Bosch 009 distributor issues.

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: Bosch 009 distributor issues.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Frank Harris from Long Beach & Big Bear on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 01:42 pm:

All of a sudden the engine runs with backfire through the carburetor and the tail pipe. Plenty of fuel with pressure tank so it must be ignition. Running a Stromberg 97 carburetor. New spark plugs correctly gapped and this trophy winning car has run very well for over 20 years. It won the Hill Climb at Lincoln Nebraska last year and turns in the high 60's in the quarter mile.

I don’t know if you can run a static test on a condenser but mine scores 0.0 ohms resistance on a bench test. I have another condenser that bench tests at 0.0 ohms also. Now I don’t know if a capacitor should read 0.0 ohms at rest. These capacitors list for anywhere from $8.00 to $285.00 on line and have a long pig tail that plugs through the distributor body, connects to the points and runs to the coil. That price is more than a complete new Bosch 009.

So the question is, are there any more tests ? Just why did it all of a sudden simply act up ?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roar Sand on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 02:17 pm:

As I understand it, 0 ohms across a capacitor/condenser means a dead short. It is junk!
They do fail from time to time. That's why a tune up kit in the olden days came with a new capacitor.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Frank Harris from Long Beach & Big Bear on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 02:30 pm:

Thank you, I remember now that if both sides of the capacitor are connected it is dead. Thanks Frank


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ed in California on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 02:47 pm:

When I got tired of replacing points and condensers, I upgraded mine to electronic, simple drop-in installation. They sell 6 and 12 volt, very fast starting and even running. I have used both models with no issues. I was sold when I first installed a pertronix in my 65 vw, no more adjusting points, instant start. I installed the compufire on a speedster, same results, instant starting and smooth. You can simply carry a spare point set if u want to replace for any reason.



Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Tomaso - Milton,WA on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 02:53 pm:

I had the same issue once Frank and it was due to one of the adjustable lifter screw/bolts snapping off ! Just another area to ponder if it isn't the condenser - easy enough to remove the valve cover and check all the lifters.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Frank Harris from Long Beach & Big Bear on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 03:06 pm:

I have used Pertronix units and because I have a 12 generator with a vibrating regulator, it gives 17 volt spikes and averages 15 volts band fries the Pertronix. We tested the units with a very strong Fluke monitor and found this printout of a Pertronix on a generator using the Fluke meter .






22


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Frank Harris from Long Beach & Big Bear on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 06:46 pm:

Whoooooops, I went to get a new condenser and it read zero ohms. You want an open circuit and no reading equals a good piece. Now what ?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Tomaso - Milton,WA on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 07:32 pm:

Refer to my post above Frank. Try and "short out" each cylinder and see if you can determine which one is causing you grief !


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Art Wilson on Saturday, June 28, 2014 - 12:44 am:

Frank,
Let's take this one step at a time with more information. Does the engine backfire or miss at idle or near idle? At a revved condition waiting to beat Gene or Ralph when the traffic light changes?, At full throttle climbing a hill?, or at steady cruise?
The capacitor can not be accurately tested with a volt ohm meter. It can tell if the cap is shorted which would give the same reading as when the probs of the meter are touched together (zero ohms).


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Stroud on Saturday, June 28, 2014 - 01:09 pm:

Frank, I've posted this before and again just recently. A bad condenser can drive you nuts, they can mimick all kinds of problems, both fuel and electrical related. I even had one, a new one at that, that would run great on our old '74 Maverick, but wouldn't run worth a crap on my '70 Ford one ton. A friend had one on a late '60's Pontiac that would run perfectly for about three miles, until it got nice and warm, and would quit just like you turned the key off. I would try a new one or a different one that was known to be good. Just my 2cents worth. Let us know what you find out. Dave


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Todd on Saturday, June 28, 2014 - 01:30 pm:

Are you using a digital or analogue multi-meter?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Saylor, Citrus Heights, Ca on Saturday, June 28, 2014 - 03:50 pm:

Digital meters will give you a false reading. Use an analog meter. set the ohms scale mid range. touch the leads to the condenser momentary, this charges the condenser, then reverse the leads and you should see a small needle deflection as the condenser discharges into the meter.

John


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Elliott on Saturday, June 28, 2014 - 06:07 pm:

I just ordered a compu- ignition. What coil are you suggesting. .? I'm running 6 volt


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Tomaso - Milton,WA on Monday, June 30, 2014 - 11:28 am:

How's about an update, Frank ?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Monday, June 30, 2014 - 01:56 pm:

Old gas in a semi-modern carburetor. Get a Winfield updraft or side draft, or a brass Stromberg. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry VanOoteghem on Monday, June 30, 2014 - 02:01 pm:

Frank,

Are you really reading 0 ohms, (full sweep of the ohmmeter needle), or is your ohmmeter needle just not moving? If you're not using a VOM that has a capacitor test setting then you generally want to see the ohmmeter needle spike up a bit then settle back towards its "at rest" position, (infinite resistance). However, some capacitors, depending on their rated size, will not show this characteristic or will do so only very slightly and rapidly. Notice, I'm referring to analog VOM. A digital VOM, to me, is nearly worthless in testing a capacitor and even an analog one isn't great. They're both only good at showing a dead short.

As to your 009. I've never seen one that would last any length of time in a T till the shaft bushings wore out to the point where you couldn't maintain a proper gap setting. Everything will work o.k. till the slop in the shaft passes a critical point where the point gap variation is now is affecting performance.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James A. Golden on Monday, June 30, 2014 - 02:43 pm:

The Old Volks Home has a lot of distributor information at http://www.oldvolkshome.com/ and is located in California.

The parts inside the rebuilt distributor case do not always match the number on the distributor, which may cause some grief.

I sent my distributor back to Texas T for a rebuild, I do not remember the cost or if the bushing is available to rebuild a distributor at home.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Tomaso - Milton,WA on Wednesday, July 02, 2014 - 11:54 am:

Back to the top - did you find your Gremlin, Frank ?????


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James A. Golden on Wednesday, July 02, 2014 - 02:43 pm:

Back to the top again!

There are only about three ways for two spark plugs to get a spark from a distributor at the same time.

One can be noticed by looking inside the distributor cap for small pencil thin lines of carbon going from the center post to a plug wire socket.

One is using a universal rotor designed for use with either a distributor that runs clockwise or counter clockwise and having a hot enough spark that two spark plugs share that spark when the spark occurs with the rotor half way between both plug wire sockets. Those are identified by a small T shaped brass end piece. Most Bosch rotors are specific for either a clockwise or counter-clockwise distributor and have an L shaped brass end piece.

One is bad spark plug wires that let the spark hop from one to another. This is easily soon noticed at night or in a dark garage, with adequate ventilation to run the engine a few minutes.


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