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Merc 160 ignition problem

dminoggio

New member
"Hey guys (gals ok too !!!

"Hey guys (gals ok too !!!!!)
I just relpaced the coil on my Merc 165 (Chevy 250 truck engine (1969)). I replaced it because me engine wouldn't start and during the troubleshooting session I found that I was not getting any spark from the high tension wire fron the coil. Anyways, I thought that since I was changing the coil, I might as well change everything else as it was of the same vintage. I replaced coil, plugs, plugwires, distributor, points and condensor. I like to consider myself a "seasoned" mechanic, as I have been working on engines of this vintage since I was a kid in the '60s. Anyways, I get everything all ready to go , spray some "quickstart ether" into the carburetor, hit the switch and the engine won't start !!!! I've rechecked EVERYTHING, timing, points, condenser for a short and the wiring going into the coil. I have a ballast resistor in the line between the ignition switch and the "R" terminal on the starting solenoid . The "+" terminal on the coil is connected to this "R" via a 12 ga wire. I'm measuring 12 volts at the input side of the ballast resistor, with 5 volts comming out. I'm getting 5 volts at the "+" terminal at the coil as well, and it seems to produce a nice blue spark at the plugs when I ground them against the block . I thought the resistor was cutting out too much voltage,so I tried reunning a jumper wire from the 12 volt input side of the resistor directly to the "+" terminal of the coil. That didn't work ether !!!. I replaced the plugs with a 5/8 Platinum plug set to 0.035, (which worked before) and replaced the coil with the same type that I had before ("Kimmel or "kemp", black body type that has "for use with external ballast resistor" written on it. I am STUMPED to say the least !!!! This engine won't even "pop" or attempt to start even after shooting the ether directly in the carburetor !!! any suggestions would be DEEPLY APPRECIATED !!! Thankyou in advance for your reply !!! Dave"
 
""it seems to produce a ni

""it seems to produce a nice blue spark at the plugs when I ground them against "
explain how your checking .
the spark plugs?coil wire? Try hot wiring directly from battery to coil .
Spark ,fuel, compression. then it should run"
 
"It has been years since I wor

"It has been years since I worked on that type system. I recall the resistor does drop voltage from 12 to about 6 for the coil.
You replaced distributor.. Are you absolutely sure it was reinstalled in phase with the camshaft, and not 180 degrees out? Very common error and easy to do. Out of phase it couldn't run, but often will cough or backfire some. Have you tried checking the timing (distributor position vs number one cylinder sompression stroke)?"
 
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