Frustrated electrical issue on Metropolitan

[lelshaddai]

So Polly, 61 Metropolitan needed some new electrical parts. Purchased new generator, coil and digital Voltage regulator, car already had Pertronix ignition installed. Hooked everything up and now the car will not start. It turns over fine, all other electrical is working. No spark. When I turned the switch I heard a small pop. I do not know enough on this to diagnose the problem. Here is what I do know. The digital voltage regulator has power going to the coil and generator all the time whether switch is on or off.


The voltage going into the '+' terminal on the coil is 12.5. However the '-' terminal also has 12.5 volts when the '+' is connected. ( do not know if this should happen.) The coil tested normal at 3.2ohms. So I am not sure what to do to see what is bad. The car ran with the old voltage regulator, coil and generator. It just was not charging at all. I could have burned up the Pertronix the old coil was labeled SW and CB the new + and - . Maybe the wires were crossed. But why does the Voltage stay on to the coil and generator? Could the ignition switch made the popping sound and it does not work correctly now?


I changed the car over to negative ground. The radio still works. Do I need to do the conversion to negative ground again with the new parts.


Frustrated and no idea where to start. Thought I would try here since you guys know so much.
Jim

[jnormanh]

So Polly, 61 Metropolitan needed some new electrical parts. Purchased new generator, coil and digital Voltage regulator, car already had Pertronix ignition installed. Hooked everything up and now the car will not start. It turns over fine, all other electrical is working. No spark. When I turned the switch I heard a small pop. I do not know enough on this to diagnose the problem. Here is what I do know. The digital voltage regulator has power going to the coil and generator all the time whether switch is on or off.


The voltage going into the '+' terminal on the coil is 12.5. However the '-' terminal also has 12.5 volts when the '+' is connected. ( do not know if this should happen.) The coil tested normal at 3.2ohms. So I am not sure what to do to see what is bad. The car ran with the old voltage regulator, coil and generator. It just was not charging at all. I could have burned up the Pertronix the old coil was labeled SW and CB the new + and - . Maybe the wires were crossed. But why does the Voltage stay on to the coil and generator? Could the ignition switch made the popping sound and it does not work correctly now?


I changed the car over to negative ground. The radio still works. Do I need to do the conversion to negative ground again with the new parts.


Frustrated and no idea where to start. Thought I would try here since you guys know so much.
Jim

Sounds like a short in the ign switch. Does the battery run down if left overnight?

[lelshaddai]

It did once. However I bypassed the cut off in the Voltage regulator to keep it running and forget to undo that. By morning it was down to 6 volts
It does not do that normally.

This is where my inexperience catches up with me. The Pertronix Was working. I installed it a couple years ago. I smoked my generator, old age. The original Voltage regulator was not charging the system with a replacement generator I had, it was old too. I decided to upgrade and get a new generator, NCB100D Voltage regulator and coil. I installed everything. No, I did not polarize the new generator. Did not know about that. The radio is negative ground and is still working properly.

Here is what has been tested. Coil is 3.2 ohms on primary test. The center coil wire connection has 12.5 volts coming out of it when it is grounded and not being started. The coil wire is fine and sends voltage to the distrib cap. When I try to start it the volt changes to 10.5volts going to the distrib cap. (do not know if this si a valid test) I have a sparks tester on cyl 1. No spark. I am sure I reversed the Pertonix module. Got mixed up with the old coil with SW and Cb and reversing the wires for Negative ground. If I did I will place an extra set of points I have and order a new module. I just want this correct and have little knowledge to fix it. But this is how you learn. Costs a bit more but such is learning.

[Ron Strasser]

lelshaddai;
Yes you could have fried the Pentronix unit. As you said; install a set of point and the proper condenser and the car should start. Then the points are open there should be 12 + volts on the negative coil terminal and no volts on the - terminal when the points are open. there needs to be 12 volts on the + terminal any time the key is in the start or run position. I would not install another Pentronix unit until you resolve your charging issue.
The car starting does not depend upon the generator working or not. If you remove the fan belt from the generator; the generator should not make like a motor with the ignition key off. If it does something is wrong.
Ron

[wittsend]

Cranking the engine with a timing light connected will quickly tell if the Pertronix is shot. The "sniff" test may even tell that. If it is the Ignitor I just leaving the key on (even when properly wired) for more than 30 seconds is stated to potentially fry the Pertronix. I agree with the others. Install the points, get it running and charging properly and then decide if another Pertronix is for you.