Nothing going through coil...

[Negative]

Hey all, I am back after a long hiatus. Divorce is final and 69 F250 is in my driveway now! Yay! It won't start. Boo! I tested the old coil with the whole spark plug grounded and looking for arc trick.. got nothing. So I tested the wire from the coil to the distributor. Again nothing, so I knew then the coil wasn't making spark. Good idea, right?

So I went to the parts store and bought an OEM coil, connected it, turned key, and got nothing. Well, nothing isn't right, it turns over, it gets fuel, but again, nothing from the coil.

So, before I assume its a bad-new coil, I wanted to check somethings. I came here and learned a bit (remember, this is my first "work on me" truck ever - and first wiring/ignition problem ever ever). I have 3 wires to/from coil. A red one from the ignition switch to the + of the coil, and 2 black ones from the - of the coil. One goes to a little cylinder (condenser?) and the other to the distributor.

Timing is fine, everything is fine except for the spark thing. (I haven't touched anything except the coil since it died for good last). I guess my question is: is that all the wires I should have? The new coil and the one I replaced said "12 Volt - Use with External Resistor" on them, but I find no resistor. I read in this thread about the ground... I have no ground wire either. Should I? Am I missing something? Nothing is loose or hanging, everything is connected to something so it's not like I have a wire just hanging out some where.

Ideas?

[cdeal28078]

Sounds like you have all the wires. The resistor is built into the wore coming from the switch.
I would check the points since it sounds like you still have them. If the truck has been sitting the points may have stuck together. clint

[Negative]

So points.... they are make makes the coil spark? ummm.. how do I check them?

Also.. the resistor... is that that black can looking thing up under the dash? Could it be bad? Or the condenser?

[sacramento_ford]

So points.... they are make makes the coil spark? ummm.. how do I check them?

Also.. the resistor... is that that black can looking thing up under the dash? Could it be bad? Or the condenser?

point kit is 8 bucks,,, comes with condensor. install in revese order, 2 screw i think. lemme know if u need a link

[fordman]

mine was doing that it turned otu the condensor was bad or the ground was bad. i dont remember now.

[craftsman]

Turn your key on and check the posotive wire at the coil, should be around 5 volts I think. When checking for voltage at the coil put your tester ground to the engine block. This will tell you if the key switch is working.
Your ground wire from the coil is the one going to the points. Hope this helped and not confused ya

[Negative]

Thanks for the help here. I can handle 8 bucks. I will go out and get a points kit today and see what shakes. hopefully that's what it needs! I will let you know.

[Negative]

So I replaced points and condenser and both replaced ones looked pretty new so I was skeptical. Got in and turned the key and vroooooom! YAY!!!!! Brutus is up and running again!

Now to get back in and fix all the little things, horn, smoking from somewhere... oil leak etc. But those are for another thread at another time.

Thank you ALL for the help so far, this forum is the BEST!

The points kit cost $9.75 not 8 bucks, so the way I see it, sacramento_ford owes me $1.75. HAHAHAHAHAHA!! Kidding.

[craftsman]

Glad you got it purring again