Original distributor? If so would be points ignition. the - post from the coil goes to the distributor and gets grounded via the contact points. If the points are stock closed or open, you will get no spark. the octagonal section of the distributor opens and closes the points when the shaft rotates. Point system get 12v during cranking from the + side of the starter solenoid, but 6v thru the resistor.

if HEI, and you have a power source, sounds like a bad ignition module or inductive pickup in the distributor.

 

I would check to see that the points are opening and closing. If they are not, the coil can not charge when the points are closed, and discharge a spark when the points open. Take off the dist. Cap and rotor and watch the points while the engine is cranking.

 

I haven't made it to the distributor yet. I worked backwards. Starting at the Coil. There is no spark coming from the Coil. I made sure that there is 12v coming into the coil on the + side and grounded on the - side. So I know the coil is getting power. I had a wire from the center post on the coil and held the end of the wire about 1/8" from anything that is grounded and go no spark. Meaning there is no spark coming out of the coil. I purchased a new coil and still have the same problem.

 

If you have a points type dist and points are not opening or bad, you will get no spark from the coil. Also points need to be open a specific amount. Usually between 0.013" and 0.016" if my memory serves me right. Haven't worked on a points dist in over 20 years.

But here is how a points system works; with points closed coil charges. When points open it collapses the primary field of coil. A high voltage spark is induced into the secondary winding of the coil which goes to center lead of dist cap. Then through rotor to the cylinder firing at the time. Spark goes to that cylinder and fires plug.

 

How do I access the points to set them? Removed the cap and then the second cover but now am stuck at where there are two springs at both ends? I just don't want to mess anything up.

Thank you!

 

Have someone crank the engine with the rotor off you will see the points open and close. Buy a new set of points and condenser. You have to crank the engine to get the points to the high spot on the distributor and set the gap. .016

 

Then use a dwell meter to make sure you have it set properly.

 

Lots of people nowadays badmouth the points type ignition. But, all the 60's and early 70's Mucslecars had points, including Pontiacs. If I remember correctly, they didn't switch over to the HEI til '75. All the cars we raced in the '70's and 80's had points. Some hot rodders used distributors which had 2 sets of points--called dual point distributors. You don't hear that term nowadays. But, when I started racing it was a common term, and a popular performance part.

I used stock Pontiac single point dist in all our race cars. They proved to be very reliable. I used Accel brand cap, rotor, points, condenser, coil, and wires. The only problem I had was with 1 set of points. They were brand new, and LOOKED perfect. But, they would absolutely not fire at all. I inspected 'em real close several times, and even tried 'em in more than 1 dist--NO FIRE--not any ! :no

I kept that set for a long time and had several other guys check 'em out. We never figured out why they didn't work. But, other than that, all the Accel points worked great. The kind I used had a stronger than stock spring, so the rubbing block would wear down a bit quicker than with a stock set. But, I'd adjust the gap on a reg basis, and use 'em til the contacts began to show lots of pitting, then change 'em out.

Lots of guys tried to use the kind of points that are connected to the condenser, all in one piece. When I came across those, I threw 'em in the trash. You can't get to the contacts with a feeler gauge, to set the gap. You have to guess at it, and set with a dwell meter. Here's a link to this type.

http://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-D1007-Professional-Ignition-Distributor/dp/B000BYGD56

So, if you have the 1 piece set-up, I highly recommend switching to the separate points and condenser. Most guys would change out the condensor every time they changed points. But, I never ran across a bad condenser. So, after I put in the 1st new Accel condenser, I never changed 'em out--never had a problem doing that. Don't know how long a condenser is supposed to last.

Anyhow, with separate points, you can turn the engine over til the points are at there widest open position, and set the gap, as mentioned. Then, turn the engine til the points are completely closed. Turn on the ignition. With your flat blade screwdriver, open and close the points. If it's firing correctly, there will be spark jumping between the contacts. You can usually even hear a small "pop" when the spark jumps. Hey, it's been quite a few years since I used points. But, maybe this info will help.

OR, nowadays you can keep your old points type dist, but get rid of the points. There are electronic points replacements. There are several brands. But I think the most popular brand is the Pertronix Ignitor brand. The Ignitor lll even includes a rev limiter. These electronic systems eliminate the need to adjust and replace points. And the good Accel points are not cheap anymore. :no

http://www.pertronix.com/prod/ig/ignitor3/default.aspx

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pertronix-71181-Ignitor-3-III-Multiple-Spark-Ignition-Module-GM-1957-1974-V8-/121903601584?hash=item1c620557b0:g14AAOSwQYZWzLEF&vxp=mtr

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/acc-110128/overview/

 

I had an Accel dual point distributor in a '69 SS396 Chevelle I had in the '70's. It's claim to fame was by using two sets of points, the first set would close the coil started to charge up, then the second set would close, which really didn't matter because the first set was already closed. Then the first set of points would open, but the coil didn't discharge yet because the second set was still closed. Finally, the second set would open and the coil would discharge. In theory, the dwell time was stretched out by the second set of points delaying the true opening point, and this gave the primary side of the coil more time to charge up. In reality, I didn't notice any difference compared to the stock single point distributor, and I didn't like the fact the Accel dual point had no vacuum advance, so I was driving around with full load timing all the time. I suppose under high RPM racing where coil saturation time became a factor, the dual point could be a handy thing to have "back in the day". Mostly though, most people just thought it was bad ass to see an Accel dual point distributor when I opened the hood. Little did they know it really didn't do much for a mostly street driven car. It was state of the art in those pre-HEI days for racing though.

 

I forgot to add that if someone reversed the 2 coil wires, that can cause problems also. If memory serves me, wire from ignition switch goes to + side of coil. And - side of coil goes to points.

 

If there is a steady ground at the - side of the coil when the engine is cranked over, then the points ARE NOT opening and that is whats causing the no spark issue. The coil does not "spark" or discharge voltage UNTIL the ground circuit is interrupted via the points opening.

 

If you use a test light and connect the wire end to battery positive and the other end to the coil negative it should blink when cranking the engine as the points open and close. If it just stays steady you will need to locate the cause. We like to start at the points like the other mentioned. Open them further by hand using a small screwdriver and if the light goes off then comes on again when you remove the screwdriver then either the points are shot or out of adjustment. The light test is just a quick way to tell if the points are making and breaking contact and can even be done with the cap on, at least to do the first check. If the light blinks when cranking but no spark comes from the coil then you can suspect a coil issue. We run both points and HEI type distributors in our older birds. We like them both for different reasons. they both can be a good system when working correctly.
Good luck.

 

Shay, with all the problems you are having, I would suggest you get the engine oil filter adapter and filter put on before you crank it any further and maybe take a close look at all potential problems before attempting anything else. Along with looking at your other post at 1stgenfb. Looks like you potentially have a lot of unknowns to figure out before you get ahead of yourself and end up damaging your engine.