Please help, coil, power pack??? No spark

lovewater

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Apr 9, 2012
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26
Okay ive been reading threads here for awhile now but now its time to post one of my own. I just bought a 1964 fiberglass waconda with a 55 hp johnson (1968) ran fantastic for the first day but yesterday it left my stranded for 8 hours, did some trouble shooting and i have no spark but i dont know why and i guess i have no friends because i cant find help i've been all over my manual but to no avail. Also it blew the ignition fuse while on water so i put my only spare in and it blew after 2 minutes of running it so by passed the fuse in hopes of making it across river and home but has not started since. I am tremendously grateful for any help provided!!!

Steve
 

lovewater

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Apr 9, 2012
Messages
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Re: Please help, coil, power pack??? No spark

And could someone please tell me if the blue wire on my coil provides power to or from the coil?? it has no power and if i can just fig out if the coil is supposed to send power through the the blue wire to the power pack or vice versa? seriously any help would be fantastic
 

Joe Reeves

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Feb 24, 2002
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13,262
Re: Please help, coil, power pack??? No spark

Note: A fuse that keeps blowing indicates a dead short. Bypassing it can result in a deadly fire.

The pulsepack provides voltage "TO" the coil via that blue wire.

The wire that leads from the pulsepack to the timer base under the flywheel...... you can unplug that at its connector and by tapping the pulsepack end of that wire's metal end to the powerhead simulate the opening and closing of the ignition points which would cause the coil to fire/spark if everything else is as it should be.

Other areas to look into pertaining to that type ignition............

(Point Setting Of Battery Capacitance Discharge)
( Ignition Models - 1968 thru 1972)
(Some have points - Some do not)
(Joe Reeves)

The points must be set to .010 but no wider than .010..... BUT in some instances due to a possible slight inaccurately machined crankshaft lobe or a slight offset of one set of points, a setting slightly less than .010 would be required as follows.

Whether the crankshaft has two or three lobes, when setting the points, check the setting of the points on each individual lobe by rotating the crankshaft by hand.

You may find that setting one set of points to .010 on one lobe, then turning the crankshaft to the next lobe, the gap measures .011 or .012 (too wide). This is where you would need to close that gap down to the required .010. A gap too wide can result in a ignition miss when throttle is applied.

Bottom line, pertaining to the point setting at the various lobe locations____ .010, .010, .009, is okay____ .010, .010, .011 is not!

********************
(Voltage Drop To Battery Capacitance Discharge)
( Pulsepack When Electric Starter Is Engaged)
(J. Reeves)

On the older Battery Capacitance Discharge ignition systems (1968-1972), the electric starter reaches a point, even with a top notch battery, whereas the starter will draw excess voltage/current/whatever which results in a voltage drop to the pulsepack. The cure is to purchase a diode which is capable of handling 12 volts and installing it between the starter terminal of the starter solenoid (NOT the battery cable terminal) and the wiring terminal that supplies voltage to the pulsepack.

The diode must be installed so that the current flows from the starter terminal of the solenoid to the pulsepack... NOT vice versa. When that diode is installed in this manner, when the key is turned to the start position, the voltage that is applied to the starter is also applied directly to the pulsepack via the diode effectively eliminating the voltage drop and energizing the pulsepack with the required voltage needed for its proper operation.

********************
(Battery Capacitance Dischage Powerpack Test)
Various OMC Engines - 1968 to 1972)
(J. Reeves)

Purchase a small 12v bulb at your local automotive parts store (the 12v bulb is to look like a flashlight bulb, not a headlight bulb). Solder two wires to that bulb, one to the side of the bulb (ground), and the other to the positive point. You might use a bulb of a somewhat lower voltage to obtain a brighter glow... just a suggestion.

Remove the spark plugs. With the key in the on position, make sure that you have 12v going to the pack at the terminal block (purple wire). Now, connect the ground wire from the bulb to any powerhead ground. Connect the wire from the positive point of that bulb to the powerpack wire that is connected to the coil wire on the terminal board (blue wire).

Crank the engine and observe that bulb closely (CLOSELY!). If that bulb glows even the slightest bit, the powerpack is okay. It may be a very dim glow... just so it glows! If it doesn't glow, the pack has failed.
 

lovewater

Cadet
Joined
Apr 9, 2012
Messages
26
Re: Please help, coil, power pack??? No spark

Joe,
First i would like to thank you greatly for the help. Second i will no longer by pass the fuse and will replace it but any ideas on what could be blowing it? i have checked all wires and connections but do not see any shorts could it be inside the power pack or coil or something else maybe? and if the power pack provides power to the coil via the blue wire could i hook up 12 or less volts to that just to check if i have spark after wards? i will buy a light bulb and test the power pack just as you have suggested unless a typical light tester would work? Very great info here i will print just so i know im testing right.

Steve
 

Joe Reeves

Supreme Mariner
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Feb 24, 2002
Messages
13,262
Re: Please help, coil, power pack??? No spark

Set a ohm meter so that it reads full scale when the two leads are touching. Disconnect the positive cable from the battery.

If the fuse blows (engine not running) just sitting there with the key in the ON position WITHOUT engaging the electric starter, you could hook up that ohm meter between the fuse holder wire and a powerhead ground (Not the starter solenoid side of the fuse holder, the other side). If a short exists, the meter will read full scale. Then start disconnecting the voltage leads of the engine components.... pulsepack, rectifier, whatever. When the short is eliminated, the meter would drop back drastically. Usually one can determine where a short is in this manner BUT the meter would still read a certain amount of continuity thru a good components's circuitry which can be confusing to some.

Usually the problem (short) is within the pulsepack or rectifier.
 

lovewater

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Apr 9, 2012
Messages
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Re: Please help, coil, power pack??? No spark

Well you are right on the money Joe it was my rectifier causing the short, also i have a bad amplifier i hooked a light bulb to it like you said and no glow, when i used my multimeter it showed 0.01 so pretty sure its bad
 

Joe Reeves

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Feb 24, 2002
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13,262
Re: Please help, coil, power pack??? No spark

Keep in mind that the Battery Discharge Capacitance pulsepack demands at least a 70 amp hour battery in tip top condition. Anything less can (and usually does) result in damage to the pulsepack.
 

lovewater

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Apr 9, 2012
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Re: Please help, coil, power pack??? No spark

Yeah im confident now that i just cost myself a lot of money to learn my lesson here, my battery was very weak even after charging so before i took it out on the water i hooked up my truck battery with the one that was already in the boat. pos neg on one end of both batt then to the boat with the other ends of the battery and it seemed to work great but it must have damaged my pulse pack. I am hoping to have it back on the water late next week.
 

lovewater

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Apr 9, 2012
Messages
26
Re: Please help, coil, power pack??? No spark

boat -->View attachment 140942where the blue wire hooks up from power pack to coil (blue wire is unhooked)-->View attachment 140943touching the blue wire from power pack-->View attachment 140944touching the hook up for the wire on coil that leads to distributor--> View attachment 140945the power pack-->View attachment 140946 The reason im saying ground and the light on my tester is on is because i have the ground side of the tester hooked to power for convenience of finding grounds with the tip
 

MRneatfreak

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Feb 20, 2012
Messages
138
Re: Please help, coil, power pack??? No spark

So did you fix the fuse blowing problem?
 

lovewater

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Apr 9, 2012
Messages
26
Re: Please help, coil, power pack??? No spark

well i cant be sure i did replace the fuse and fixed all the wires that might have been causing it to blow but the fuse only blew after about two min on the water and i have been unable to get it to start =[ It has not blown in my attempts to to start it though. im pretty sure it was the rectifier that was shorting out so i unhooked it but my boat should still run without it right? Im under the impression that the rectifier has to do with the charging system and does not effect spark.
 

Joe Reeves

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Feb 24, 2002
Messages
13,262
Re: Please help, coil, power pack??? No spark

the rectifier that was shorting out so i unhooked it but my boat should still run without it right? Im under the impression that the rectifier has to do with the charging system and does not effect spark.

Yes, the engine will run without the rectifier BUT (A BIG BUT!) now the voltage being created by the stator (alternator) cannot flow thru the rectifier to charge the battery. This results in the voltage/current backing up at the stator which causes the expensive and rare stator to overheat and melt down..... not a good idea!
 

lovewater

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Joined
Apr 9, 2012
Messages
26
Re: Please help, coil, power pack??? No spark

Okay i will rewire it and get it back in place, Apparently im just full of bad ideas when it comes to boats haha wow :facepalm:
 
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