MTFCA Forum

I was working on a friends car and i started it and it quit right away. Getting spark at the points but nothing at the plugs. Do i need a new cap or rotor or condenser? Can i get these parts at an auto parts store? I had heard they were vw. Thanks.

Did you pull the cap & confirm the rotor is turning?
I have had a similar experience where the gears came out of mesh.

As I understand, the rotor in those distributors has a resistor built into it that can sometimes fail. You would get spark at the points, but no spark between the rotor and the distributor cap.

1915ford wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 25, 2025 4:35 pm

I was working on a friends car and i started it and it quit right away. Getting spark at the points but nothing at the plugs. Do i need a new cap or rotor or condenser? Can i get these parts at an auto parts store? I had heard they were vw. Thanks.

From their instruction sheet....Parts are available at auto parts stores. They have NAPA numbers so can be cross reference as well
Always take the old parts to ensure a match

Heavy sparking and burned points mean a bad condenser.

Time for a timer?

Allan from down under.

Also: Test coil.

I recently had to replace a very old T distributor on my car. After checking every ignition thing I could think of (plugs, wires, coil, etc.) I eventually discovered that the points inside were shorting to ground somehow. I never quite figured out how exactly (but I assume it was because the internals were basically falling apart from use). Would be worth a check to make sure it's not finding ground where it shouldn't be.

Mark,

Pull the coil wire from the center of the distributor cap and hold the end near ground while someone cranks the engine over with the ignition on. Do you get a spark to ground by doing this? If so, it's likely a cap/rotor issue. If not, it's likely a coil/condenser/power supply thing.

As someone else asked, are you sure that the distributor rotor is actually turning when the engine turns over? Distributor gear issue? Stripped timing gear?

6v or 12v make sure you have the correct coil.

buy a spare condenser and coil.

huh just had a thought... are condensers voltage spficic

A recent tourist with a Model T group had his T quit and it was the resistor in the roto had burned out.

A 6 Volt Coil on a 12 Volt system might be the problem.

Was thinking that ust buying parts to & replacing to see what worked might be the easyway. Then the NAPA reference in the TEXAS T instructions for the condenser threw me....

Since you observed spark at the points then likely the Rotor (Test for continuity from tip to center contact.)

Proformer Napa EP278SB Distributor Rotor $8.49
Proformer Napa EP274SB Distributor Cap $8.49
Ignition Points (.015-.020 gap) T3161Points (VW07) latest version CS314 $9.49
Ignition Points (.015-.020 gap) T3161Points (JF4) CS313SB CS314 $7.99

I have had good luck soldering across the connections in the rotors to eliminate the carbon fiber connection.

An easy coil test is to remove the distributor cap and cover (if there is one) to see the points.

Slowly turn the crank until the points are closed.

Remove the coil wire from the distributor center and hold it about 1/16th inch from the metal area, like the exhaust manifold.

The just reach in an open the points.

If you see a spark the coil is good and the wire to the distributor center is good.

That only leaves the rotor, spark plugs, or spark plug wires to need replacing.

The no resistor rotor is listed under NAPA EP407, Beru R001 & Bosch 04-003 M ( for modified ) Finding one in stock is a crap shoot & the online
pic of the NAPA one does not match so take the old one with you & take your multi meter too. Note that many of the PTP & Reeder distributers
use a different Bosch unit vacuum advance instead of centrifugal and the rotor & cap don't fit the 009 ( they look a like ) I was able to pick up a
good supply of these so I just carry a spare. I have never had one fail but I have seen others have issues so it's good to have one for them.
Craig.

Update: went to the local napa and ordered all the parts. They had a coil in stock. That didnt fix it. Also confirmed that the rotor is turning. Should have the other parts mid week. Stay tuned.

Hi Mark,
If you replace them one at a time then you will know which one was the problem & save time if it ever happens again.
Craig.

Fired the parts cannon at the thing and when i replaced the points that did it. I did run some sandpaper through the points to freshen them up before it quit but i have never had points fail outright on my other cars before. Strange.

Good to hear Mark. Some thing I learned the hard way is only use a file or aluminum oxide paper, real sand paper ( silica sand ) can turn into glass
when exposed to heat ( arc ) making it a insulator. Like I said the hard way!
Craig.