My saga continues with more stories. One has to be careful and thorough.
Additional problems were found including a bad coil to distributor wire, and
the latest, a short in the distributor from the coil lead to case. The short
is the result of a bad insulator which allowed the stud to contact the shell
in the shell port. That part of the insulator was missing. So when the
points and condensor were replaced and checked, there was no contact to the
shell. I tightened that nut prior to installation into the engine. But I
learned today that small movements of the coil wire stud could cause a short
to the shell. So while I believed the checkout was correct, after
installation in the engine, the short returned. The insulator has cracked
while diagnosing the problem. I now have a plumbing washer and electrical
tape around the stud until I can get a more suitable replacement. It
probably won't last long with the high engine temperatures generated.
Does anyone have a source for this insulator in the distributor for the coil
primary wire?
Roger D. Casagrande
55 Newport
----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Casagrande" <rdc2382@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2004 4:14 PM
Subject: Re: IML: 55 ignition problems
> Thanks to all who responded.
>
> I am not home free yet, but the ignition switch was a problem. I sprayed
the
> Radio Shack contact cleaner into it and it is functioning well again. I am
> not sure putting the plug to the manifold really is providing a decent
> ground to check the spark. I've got to make sure the timing position is
> approximate to what it was after replacing the distributor and using fuel
> poured into the engine to compensate for the car sitting for awhile. I
have
> not gotten around to that yet bur will this weekend. An update will be
> provided.
>
> Thanks again.
>
> Roger D. Casagrande
> 55 Newport
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <RandalPark@xxxxxxx>
> To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 8:24 PM
> Subject: Re: IML: 55 ignition problems
>
>
> > If you are really careful, you can bypass the dash and hot wire the car.
> If it runs that way, then you know that there is something wrong in the
> ignition switch or in the wiring under the dash.
> >
> > I had two '55 Imperials for a while. They both came from the same place.
> The one I kept has always been dependable since I was able to get it
> running. The other one had something wrong in the ignition switch. It
would
> only start if it was hot wired, but would stay running without the hot
wire
> after it started. I was pretty sure that the ignition switch was at fault,
> but gave the car away before I got around to fixing it. The guy that I
gave
> it to tracked down the problem and it was the ignition switch, so they
can,
> and do give trouble.
> >
> > Paul
> >
> > In a message dated 9/7/2004 6:48:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time, "Roger
> Casagrande" <rdc2382@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
> >
> > >My 55 Imperial has lost its "spark". The car has run from November 2003
> when I got to about a month ago. I checked the spark by removing the #1
plug
> and with the wire attached put the plug base to the intake manifold and
had
> someone turn over the engine. No spark was seen at the plug. I checked the
> coil by putting a plug with a 0.175" gap between the coil output and the
> manifold and got a solid blue spark. I changed the points and condenser
and
> checked that the primary wire was not grounded when both points were open.
> > >
> > >Another note is that I have the center portion of the dash off to
repair
> the radio and polish the knobs of the controls. I don't know if something
in
> the ignition requires all of the dash controls and radio to be connected.
> > >
> > >I need some suggestions for further trouble shooting.
> > >
> > >Roger D. Casagrande
> > >
> >
> >
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