Hey! I have a 1971 Valiant. I was doing a bit of checkup/run-through getting ready for summer, and i adjusted the points inside the distributer to about .21 (its supposed to be between 17 & 23) I found my number gave best results in the past. so I go to start the car and it wont start. crap. so i put the points back to where they were (because the car started the night before) and same thing, car wont start. my spark plugs are clean, the wires are new, this sucks. i'm getting 12 volts to the coil, but i cant seem to get a spark coming out of the coil, my coil is fine because i tried starting my car with a different coil and got the same results plus i tested it with a metre, i'm pretty sure i'm just getting a bad ground from the coil wire which goes into the distributer and attaches onto the points. the condensor in the distributer also has a wire that connects to the points. these two wire both attach onto the same bolt on the points. is there supposed to be an insulator washer anywhere? is my whole distributer toast? i've also looked to see if my regulator is ok which it is, and the wires that attach to the points are not touching anything except the bolt they are screwed to. help!!!

Leave the cap off and bump the engine over. Check and make sure the Dizzy is turning. You may have waxed the plastic gear.
To answer your question on the spacer. Yes the points are isolated from each other. When the high spots on the dizzy shaft come around this opens or Breaks the points.
Frank

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73 Duster - Race Car
66 Dart Wagon - DD
178" FED
82 D150
All Slant powered

the dizzy is spinning, thats how i made sure the points were the right gap.

after working on it,you have replaced the rotor in the dizzy? (do'nt ask me how I would think that)

regards,Rod

the rotor is a new rotor, i replaced it the same time as the points and condesor, cap, plugs and wires about 10 months ago. the car ran a few days ago, it just wont start now that i took the points out and put them back in... once again does anyone know what spacer/insulater/washer things are supposed to be in?

hello,
in my little indiscretion a few years ago,I left the rotor on the bench and wondered why it would'nt start. much puzzlement for a while.
called myself a few names over that one.


regards,Rod

haha, thats happened to me before. makes you feal kinda silly. I wish that was the problem here.... anyone? im still stuck....

The points switch the ground side of the ignition coil. The fixed point of the contact point set needs to be electrically connected to the distributor which needs to be electrically grounded. The movable contact point needs to be electrically connected only to the coil negative terminal and the condenser. When the points are closed and the ignition is on you should be able to measure about 6 volts between ground and the coil + terminal. It's not battery voltage because there is a voltage drop across the ballast resistor. If you have no voltage at the coil check the ballast resistor. If you have battery voltage or something close the points are open, aren't making good contact or the distributor isn't grounded well.

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Joshua