burning points up...

[maytag]

Hey all!
So I've got a funny / goofy problem going-on, maybe some of y'all can help me think through it?

When i parted the '79 parts-car, I put the electronic distributor in my '76 and ran it like that for a season. But last week when I went to get it inspected, it failed the sniff. So I took a brief look at the advance curve, and the vacuum advance wasn't coming in. I'm waaaay short on time, so I just swapped the points distributor back in. While I was at it, I "converted" it to single-points. It passed sniff, and then I parked it for a week. tuesday night I took it out, it started fine, but within 5 minutes, it was running really, really rough and wouldn't rev. I ended up pushing it home and found the points were pitted and corroded, and had obviously been heated, based on the discoloration of the metal. Now, they weren't like that when I converted them over. they looked brand new. But I discovered that I had pinched the wire to the condensor, and thought maybe that was the culprit. But today, same thing. I haven't driven it since putting-in a new set of points tuesday (drove it for 10 minutes after that on tuesday) so today I fired-it up and let it idle for a couple minutes, then got in it to go, and it wouldn't rev... same thing... pitted points, heated, etc etc.

I don;t know if it's related, but the battery has been dieing as welll, though it is possible that this is because of several short runs, no time to charge the battery, etc.....

waddyall think? you ever heard of this before?

I've got an aftermarket blaster II coil on it, but I had that before when I was running the same distributor. I DID remove the ballast resistor that I had wired-in when I converted to the electronic distributor. Do ou think that could be it?

[manoa matt]

"I've got an aftermarket blaster II coil on it, but I had that before when I was running the same distributor. I DID remove the ballast resistor that I had wired-in when I converted to the electronic distributor. Do ou think that could be it?"

The ballast resistor keeps the points from burning up. They don't call it a blaster II for nutin.

[maytag]

"I've got an aftermarket blaster II coil on it, but I had that before when I was running the same distributor. I DID remove the ballast resistor that I had wired-in when I converted to the electronic distributor. Do ou think that could be it?"

The ballast resistor keeps the points from burning up. They don't call it a blaster II for nutin.

I thought the ballast resistor was designed to drop the voltage to the coil under low rpm situations, when the points are closed longer? I thought it was for the coil, not for the points? TEACH ME!

And while we're at it: best / fastest source for replacement points?

[fiatfactory]

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[majicwrench]

Too much current/voltage can certainly burn up points. As can a bad condensor. Generally bad condensor won't run right from the gitgo ( a very technical term ). Gotta get on my soapbox, and say stick with the factory stuff. Super Blaster Master Hi-Zoot coils are not going to get you anything. OK, off my soapbox.
Keith

[maytag]

Gotta get on my soapbox, and say stick with the factory stuff. Super Blaster Master Hi-Zoot coils are not going to get you anything. OK, off my soapbox.
Keith

No disagreement... especially with this tired motor! But I had one on my shelf, leftover from a previous project of much different origins, and so when I had a questionable coil, in went this one.

So how do I test a condensor? And could any of this have anything to do with the battery dieing?


And how about a preferred source for points?

[majicwrench]

Really no good way to test condensor unless you have a good ole' fashioned points/condensor tester from way back. For the most part, if car runs, condensor OK. COndensor there to soak up the currrent running thru points just as points open. Without it, current thru primary will attempt to jump the point gap.
None of this has anything to do with battery dying.

Points, well, the last few set I have gotten for varrious rigs have been thru NAPA and no trouble. Fiat,,,well, my 72 has the same set of points that it came with 3 years ago.

IN a nutshell, Balast resister is there to lower the voltage to the coil. With points closed, the current runs thru the resistor, thru primary windings of the coil, and is ground thru points. When points open, current stops flowing, the induced current in the secondary windings collapses, and spark comes out the secondary, firing plugs. SOme coils are designed to run on 12volts. No resister needed. Some coils are designed to run on less than 12v. Resistor needed. Advantage of having resistor, when cranking engine to start, system voltage drops way below 12v. A coil designed for 12v therefore has a tough time producing spark while cranking. Systems with resister can run what is called a "resistor bypass" in the wiring, so while the car is cranking, resister bypass brings battery voltage ( less than 12v, remember it's cranking) to the coil, producing lots of good spark to start car.

Most Master Blaster hi-zoot razzle dazzle yellow coils I have seen require a resistor.

Looked at a couple of old Fiat wiring diagrams and don't see a resistor?? What years used em?? Might have to go pull my car cover and look at my 72.
Keith

[maytag]

I am not sure if any Fiat's came with the resistor. When I originally installed the blaster coil, I had a harness from previous installation attached to it, and it included the resistor. But that harness went away (along with the resistor) when I put in the electronic distributor and I installed the coil in the bracket / heat sink from the parts-car.

I think I'm going to try to find some time to apply some vacuum to the advance unit on the electronic dist and see if I can get it to pull in the advance for me.

QUESTION: how much vacuum do y'all usually see on a stock 1800? I don;t think I can get it to run well enopugh right now with the bunged-up points to measure the vacuum.

[engineerted]

Ok let's get this correct, points need the condenser and a high (ohm) coil or a low ohm coil with the resister. Points require the voltage potential to be about 9 volts to prolong their life, and has nothing to do with current. It is well worth the cost to upgrade to an electronic ignition.

[TulsaSpider]

I agree! I have always had trouble with points in any car.