Tweet
Hi there,
What a surprise I had today with my wonderful little atomic 4. After getting pumped out at the fuel dock, I was about to move into my slip for the night, and it wouldn't start.
After making sure it was getting fuel, I checked for spark, and was only getting a little orange trickle out of each plug, not the ice blue spark I usually get, and I knew all the plugs were new, so I started a methodical search to see where the issue was. Checking each wire with a new plug, one of them gave me a blue spark, so I changed all the plugs again, and still only got blue spark in one of them.
Now if one had blue spark, everything must be working except the distributor cap and / or rotor, I figured. I called Don Moyer to get the part numbers of these, and he gave me the part numbers of a Blue Streak replacement, which the parts department here tried to get to no avail. MB suggested I try the old one from the distributor I replaced when I went electronic ignition (I just replaced the whole distributor). I could have kissed her (in fact I think I did), I never would have brought it. I replaced both the cap and rotor with the old one, and it started right up! I ordered a new rotor and can pick it up in the morning, and will have to find a cap and order it enroute before Carrabelle.
There have been two items happening that forewarned of this, but I put it down to something else.
1. The motor has been taking longer to start than usual, and 2. When it starts it runs a little rough, then after warming up smooths out and runs like its old great self.
It sounded like air was getting into the carb, so I figured to tighted up the carb and give it a cleaning in St. Pete. Now I don't think I'll have to.
When I looked at the cap and rotor, they look pitted and worn at the rotor tip, and on all four points of the distributor cap. That means nothing to me, but is probably worthy of note to tell me the coil is going or other some such thing I will learn the hard way..........................
I have attached pics of the distributor cap and rotor button, I wonder if anyone can tell from the corrosion if its just worn, or if something is causing it. The rotor button has been scraped clean, so its hard to see.
thanks Don!! You are an invaluable resource.
What a surprise I had today with my wonderful little atomic 4. After getting pumped out at the fuel dock, I was about to move into my slip for the night, and it wouldn't start.
After making sure it was getting fuel, I checked for spark, and was only getting a little orange trickle out of each plug, not the ice blue spark I usually get, and I knew all the plugs were new, so I started a methodical search to see where the issue was. Checking each wire with a new plug, one of them gave me a blue spark, so I changed all the plugs again, and still only got blue spark in one of them.
Now if one had blue spark, everything must be working except the distributor cap and / or rotor, I figured. I called Don Moyer to get the part numbers of these, and he gave me the part numbers of a Blue Streak replacement, which the parts department here tried to get to no avail. MB suggested I try the old one from the distributor I replaced when I went electronic ignition (I just replaced the whole distributor). I could have kissed her (in fact I think I did), I never would have brought it. I replaced both the cap and rotor with the old one, and it started right up! I ordered a new rotor and can pick it up in the morning, and will have to find a cap and order it enroute before Carrabelle.
There have been two items happening that forewarned of this, but I put it down to something else.
1. The motor has been taking longer to start than usual, and 2. When it starts it runs a little rough, then after warming up smooths out and runs like its old great self.
It sounded like air was getting into the carb, so I figured to tighted up the carb and give it a cleaning in St. Pete. Now I don't think I'll have to.
When I looked at the cap and rotor, they look pitted and worn at the rotor tip, and on all four points of the distributor cap. That means nothing to me, but is probably worthy of note to tell me the coil is going or other some such thing I will learn the hard way..........................
I have attached pics of the distributor cap and rotor button, I wonder if anyone can tell from the corrosion if its just worn, or if something is causing it. The rotor button has been scraped clean, so its hard to see.
thanks Don!! You are an invaluable resource.
Attached Files
Comment