No Spark after sitting this summer 440ic

[Tim_in_IA]

Let me just say first that Lavoy is great for parts. I just spent the last 2 days putting a new water pump in and a new radiator, and a steering handle. Everything was right that he sent. Oh I also INSTALLED a thermostat since the previous owner must not have thought it was required equipment. Nothing was there!

So today I filled it up with water for a test and it cranked but no go. I guess I should say this is a 440ic gas. So I did the normal testing with seeing if I could get a spark from the spark plug wire and then when I didn't get that also tried from the coil wire. No spark at all. So I thought maybe the ignition switch was bad so I moved the blue wire to the lead coming from the battery to bypass the switch and still no go.

So I think the coil is bad. Shouldn't be the regulator since that is just for charging right? Which leads to my question. What wires should be hooked to the coil where? Right now the blue wire is connected to positive. and the other wire is going to the engine block. Is this correct for a positive ground setup? Can I just get a 6 volt coil from the farm store?

Can't wait to hear it run again!

[shinnery]

Basically the complete circuit for the ignition is a wire from the negative treminal of the battery to the ignition switch, from the ignition switch to the negative terminal of the coil, from the positive terminal of the coil to the distributor and the points inside. The fixed terminal of the pointts is grounded to the distributor body to the engine and then there will be a ground wire from the engine to the positive terminal of the battery. An open anywhere in that loop will prevent the coil from firing. Another thing to check would be if the condenser in the distributor is shorted and preventing the points from opening and causing the ciol to fire. or if the points are oxidized (rusted) they may never make contact to allow current to flow.
If you have a meter or test light you should show voltage at the coil terminal with the wire coming from the ignition switch and no voltage at the other terminal, while the points are closed. Take an insulated stick or something and open the points. The coil should fire and you should have voltage at both terminals of the coil if it is good and the condenser is not shorted. HTH
Bryce