Missing the obvious
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:43 am
So I put power to my engine to crank her and build oil pressure to prepare for next weeks test fire. Checking the spark there was none. Out comes the distributor and I recheck everything. Re-set points, ck. coil wires ect. Back in. Now intermittent spark. Out again. Check over again. Try a new condensor. Now it is late and I am frustrated. Now, I am using plain ignition wires for the test run. I go to remove one and crack a new, mint cap by yanking too hard because I am mad 
Installed my spare cap and reinstalled the distributor. This time not pushing the wire boots down onto the cover. I crank her again and nothing. I hit the starter again (it's getting dark and I haven't turned on the big garage lights yet) and a blue arc catches my eye at the dist. cover along with a "tic-tic-tic" noise. I look and heres all my fire arcing to the cover because while using the regular plug wires I never pushed them all the way into the cap. About a 1/4" of each terminal end was exposed and causing the spark to be diverted to the cover. Nothing was wrong with my distributor rebuild to begin with. I did not check the simplest first. Live and learn. 
Installed my spare cap and reinstalled the distributor. This time not pushing the wire boots down onto the cover. I crank her again and nothing. I hit the starter again (it's getting dark and I haven't turned on the big garage lights yet) and a blue arc catches my eye at the dist. cover along with a "tic-tic-tic" noise. I look and heres all my fire arcing to the cover because while using the regular plug wires I never pushed them all the way into the cap. About a 1/4" of each terminal end was exposed and causing the spark to be diverted to the cover. Nothing was wrong with my distributor rebuild to begin with. I did not check the simplest first. Live and learn.