coil leaking voltage

[goodoldboat]

I have been a regular reader of this forum but have never seen anyone
having my particular issue .
I have been having intermittant no start issue this summer .

I have noticed that when the engine will not start , I seem to have
a spark jumping from the coil boot to either the negative or the positive
connection on the coil .Sometimes both .
I noticed this conditon when using the remote starter switch from inside the boat.
to rectify the situation and start the engine today , I wrapped the coil boot with black electrical tape and turned the boot on the coil everso slightly ...
This seemed to work and I had spark at the plug ends .
Has any one everseen this condition before ?

I have ordered a set of new cables from our host today .

[Dave Neptune]

Sparks going to the coil terminals means there is to much resistance between the coil and the plugs. You should replace the coil wire, plug wires. cap and rotor all at the same time. Also be sure the top of the coil is clean and free of any "carbon tracks" from the leaking sparks.

Dave Neptune

[goodoldboat]

leaking voltage

DAVE thanks for this , H ow do you clean the carbon tracks off the top
of the coil .

What would casue this to happen

I have all the cables ordered

[joe_db]

DAVE thanks for this , H ow do you clean the carbon tracks off the top
of the coil .

What would casue this to happen

I have all the cables ordered

If you have too much resistance or too big a gap, the voltage looks for another way to go.

[Dave Neptune]

Just wipe it clean and use NO abrasives.

The wires do wear out as RESISTANCE builds with use in this hi-voltage environment. Resistance also builds up on the cap and rotor as carbon builds up on the lugs and rotor. The spark was probably jumping around in the cap finding the path of least resistance and this builds carbon tracks under the cap as well.

Dave Neptune

[goodoldboat]

volttage leak

Thanks ..
for this ... is this a common occurance ... I have never seen
anyone post on this issue before .

How does the resistance build up , I just put new points in
should i close the gap a bit .. I think it was gapped correctly at .025 .

[Dave Neptune]

Cap, rotor an wires are a regular maintenance item. Not as often as some parts like the points which wear out due to the "arcing" when they open and close. The plugs also wear out from all of the arcing and resistance will build up. Wires will last about 5 years or more and the cap and rotor every 2 or so.

The insulation also wears out just like the wire in the hi voltage side. And the boots on the plugs are an important part of insulating the heat of the plugs to maintain the proper heat range of a give heat range plug.

See post #5, perhaps someone will give you a more technical explanation.

Dave Neptune

[joe_db]

I have found the coil to distributor wire will frequently be the first to go, it gets 4 times the use of the other ones.

[goodoldboat]

Votage leak

I think its time for EI for me ... it will make my life easier .
and it seems like less work than new points , condensor and rotor every
2 or 3 years ...

seems ot be two camps on EI for and against ..

But it does seem a worthwhile upgrade .. less moving parts .