How good are your problem solving skills?

[Gordy]

Ok folks,
ill outline the problem, lets see if you can diagnose and have a solution. Vehicle is a 1988 GQ Wagon TB42S. Problem is no spark coming out of Distributor on 1 & 4..
New Coil, Capacitor, Condensor, points, Separator Plate, Rotor & Cap. Leads & plugs under 3 months old. Vehicle started missing on way home last Friday and havent been able to get it to run right since. Definately no spark out of cap from 1 & 4...
Any Ideas?

[krbrooking]

Has the dizzy moved in any way, could have put the timing out if so. Sent from me using Forum Runner

[dads tractor]

Firing order 153624 so 1+4 are sequential check for a crack in the cap from being dropped maybe or that everything is sitting square with the same clearances .Apart from that I am absolutely no help as I love the smell of soot and diesel but a petrol guru will surface shortly I'm sure.

[Gordy]

has got me absolutely bamboosled - and broke! I have replaced all the things one would think would cause this, i havent pulled the dizzy out yet, rather trying the think logical approach before resorting to total disassembly..

going away from electrical for one moment - apart from the points totally missing the lobes on the dizzy 4 & 1 on its rotation, what else would, could or is possible for it (mechanicaaly) to fail?

[mudski]

Any play in the dizzy shaft?

[Gordy]

well the vehicle is now in "the shop" trying to find a solution, and it has the sparky a bit perplexed as well, but has told me that the shafts on these things were suspect from new, and only takes a bit of play for it to do this - well I am hoping that this may be the cause. measurements will happen tomorrow and a cause found, sounds like solution may be to ditch the points completely??

[threedogs]

Check at night with the lights out, spark plug caps could be shorting,
condenser could be breaking down also,
Do one thing at a time.
Didn't these early petrols have an extended rotor button as an option???

[dakka1]

seeing as you have replaced everything except the leads and plugs even though they are 3 months old you may have a crook lead or the plugs maybe the problem. but it does seem odd that its on 1-4 and the problem I feel will be in the cap or rotor area. even from new these parts can have issues

[Gordy]

OK Folks, the Cause. A shaft on the Dizzy that has too much play and was pulling away from 4 & 1, so Mudski, you win the prize. Thanks all

[mudski]

OK Folks, the Cause. A shaft on the Dizzy that has too much play and was pulling away from 4 & 1, so Mudski, you win the prize. Thanks all

Boohyeah!!!!:icon_victory:

[my third 256]

and the prize is
one bent shaft
48572

[sprdad]

I had similar problem many years ago on completely different vehicle. It was miss firing so replaced cap, rotor etc etc just as you have with no real improvement. Like you finally put it into workshop. Took a while as they were also stumped but eventually they found that one of the new parts I had purchased " can't recall now if it was the cap or the rotor " was faulty and was cracked from the factory.
Believing that new parts are actually always in proper operating condition cost me days of frustration and lots of money.
Just a thought, odds are against it by Murphy likes to try our patience with these odd busters.