restos - F+W Media

if the coil’s polarity is reversed, but it won’t run well and will behard to start because the spark at the spark plugs will be jumpingfrom the ground to the electrode instead of from the electrode tothe ground.If neither the points nor the coil’s secondary wire sparkwhen manually breaking the points, turn the ignition switch offand check to make sure that the small wire running from the coilto the distributor is unbroken and firmly attached at both ends.You can also hook up one of your test leads to double-check this.Also check the insulator block—usually bakelite, fiber or plastic—wherethe wire connects to the distributor body. If this insulatoris broken or loose, the wire from the coil might be shortingto the distributor body, and nothing will spark. If you find thisinsulator broken, you can usually make a temporary replacementfrom a plastic pen barrel, a bit of rubber, or simply wrap the littlebolt with several layers of electrical tape where it passes throughthe distributor body.STILL NO SPARK FROM POINTS OR COIL?If the points are clean and properly gapped, you may havea bad coil or simply a bad condenser.A shorted condenser will usually preventboth the points and the coil fromsparking. With the ignition switch off,replace the condenser. While you’redoing that, check that any other wiredown inside the distributor, such as theone going to the condenser, is unbrokenand firmly attached. Turn the ignitionswitch on and try the spark testagain by manually breaking the points.If both points and coil now spark, thenthe condenser was the problem andyou’re on your way.If, after replacing the condenser,you still can’t get a spark at the points44 www.militaryvehiclesmagazine.comor from the coil’s secondary wire,then it’s probably a bad coil. Turn theignition switch off. Replace the coil,checking for proper polarity, and youshould be going again.Back-tracking a bit, if you found the distributor shaft, drivekey or coupling pin was broken, then your field ingenuity willbe tested because you will have to pull the distributor out of theengine to see if you can fix it; either that or install your spare distributor...if you were prudent enough to have one along. Beforeyou pull the distributor, mark the position of its body in relationto the engine, which will make it a lot easier to re-time theengine, and carefully number all the spark plug wires (duct tapemakes good markers, and you can write on it with pen or pencil)as well as the distributor cap terminals so you will know the correctfiring order.Congratulations if you have a spare distributor with newpoints, condenser, rotor and cap all ready to install! If you followedthe advice in Part One, you might have been able to buy itfor fifty bucks, which may now save you a hundred-dollar towingbill and/or a long lonely night stranded on the roadside, plusmany wasted hours trying to locate a replacement in some unfamiliartown, or waiting for a buddy to send or bring you one. Youinstall it in minutes and are on your way!OOPS...DID YOU FORGET TO READ PART I?If you weren’t as well-prepared, you might still be able to fixyour broken distributor in the field. Distributors vary with vehicletype of course, but most have some sort of coupling pin to connectthe drive gear to the rotor drive shaft, and it’s not uncommonfor this pin to loosen with age and break.If this happens, the pin can usually be replaced with a nailor small machine screw or even a piece of heavy wire from thatfence along the road or freeway. Peen the ends of the new pin withyour ball-peen hammer to secure it in place, reinstall and time thedistributor, and you should be mobile once more. Keep in mindthat your field-repair pin probably won’t last very long.If you find that your distributor is damaged beyond a brokenconnector pin, you will probably have to have your vehicle towedto the nearest town and try to find a replacement. Of course thecircumstances and situations will vary: you may have anotherdistributor at home—lot of good it does you there!—that yourA shorted condenser will usually prevent both the points and the coil from sparking. With theignition switch off, replace the condenser. While you’re doing that, check that any other wire downinside the distributor, such as the one going to the condenser, is unbroken and firmly attached.spouse or a buddy can send or bring to you.I have been very few places in this world where there isn’tat least one car or truck wrecking yard within fifty miles... evenan “unofficial” one in some farmer’s field. If you have a WWIIor pre M-series HMV, then you should know that practically anydistributor for a Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth or Fargo 230 or 260engine will work in your Dodge truck, whether three-quarter-tonWC, or the earlier half-ton and pre-war VC models. These civiliandistributors can also be adapted to your M37... more on thatlater.For CCKWs or WWII Chevy trucks, just about any civiliandistributor from a Chevy 216 or 235 engine, or a GMC 228, 236,248, 270, or 302 will work. Even if your MV is a Studebaker,Ford or IHC, you can usually find a distributor on a civilian car ortruck of similar vintage. Also keep in mind that the parts of mostolder distributors will interchange, so with a little field ingenuityyou can usually cobble together something that will work.