Cranks but no start

[47COE]

Originally Posted by 53_mercLuke

So I tested the ohms from the wire that hooks up to the coil from the distributor to the distributor case with the distributor out of the vehicle. With the points closed on the flat of the cam I get 000.1 ohms and with the points open on high part of cam I get 000.0 ohms. I tried to short the points with a screwdriver driver and nothing happened. I checked the wires in the distributor for bare wire or anything and can't find anything wrong.

What does your meter read on the ohms scale when the leads aren't connected to anything? I ask because there are a number of different ways that ohms readings for an open circuit could be displayed, depending on the meter.

In any case, the reading that should get with the cam follower on the high part of the cam and the points open should be the same as if the leads weren't connected to anything.

If you are indeed getting a low ohms reading with the points open, then the distributor has an internal short. That would explain the no spark.

As for the cause, I would start by taking the points out and repeating the measurement. Perhaps some part of the points is shorting because it wasn't quite installed in the right place.

If there is still a short with the points out, then further disassembly would be needed. Or a replacement distributor. I'm not familiar with the details of that distributor. But I bet there are others that are.