No start for Lark

[62champ]

Have owned a 1960 Lark VI for about five years now that has given zero problems as far as the motor is concerned. Even made a 1800 miles trip from Texas to Pennsylvania back in June of 2005 without issue one.

Decided to take advantage of the decent weather yesterday and go for a little drive. Reinstalled the battery, checked all the fluids, added a little primer gas and expected it to fire off just like normal - results - nothing.

Pulled plug wire and had my wife turn it over - no spark. Pulled the cap and tested the points - ok spark. Filed points and better but no fire. Removed distributor and put in an extra condenser that was in the glove box with no change. With the motor turning over - points are opening and closing but no spark present.

Did more checking - and I guess I have narrowed it down to the coil - I think. I believe the coil is left over from the previous owners attempt to put in a Pertronix ignition so I think it is the "Flame thrower" coil. Pertronix did not work well at all so it was put back to points and condenser.

Car started and ran without a catch three weeks ago. I have a '62 Champ PU that I can always use for testing parts. (Did this with the starter solenoid with no differences - other than being one wire short on the Lark - only has one elbow connection for the two small threaded posts on the solenoid). Was not sure about the coil because although the truck has a '63 V8 in it, the distributor is the Delco window-type and I think the coil is a Delco as well. Not sure if that would have any difference.

Anyway - just wanted to see what some ideas were. My next step might be as per Gord's suggestions in another post about running a jumper from the + side of the battery to the + side of the coil to see what happens - just have to supply myself with some clips and wire.

Thanks ahead - I know it is difficult trying to diagnose something like this without actually being there.

<div align="left">1960 Lark VI</div id="left"> <div align="right">1962 7E7-122</div id="right">
[img=left]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/8b0ac4c6.jpg[/img=left]
[img=right]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/DSC02237.jpg[/img=right]

[Dick Steinkamp]

Do some more basic troubleshooting. Voltage at the switch side of the coil with the key on? Circuit "make and break" testing on the distributor side of the coil? Spark from the heavy coil wire to the distributor with the engine cranking?

If you still suspect the coil, try a known good one like the one from your truck.

Once you get it running again, I'd look at that ignition set up.

There is no reason I can think of why it wouldn't run BETTER with the Pertronix set up. I have never heard about someone FAILING with one of those installs. Installing one is as simple as changing points (maybe simpler), the directions are butt simple and they have an excellent help line where you get an actual tech to help you on the phone.

With a stock ignition set up, the key switch delivers 6-8 volts to the coil through either a resistor wire or a ballast resistor. There should be a wire that delivers 12v to the coil when the engine is cranking. Without this, the car will generally start hard. This is accomplished through the second small terminal on the solenoid.

Find out how many volts you have on the switch side of the coil. 6-8, you have the stock resistor wire or ballast resistor in place. You'll need the 12v wire from the solenoid.

If you have 12v, the PO has wired around the resistor wire or ballast resistor (per Pertronix instructions). If you want to keep the points, you'll have to rewire to include the resistor wire or ballast resistor AND run the 12v wire from the solenoid.

In both cases, make sure a Pertronix coil (if that's what you determine you have) will work with a points type ignition. If not recommended by Pertronix, get the proper coil.



Dick Steinkamp
Bellingham, WA

[IMG][/IMG]

[62champ]

Dick,

The Pertonix system was tried and tossed by the PO because it did not work right. It must have been an early attempt by a small vendor trying to make their own Pertronix system for the little six. A very reliable Studebaker mechanic stated that when installed, the plate rotated to opposite way it should when the advance would kick in = not run too good.

So I guess when they went back to the stock points/condenser they did not put the resistance wire back in the system...

This is as good an excuse as any to replace to old test light that has wandered off and get a meter... Will see what I can come up with and let you know.

Appreciate the quick response. Pretty nasty day here so might be a good time to do some problem solving.

<div align="left">1960 Lark VI</div id="left"> <div align="right">1962 7E7-122</div id="right">
[img=left]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/8b0ac4c6.jpg[/img=left]
[img=right]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/DSC02237.jpg[/img=right]

[buddymander]

I always pull the coil wire from the cap and check for spark there first. That eliminates the rotor and cap from the equation.

[62champ]

Can give that a try as well.

I am always a little uneasy about handling anything like plug wires or coil wires - got a pretty good jolt a couple of times back when I started fooling around with cars years ago. Makes you remember though....

<div align="left">1960 Lark VI</div id="left"> <div align="right">1962 7E7-122</div id="right">
[img=left]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/8b0ac4c6.jpg[/img=left]
[img=right]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/DSC02237.jpg[/img=right]

[buddymander]

just don't do what I did....always be sure that your lower frontal area is FAR away from the nearest fender. Use some insulated pliers, especially while playing with HEI. My first car was a 60 Lark VI.

[62champ]

Got out again today to do some more checking.

It is about 28 degrees in the shed so my help was not able to do some cranking for me.

A multi-meter showed there to be 11.6 volts at the coil with the ignition switch on.

I did pull the coil off the truck and hooked it up exactly the way the old coil had been hooked up on the car. Car did not fire off at all.

Will check with a local vendor to see if he has a good 12V coil - Autozone wants $30 for a new one.

Really am wondering about the wire setup now. There was one wire running to the + side of the coil - guess it is from the switch. Was coming out of the wiring harness - so it was not something added on later. On the - side, there was a wire from the overdrive harness and a wire running to the distributor. There is nothing on one of the small threaded terminals on the starter solenoid and no empty "female" connection coming out of the wiring harness next to the solenoid.

Sub-freezing weather is not a good encouragement to get out and do a bunch of work...

<div align="left">1960 Lark VI</div id="left"> <div align="right">1962 7E7-122</div id="right">
[img=left]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/8b0ac4c6.jpg[/img=left]
[img=right]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/DSC02237.jpg[/img=right]

[buddymander]

"11.6 volts at the coil with the ignition on" will burn the points. But you should be checking it while cranking because that's a different circuit, bypassing the resistor; sending full battery power to the points.

[62champ]

quote:Originally posted by buddymander

"11.6 volts at the coil with the ignition on" will burn the points. But you should be checking it while cranking because that's a different circuit, bypassing the resistor; sending full battery power to the points.

I think that is part of my problem. Sometime in the past someone tried to put a homemade Pertronix ignition system into this car. There is only one wire coming to the + side of the coil and one of the threaded terminals on the starter solenoid is empty.

<div align="left">1960 Lark VI</div id="left"> <div align="right">1962 7E7-122</div id="right">
[img=left]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/8b0ac4c6.jpg[/img=left]
[img=right]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/DSC02237.jpg[/img=right]