This one is Super H. Read the thread on the C. I have replaced the points, condensor, rotor and cap. Getting 6 volts at the outer dist terminal. Getting nice spark from coil lead when points are opened manually with scredriver. Gap is good at .020. But no spark to any plug. Driving me crazy. Actually it's just a short walk. Can a cap be so bad it won't transmit spark?

Gordo

Are the new points "clean"?.

I have experienced them "new" but found there is a coating/build up on them, a polish and all was well.

Just thinking the screwdriver could be making and breaking at a different place to the points.

Alont

Caps can be carbon tracked to ground at the case or snap clips. Rotors can be burned through and conducting directly to the distributor cam shaft.
Carbon buttons can be burnt off, or springs missing and discarding spark. Coils can be internally shorted and unable to fire a plug, but willing to jump a gap in air. Jim

You say 6 volts at the outer distributor terminal (assuming its where the small wire from coils + terminal attaches) wellllllllllllll that should usually be ZERO volts if shes just sitting there because usually in that case the points would be closed!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if they are closed and good and the wires good from coil to distributor and the distributor is grounded,,,,There would be 0 volts but turn her to where the points are open and only then should it be 6 volts...............

If you put a test lamp on the distributors side terminal (where wire from coil atatches) turn her on and crank her over the light should flash On (when points open) and Off (when points close).

Likewise, if you remove the HV tension lead out of the distributor cap top (other end stays in coil) and put it to within 1/4 inch fram tractor steel n crank her over it should spark.

Remove the cap n crank her over and insure the shaft is turning and the points are opening and fully closing?????????? Each time they have been closed but then open the coil should fire if alls well.

If the coil produces a regular spark but theres no fire out any plug wires, then as Jim noted its a cap or rotor problem like a shorted rotor or a crack etc.

John T
Ignition Troubleshooting

Is the shaft turning?

Allan

Put a plug wire in the coil, using one of your plugs, see if it fires. If it does, then replace the coil wire to the cap, and test each plug wire with a plug on it. That eliminates the cap and rotor for the first test, and then tests the cap and rotor on the 2nd test.

If it passes both tests, then something else is wrong.

Yep, had to do that to set the gap.

Spark from coil wire when you open the points by hand mean you either had a bad distributor as in not opening the points as it should or a bad cap or rotor or bad plug wires

are the spark plug wires, copper or are they graphite? farmalls will not run the best on graphite.

They are graphite, but the tractor ran fine when parked. I don't know how 4 plug wires could quit at the same time. Weak maybe but no fire?

Gordo, with all due respect, graphite wires are not the best choice. These old ignition systems don't respond well to high resistance wires. Not only that, graphite wires can get wet and suffer other performance impacting woes.

I would honestly suggest you invest in copper wires, and see if your issue goes away. Even if it doesn't, you will get better spark and performance from copper wires.

IMHO.