No spark changed points still no spark

I went to start my tractor today (JD 40) I have many Farmalls so I decided to come here and ask. There wasn't any spark. I pulled the cap and rotor off and cranked the engine as I watched the points open and close (no spark).I do have power to the points (I double checked that). I put 2 more new sets in and still no spark. I also changed the condensor. Any ideas? Thank you, Joe

A lot of times new points will have an oilly film on them and need to be cleaned before they will work. I'm guessing this is a battery ignition system. So pull the cap off and with the key on open and close the point by hand. You should both hear and see a spark when you do that. If you don't then you have dirty points or maybe a short in the insulator going into the distributor and something shorted out in it

make sure tabs on points and condenser wires are not pushed through to far and grounded out. Happened to me took a while to find that problem. jim

I sanded the points and also open and shut them by hand. Still nothing. The points and condensor wires don't bottom out on the distributor. It will most likely turn out to be a silly problem.

If you used sand paper you goofed big time. Sand paper leaves sand behind and that is turn makes the points dirty. Take some clean card board like what the points came in and pull that through the points a few times then try to open and close them. If you still do not have spark pull the wire off the distributor side of the coil and with the ignition on put it on and off and see if you have spark there. be sure to have the points sitting open when you do that. If you have spark then you have a short. If you have no spark then close the points and try again. If you still have no spark then the points have a problem and are still dirty. Oh there is only 2 things you should use to clean points and that is the card board trick or a TRUE points file which costs all of a buck and most parts stores have them

Pull the coil wire from the cap and have someone hold it near good ground on the engine block while you snap the points open a few times with the ignition switch in the on position. Then see if there's fire from the coil wire. Hal

sounds like you have a ground problem,you said you have power to the points if i understand you correctly, if this is correct take a test light connect it to the the stud bolt that the dist. wire and condensor attach to on the points,with the points open ign. on, touch engine, if it lights wiring is ok,if not check to see that condensor wire or points spring didn't get turned against the dist. when tighting, next touch lower half of points,if it lights contacts are the problem, if it doesn't, touch dist. plate that points are mounted to, if it still doesn't light you have a bad ground connection between plate to dist, or dist to engine.

I never saw the problem that my son had with his Loadstar with a 264 6-cyl. engine. Spark was giving him fits & engine wouldn't run right. Change of points/ cond./ coil didn't help. Finally he put a grounding wire on the dist. base-plate & led it out under the cap to a ground on the engine block. Problem solved. I'd never run into that problem before---maybe you can put a jumper/ test wire from your base-plate to an external ground & then try for spark.

JW, Heres a part of my Troubleshooting Procedure which may help. It uses a test lamp at the input distributior terminal or else the coils to distributir terminal to diagnsoe possible points or grounding or shorts or condensor problems. If it dont help I have included a URL link to the entire testing procedure.

3) Next, place your voltmeter or test lamp over on the coils other low to distributor terminal side, turn her on and crank the engine over.

4) A test lamp there should flash ON (when points are open) and OFF (when points are closed) as the engine is cranked slowly.

5a) If the lamp never comes on there, the coils primary is bad/open,,,,,,,,,,or the points are never opening,,,,,,,,,or theres a shorted/bad condensor (remove its lead to points and see if lamp comes on, if so, bad shorted condensor or its wiring),,,,,,,,or the points wire is shorted,,,,,,,,or the distributors side pass thru stud is grounded (use ohm meter to test that),,,,,,,,,or the points may have a shorted spring.

5b) If the lamp never goes off as engines cranked, the points are not closing or are bad,,,,,,,,or the wire or circuit is missing from the distributor to the points,,,,,or the distributors not well grounded to the tractor.

She cant fire the coil unless its low side is getting a conductive ground return path via closed points and then the circuit is open when the points open.

Be sure the condensor or its wiring is NOT shorted out and see if the lite comes on (when points open) with the condensor disconnected. If removing the condensor makes her spark, replace the condensor



John T
John Ts Troubleshooting

If he follows your procedure I am sure he will be able to determine the problem and correct it. I just wanted to jump in here and say that all my days, people checking point type ignition systems always seem to be looking for spark at the points. To me this is looking for the wrong reaction as one of the purposes of the condensor is to absorb current flow from a rising voltage as the points open so as to not arc across the points. They should be checking for a spark out of the secondary winding of the coil while they are manually opening and closing the points or bypassing them when in an open condition. Any arcing you see at the points is wasted energy and if doing so with an open circuit on the secondary winding of the coil causes a excessive high voltage in secondary and can cause failure of a coil in some cases. The main reason of coil failure in a magneto that does not have a safety gap built in is doing just that. On your high energy ignition systems you very well better have a current path for the very high voltgage if you are checking the spark. Even on lawn mowers, forgeting to ground the plug wire when cranking them over can take a coil real fast. Just thought I would throw these ideas up for what they are worth.

UPDATE: I failed to mention that I am restoring the tractor and all the parts had been repainted. When I got home tonight I ground off the paint from a couple sections of the distributor, mounting tabs, and block. Now I have spark. Thanks to everyone for their help and advice. Joe