[AT] More Ford Jubilee Adventures

Thu Aug 13 19:16:15 PDT 2015

Your Jubilee is like my ford industrial OHC engine.

Cecil in OKla

On 8/13/2015 6:53 PM, Mogrits wrote:
> So it looked to me like the distributor is rotated 180 degrees, as that is
> how the old wires were installed. I put them back correctly and it will pop
> but not come close to running. I'm going to look it up and plan to pull the
> distributor and reinstall and then set the static timing, assuming I can
> find a standard procedure.
>
> Warren
>
> On Tue, Aug 11, 2015 at 9:45 PM, Steve Offiler <soffiler at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Just wanted to say there is a ton of good advice here.  Well done Howard.
>>
>> If I could add anything at all, I'd suggest replacing points resistance
>> test with a voltage drop test.  This has two benefits.  One, most any volt
>> meter even real cheap ones will handle it.  Two, it's a real world test
>> done under the kind of current load the system actually works with.
>>
>> Engine off, roll the distributor cam so points are closed.  Connect meter
>> set to volt range across the points. Meaning, one meter lead on the coil
>> terminal that goes to the points, and the other to chassis.  Old analog
>> meter, watch your polarity.  Digital meter if you're backward it just puts
>> up a minus-sign, no big deal.  Now turn on ignition.  Current flows thru
>> coil and points to ground.  If the points are good, voltage will be around
>> 0.1 volt or less.  If they are bad, they're typically way higher, like a
>> full volt or more.  This test is not usually ambiguous.  Good vs bad is
>> very different on even a cheap meter.
>>
>> SO
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>> On Aug 11, 2015, at 7:01 PM, Howard Weeks <weeksh at att.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> I don't claim to be any kind of "condenser" expert but here are a few
>>> comments on the subject:
>>>
>>> 1. Back in the early 50s, I worked weekends for an old car/tractor
>>> mechanic. He checked condensers by using a kick test. Basically, he put
>>> the subject condenser in series with a small amp meter and placed the
>>> combination across a 6 or 12 volt battery momentarily. If you got a good
>>> kick on the amp meter and then nothing, the cap was good. No kick meant
>>> it was bad. Any continuous current meant it was also bad. Be sure to
>>> discharge the cap by shorting it before connecting across the battery.
>>> This test always worked for him.  I have an old piece of test equipment
>>> here that also checks a cap in the same manner. Some people can do this
>>> test with one of the older design ohmmeters. The new digital meters will
>>> not do the test.
>>>
>>> 2. I have been restoring antique radios in some form for most of my life
>>> and I have a lot of both old and late model test equipment designed for
>>> evaluating capacitors. Most of the ignition caps that I have checked
>>> measured approximately .17 - .2 microfarads in capacity. The choice of
>>> this capacity is a function of the coil design and if properly selected
>>> by the designer, the system should run indefinitely and not pit the
>>> points. If they pit badly, it is a sign that the coil and cap are not
>>> properly matched or selected. Which side of the points gets pitted is a
>>> sign of whether the cap is high or low in value for a particular
>>> combination of cap and coil. I am not trying to say that they have to be
>>> a "matched set" - just that a gross change in cap or coil type could be
>>> a problem. Most of the old ignition reference books from back in the 20s
>>> and 30s do a pretty good job of explaining how they work and how to test
>>> them. I can't honestly say that I have ever found a truly bad condenser.
>>> But I have had hell with the point resistance (don't know where they
>>> were made)!
>>>
>>> 3. When point are closed, they should measure less than 1 ohm -
>>> preferably close to zero ohms ever time they close for the ignition to
>>> work properly. If they measure 2 - 5 ohms, the system will either not
>>> run or it will be very sick. Same for magneto or standard ignition
>>> system. Many of the cheaper ohm meters will not accurately measure
>>> resistances below a few ohms.
>>>
>>> 4. The resistors that are in series with some coils are designed to
>>> limit the current through the coils when the engine is running. The DC
>>> current through the coils should be in the range of 3 - 6 amps or so
>>> when the engine is running. RPM and dwell settings will affect the
>>> amount of current to some extent. If a coil designed for a resistor is
>>> run without one, it will run for awhile but the coil will overheat and
>>> usually quit fairly quickly. Putting a momentary short across that
>>> resistor when starting the engine would produce a hotter spark for
>>> starting purposes.
>>>
>>> 5. Pay some attention to the polarity of the coil connection to the
>>> distributor. If you have a negative ground battery system, the "-" end
>>> of the coil should be connected to the distributor. The "+" end of the
>>> coil goes to the distributor if a you have a positive ground system.
>>>
>>> Don't know if any of this spiel is useful to anyone but it accurately
>>> describes my experience with Kettering ignition systems.
>>>
>>> Howard in GA
>>>
>>>> On 8/9/2015 2:30 PM, Mogrits wrote:
>>>> I don't disagree with you on anything you said, except the resistor has
>>>> been bypassed on my tractor and it uses a coil that needs no resistor.
>>>> Substituting for the new, correct condensor produces a spark. The new
>>>> condensor does not. So there is definitely a need to replace that
>>>> particular condensor.
>>>>
>>>>> On Sun, Aug 9, 2015 at 2:13 PM, Ron Cook <ron at lakeport-1.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> There is usually no reason to replace a condenser.  Starting problems
>>>>> with Ford N tractors can usually be traced to the resistor.
>>>>> And I certainly do agree on the crap that is sold these days being no
>>>>> good right out of the box.  I quit going to TSC years ago for that very
>>>>> reason.  So too, did many.  TSC closed their store in Sioux City.
>>>>> It has actually helped my generator/starter repair business a little.
>>>>> The do it yourself bunch have lost their cheap parts supplier, which
>>>>> really were not cheap anyway considering you always have to buy two or
>>>>> more to fix the problem.
>>>>> Ron Cook
>>>>> Salix, IA
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 8/9/2015 5:52 AM, Cecil R Bearden wrote:
>>>>>> I went through the same thing with a fence charger 2 weeks ago.
>> Worked
>>>>>> all afternoon in 105 heat index to get wire up around yard to keep pet
>>>>>> bull in.  Had a good charger in a tool box next to the other elect
>>>>>> service at the South Barn.  It would barely spark.  Dug out the brand
>>>>>> new Zareba charger from TSC that had never been used, it had no spark.
>>>>>> Took the Harbor Freight solar one off the back fence and it was shot.
>>>>>> Took the Parmak solar fencer off the divider fence for the horses and
>> it
>>>>>> worked!!!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I certainly hope the pertronix system fixes your problem...Condensers
>>>>>> are being made in China or some other 3rd world country, so quality
>> is a
>>>>>> problem...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Cecil in OKla
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