1. Registration trouble? Please use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom right corner of the page and your issue will be resolved.
    Dismiss Notice

Intermittent F-head spark

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by Liveinaz, Jul 27, 2005.

  1. Jul 27, 2005
    Liveinaz

    Liveinaz New Member

    Phoenix AZ
    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2005
    Messages:
    22
    Hi,

    I have a 1961 Willys jeep that I am having a problem with the spark to the plugs. It has a 134, 4-cylinder motor. I tried to hook up a timing light and the light would flash about 10 times then stop, then flash another 2 or 3 times, then stop, then flash a couple times then stop, etc...I thought maybe it was the timing light, but I pulled a plug and connected it to the plug wire and started the motor. Same thing happened with the spark on the end of the plug. The plugs, wires, cap, etc are new...any idea what could cause this to happen?

    Thanks...
     
    Liveinaz, Jul 27, 2005
    #1
  2. Jul 27, 2005
    lynn

    lynn Time machine / Early CJ5 HR Rep Staff Member

    Huntingdon PA
    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2002
    Messages:
    3,437
    Re: Please, please help...

    Have you checked the coil?
    Just swap in a spare if you have a known good one, see if that fixes it.
     
    lynn, Jul 27, 2005
    #2
  3. Jul 27, 2005
    kamel

    kamel Senior Curmudgeon

    Erlanger, Kentucky
    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2003
    Messages:
    891
    Re: Please, please help...

    Problem is most likely in the distributor. Coil could be bad, but the distsributor is where there are moving parts, and moving parts can get worn or corroded.

    I'd replace the points, condenser, rotor button and distributor cap.

    Sounds like a lot of work and $$, but you are looking for something intermittant, and a bunch of marginal parts working together can create wierd symptoms.

    Any individual part could be worn, but OK, but the combination of all that marginality could give strange results.

    Besides, any jeep engine could use a refreshed diistributor.

    When you have it apart something might jump out at you and scream "I'm bad!", (points?) and that would be good!
     
    kamel, Jul 27, 2005
    #3
  4. Jul 27, 2005
    Liveinaz

    Liveinaz New Member

    Phoenix AZ
    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2005
    Messages:
    22
    Re: Please, please help...

    Thanks, I will replace all that...thank you for your help
     
    Liveinaz, Jul 27, 2005
    #4
  5. Jul 27, 2005
    william_cj3b

    william_cj3b 3BOB driver

    Milton, FL
    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2003
    Messages:
    421
    Re: Please, please help...

    Kamel and Lynn said it right.... One other thing to check. Make sure the ballast resister (ceramic thing usually on firewall) is OK. If you have an ohmeter, check its resistance. Should be about 1.5 ohm. Also take it off the firewall and inspect the winding (it's simply a resistance wire wrapped around a ceramic rod that acts as a heatsink). I had one that had the rod broken. It would heat up to a point where the circuit would break down and cause intermittent spark. Probably not the problem you're having, but is something to look for if nothing else pans out.
     
    william_cj3b, Jul 27, 2005
    #5
  6. Jul 27, 2005
    lynn

    lynn Time machine / Early CJ5 HR Rep Staff Member

    Huntingdon PA
    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2002
    Messages:
    3,437
    Re: Please, please help...

    Once you get it running, you can replace the points with a Pertronix Ignitor kit. It will "wake up" the Hurricane a bit... ;)
    Do a search on Pertronix, read a bit on what everyone thinks of it. It's one mod that most of us agree is worth every cent of it's <$100 price. :)

    Keep us posted with what you find as you research this problem...
    Good Luck!
     
    lynn, Jul 27, 2005
    #6
  7. Jul 27, 2005
    blevisay

    blevisay Oh Noooooooooooooooo! Staff Member

    Portland Tn.
    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2002
    Messages:
    4,350
    also check the wire going from the coil to the dist the ones that go direct to the points usually have taken a beating.
     
    blevisay, Jul 27, 2005
    #7
  8. Jul 27, 2005
    Liveinaz

    Liveinaz New Member

    Phoenix AZ
    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2005
    Messages:
    22
    Where do you get the Pertronix Ignitor kit from? I cant seem to find one for a 61 4-cylinder 134 engine. Do they make one for this motor?
     
    Liveinaz, Jul 27, 2005
    #8
  9. Jul 27, 2005
    dohc281

    dohc281 It is what it is.

    Laurel Springs, N.J.
    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2004
    Messages:
    605
    I got one 3 weeks ago from Summit.
     
    dohc281, Jul 27, 2005
    #9
  10. Jul 27, 2005
    Liveinaz

    Liveinaz New Member

    Phoenix AZ
    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2005
    Messages:
    22
    dohc,

    Do you know the part number? Was it for the 4-cylider motor?
     
    Liveinaz, Jul 27, 2005
    #10
  11. Jul 28, 2005
    lynn

    lynn Time machine / Early CJ5 HR Rep Staff Member

    Huntingdon PA
    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2002
    Messages:
    3,437
    Here's a quote from Stan's (65CJ5) page:
    "I hate points and all the hassles associated with them. They are a royal pain in the butt. I used to have to check and adjust my timing about every 2 weeks before I found Genesee Products on the web. They sell a kit that replaces the breaker points in your distributor with a permanent-magnet and inductor setup that never wears out, and will never need adjustment after the initial installation. This is the best $90 I've spent on the Jeep to this point.

    Installation is really easy, and it really works. I can't recommend this upgrade enough. You can order them from Genesee Products or Willy's Works."
    ***********
    Here are the links to the places mentioned:

    www.geneseeproducts.com/
    www.willysworks.com/
    www.summitracing.com/

    Any of these places will need to know the brand and model of your distributor to assure you are getting the correct unit.

    A search of our forum for the word Pertronix gave me this thread withinin the first 3 hits:
    http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16839&highlight=Pertronix
    Read this thread, it will answer many of your questions.

    It's an topic we discuss often, and the search yields good results. ;) :)

    Welcome aboard!! :D
     
    lynn, Jul 28, 2005
    #11
  12. Jul 28, 2005
    HHjeep

    HHjeep New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2005
    Messages:
    10
    Am interested in what solves your problem.. Having same problem with 63 CJ6. I gave up on solving my problem a few weeks ago after replacing points/dist/cap/rot/wires/plugs.. Thought the problem was fouled plugs which would require me to rebuild engine.

    HH
     
    HHjeep, Jul 28, 2005
    #12
  13. Jul 31, 2005
    Liveinaz

    Liveinaz New Member

    Phoenix AZ
    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2005
    Messages:
    22
    Just an update...I replaced the coil, plug wires, plugs, cap, and rotor, and it seems to be much much better now...I am not getting the intermitent spark anymore. It is blowing some blue smoke, but this thing is as old as i am, so i can live with that i guess...thanks to everyone for your help!!! I am sure i will have some more questions, and hopefully be able to anser some, someday....
     
    Liveinaz, Jul 31, 2005
    #13
New Posts