Re: IML: 56 Ignition - Part 2

[randalpark@xxxxxxx]

If the distributor worked before, ten it is probably the correct one 
for the car. Are you SURE that you put it back in correctly? If memory 
services me, it will slip in more than one way. Some Chryslers it is 
either in wrong or in right. Others have teeth which may allow the 
distributor to be installed slightly incorrectly. Your description 
sounds to me like the timing is way off.

That said, and me not being there, carburetion and ignition problems 
share the same symptoms. I never work on both at the same time, but you 
may have other problems. If the car ran great before, it will again.

Paul W.

-----Original Message-----
From: jcantor791@xxxxxxxxxxx
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Fri, 9 Feb 2007 7:47 AM
Subject: IML: 56 Ignition - Part 2

Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions to my earlier post. Since I 
had today off, I decided to put some of those ideas to use. Voltage 
across the open points was 12V and between the coil and ground with 
closed points is about 9V - less than full voltage which means that the 
ballast resistor is indeed in the circuit and is working but not as low 
as I was expecting.

Then I decided to take the next step. I was able to pull the 
distributor, clean and reset the points, and replace the condenser. I 
also put in a new coil as the old one was definitely leaking oil. The 
car started pretty quickly considering it's 25F out there and it hasn't 
been run for at least two months. Idle was okay but not great and 
almost any effort to rev it up made things much worse. I was able to 
back it out of the garage and then pull back in. Putting a load on the 
engine made things a little better at idle but much worse above that.

Despite feeling little if any free play in the distributor while I had 
it in the vise on the workbench, I'm beginning to think that it may 
need to be rebuilt. Perhaps either the mechanical or vacuum advance are 
the issue or some other more basic parts mechanics there. Interestingly 
enough, I discovered that while this is the distributor that has been 
on the car since I got it in 2003 and has run very well up until last 
summer, it is not the correct part number according to the factory 
parts manual I have.

Right now I'm putting this project back on hold until the weather warms 
up again.

Jeff
'56 Sedan
Trenton, NJ

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