View single post by Mark Rosenbaum
 Posted: 06-29-2006 12:01 am
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Mark Rosenbaum



Joined: 03-12-2005
Location: Kingman, Arizona USA
Posts: 532
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Since you had the engine running with the new harness and the old distributor, it seems quite unlikely that the harness is your problem.  That leaves the new distributor.  If I understand you correctly, the case of the distributor is at some positive voltage?  If so, the engine cannot possibly run.

First, check for a dirty, corroded, defective, or missing ground strap between engine and chassis.  This strap should be low on the righthand side of the engine.  Remove any rust or corrosion from all hardware and all contact surfaces.

If that seems good, check the body of the distributor for paint, powder coating, or any other sort of insulating film on the part that is inserted into the engine's auxiliary housing.  You must have bare metal to bare metal contact here.

If that seems good, then check inside the distributor for poor electrical contact between the points fixed arm and carrier plate, carrier plate and base plate, and/or base plate and distributor housing.  Again, you must have bare metal to bare metal contact everywhere.

The problem shouldn't be too difficult to fix once you locate it.