[Farmall] International A died (and I am still baffled)

[ebony51 at frontiernet.net]

Folks, I put this same message on Yesterday's tractors.  Sorry for any duplication.

Well, I put on new points on the Internationial A and st them at .13 since it is using the magneto distributor.  Now it has a coil on it and the magneto is not being used.  I assume it might be bad and it was cheaper at some point for a previous owner to put an automobile coil on it than to replace the magneto coil, althought they are still available.  I even got the condenser out of the mag and replaced it---since it came with the points from Case-IH.  

I am getting spark from the coil.  I crank it a few seconds and then just when I stop, I get a spark from the coil wire to the engine block.  Don"t know if that is enough of a spark.  I tried another coil and same result.  I suppose I could have two weak coils, but I do get a spark.

However, no spark from spark plug coming out of distributor.

Now, I found that the where the distributor rotor fits into the distributor gear, the distributor gear has a piece out of it so the rotor does not fit tight into the center notch of the distributor gear.  I assume the timing may not be able to set right since the the rotor will move a half inch or so either way.

Perhaps that is the trouble.  

I will see if either Case-IH or a local repair shop have the distributor gear of if they are still available. Might take a few days to get it.

I tried changing the timing different ways to account for the movement, but still no spark. Put #1 piston at TDC (check flywheel marking and also used a piece of wire down #1 cylinder).  Set rotor so pointing at about 2 o'clock e.g. #1 cylinder.  I tried it both at the back and the front end of the wobble, but still no spark.

If that is not the chip off the distributor gear and the resulting wobble back and forth, then I am baffled.  I think I have the timing right and even put on a new distributor cap.  

On interesting thing, the #1 wire from the distributor that should go to #1 cylinder was going to the #4 cylinder, adn vice versa.  Wires for #2 and #3 were correct.  It ran fine so I don't if there was any problem with the different firing order.

Any and all advice welcome! 

Larry H.