No Spark

[ricksbug51]

I have a 1835cc that hasn't run in20 yrs. I've replaced the wires, plugs cap,rotor and coil (bosch blue). Still no spark. It has .009 distributor with a Ignitor module replacing the points. I'm wondering if I should replace the module or the entire distributor,or if it could be some thing else completely. any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Marc]

Have you tested to see if there's spark when NOT cranking on the starter? It's not unheard of for an ignition switch to fail so that power to the coil drops out when in the crank position.

Statistically speaking, the module is the most likely component to fail completely. Except for the latest model Pertronix they all will be destroyed if connected with the wrong polarity.
You can do a crude test to make sure the coil's not dead by just disconnecting the wire(s) from the negative Term 1 and connecting a jumper wire to it - with power to positive Term 15 (key on), each time you ground the other end of that wire and then lift it there should be a spark out of the high-tension lead from the coil (hold it ~½" from ground while testing).

[ricksbug51]

The coil is new. I checked it with a meter and it is within the parameters.Should I check the coil as you said above? The module as well as the distributor were installed in 1993. The car was on the road until 1997. I believe it is the the module that is bad or the module and distributor are bad. Many things have changed since I've worked on this car.Any recommendations on a distributor and module replacement? Vacuum or centrifigul(spelling?) I just put a weber progressive on so is it advantageous to go with the vacuum? It will be a daily driver when I'm finished.Thanks for the help

[Ol'fogasaurus]

From what you have it sounds like what I have been running for many years. First of all, not all 009s are the same! There are good ones/years and bad ones/years, some are cast some are stamped (and some are stamped on too ). Also the advance curves are different than say an 010 (I think that is the number). If you haven't done it already I would have it put on a Sun machine and have it spun to see if anything, basic is wrong with it before you get too far into throwing time and money at it.

My first Pertronix conversion worked great for a short while then quit so I got another one and have been running with it for many, many years with no problems. After I got my buggy running again I think I found out that it wasn't the Pertronix unit but something else but that was so long ago I forget just what.

Make sure that the gap between the rotor shaft and the unit is proper. That was one of the things they talked about in the instructions as I remember. See if the setup (gap) spacer that they supply is available.

Lee

[Marc]

What carburetion is on this engine? Vacuum advance requires a ported-vacuum signal that not all carbs can provide (some can be drilled to provide one). But it still needs to be the right signal for the canister on the distributor in order to work properly - problems occur even when swapping different models of distributor amongst different model stock carbs....if you can't get the right vacuum signal from your carb(s) an all-centrifugal distributor is the pragmatic solution.

009s get a lot of negative reviews, most due to their inability to compensate for the momentary lean condition that occurs when the throttle's cracked open (there's an imagined incompatibility with the stock 34PICT-3 carb, but any single carb setup is susceptible, and it's more related to manifold size than any particular carb). A distributor with a vacuum-advance mechanism can provide a little extra advance at step-off (again provided it receives the correct signal) which helps to overcome the hesitation which results from this lean mixture.

As Lee said, quality control and the actual final advance curve can vary widely between one 009 and the next. The German ones are generally the best (it'll say "GERMANY" on the bottom of the body). Unless the centrifugal advance mechanism is frozen or grenaded, there should be no need to replace the distributor if the bushings aren't sloppy. A magnetic/Hall Effect pickup is more tolerant of that than are points, the "air gap" on a typical pickup can vary from as little as .010" to as much as .060" with no effect on performance, whereas points can start having issues with only a few thousandths' drift in gap.

If you've got a 20+ -year-old 0 231 178 009, odds are it'll be of either German or Brazilian manufacture. Chinese clones were just appearing on the market but weren't common yet.

There are a couple of other electronic pickups besides the Pertronix brand. 20 years ago, "Compufire" was still a fairly popular one. I believe the two companies have since melded under the Pertronix name, but at one time they were distinct products and the Compufire's reputation wasn't as good. All Pertronix instructions are available online. http://pertronix.com/support/instructions/

Note that the Pertronix "Ignitor" part number for the 009 distributor is 1847A, while the one made to fit many `68-up stock distributors is 1847V...you'll want to decide on which distributor you'll be ending up with before buying a new module. I think the only difference is in the height of the magnet ring that slides over the cam, so one could probably file some off of the bottom of the rotor if it hits the ring before seating fully. You should be able to remove the module and refit a set of points & a condenser (no irreversible modifications are made to the distributor when installing the pickup) if you want to confirm there are no other issues with the 009 - you may even find that works well enough that you can forego the purchase of the module altogether. I've managed to get along without electronic ignition for 45+ years

If the coil ohm'ed out OK it should work (no real need to test it "live). But DO verify that power's reaching the + terminal while cranking.

I've attached a picture of the 1847A Pertronix Ignitor which may help you in positively identifying yours.