that i have a good spark at the points but no spark at the plug.I have tried the plug lead and plug from a working engine so i know its not that.Any ideas??

golfcarmad · Post by **golfcarmad** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 10:31 pm

do you get a kick from end of lead before connecting to cap??

steve66 · Post by **steve66** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 11:00 am

Hi yes i get a faint spark intermittently

Post by **RickUK** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 4:52 pm

Hi Steve - if you are getting a faint or intermittent spark, it sounds as though the electrics are basically OK. First thing is to clean the points which you can do in situ with s strip of emery paper folded back to back.
If after running the emery through the points a few times you see a white deposit on the emery, this is telling you that there is an oxide deposit on the points, which needs to be fully cleaned of. See what sort of spark you get after this treatment. Otherwise, check that all the other HT connection points are clean/bright, and that you have a good earth connection to the spark plug when you are testing for a spark.
If you get a spark good enough to run the motor, the spark will intensify through higher revs and in having the condenser fully 'charged'.
What ignition system do you have - Villiers or Wipac? For units which have been out of use for a long time, especially the Villiers, you may need to spin the flywheel with an electric drill or a lot of arm power to charge up the condenser and so generate an HT discharge. Rick

steve66 · Post by **steve66** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 7:20 pm

Hi Rick its a Villiers ignition,i will do what you say and hopefully it will run.Thanks

Charles UK · Post by **Charles UK** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 7:35 pm

Steve careful when you listen to Rick it has been my unfortunate experience that he can start almost anything with hardly any effort & let you listen to it over the phone.
But when I get the same motor home after he's picked it up for me, 200 pulls later & close to a heart attack, the piece of junk won't even cough for me.
So I honestly think someone up there has a soft spot for him or in a previous life I was Pol Pot's chief hangman.

Charles UK

Post by **RickUK** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 10:19 am

Thanks Charles - it's all fear driven by a wife who kick-starts Jumbo jets for a living!
Steve - just a couple of thoughts on my comments of yesterday - I wondered if even the term 'emery paper' is used today - am I old fashioned? I suppose I mean 'wet or dry' paper.
To clean points, I start with the points in the closed position, and inveigle a spare finger to the other end of the points arm, just to take enough pressure off the points so the emery paper(?) will slide through, but still under a certain amount of 'nip'. In bad cases I use an emery nail file.
Anyway, let us know how you get on, or if we need to do some more head scratching. Rick

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:46 pm

RickUK wrote:I wondered if even the term 'emery paper' is used today - am I old fashioned? I suppose I mean 'wet or dry' paper.
Rick

The two terms are still in use

Emery cloth is an abrasive sheet (not unlike wet & dry sandpaper in appearance) with a cloth-like backing, generally used for cleaning and polishing of metals.

Wet & Dry sandpaper is similar in appearance; however the backing is of a water resistant material (paper I think). Itâ€™s generally used for wet-sanding between coats of paint where a fine finish is required, as in automobile painting.