no spark help

[Bullitt-]

ECU= Electronic Control Module, The module receives a signal from a magnetic pickup or in the distributor. The module uses this signal to open and close the ground circuit to the ignition coil to fire the spark plugs.
If it's Bad or Not getting enough power No Spark.

[Jocigar]

thanks,  it sounds safe to say that the coil output should not have a constant 12v as it did.  maybe ecu issue then.

[UKcuda]

Has he got an ECU - it's a 1970 car ?

[Bullitt-]

Has he got an ECU - it's a 1970 car ?

Guess I'm being presumptuous, most folks seem to but It's possible it's a points distributor. 

[UKcuda]

I know what you mean but I just thought, if it's points then maybe we should be checking other variables.

[Jocigar]

I must be wrong but I thought I had both, I can say that the distributer has points that open and close as the distributer shaft rotates.

I also thought I had an ecu mounted on the back of the fire wall.  Its a bat-wing shaped unit 4"x4" with three wire plug at the base.

sorry for all the trouble,  I should post a picture.   It's been a long time since I played with these cars.   

[mojavered]

A couple pics might make a difference?

[UKcuda]

You can trigger an ECU with points, but that doesn't sound like an ECU that you have there as it's not enough wires.

"bat-wing shaped" 

[MEK-Dangerfield]

That's your voltage regulator. The ECU looks similar.

[Jocigar]

Yes I'm sorry, the "bat-wing thing" is a voltage regulator  I looked up the image.

So it has nothing to do with the no spark issue, correct?  I ordered cap and rotor, unlikely to be the problem but can't hurt.

THanks all

[Cuda54]

Get a new set of points too. If they are not good you will not get spark. Make sure the key is turned to run when you try to get spark. My AAR Cuda had two sets of points.

[Jocigar]

hi guys I'm back.   help me with this... I have a single points distr.

THere are two wires that appear to both be (tied together?) and are going to the spring loaded side of the points.

Here is what I get... holding the center wire from the coil near ground... if I open and close the points nothing happens, but when short the spring loaded side to the screw that holds down the points I get a huge spark every time.   I discovered this by mistake, I cleaned the surface of the points and still nothing when they touch... which I would think is the same thing as shorting the spring loaded side to ground?

Am I missing something? wiring is wrong? if the points are bad I find it hard to believe they would not short out to some degree as intended.

THanks... sorry for the long thread.

[Chryco Psycho]

if the condenser is shorted internally , it is the round can with the second wire to the points , it will ground the circuit & fail to make spark , try disconnecting the condenser .
if you have the $ to convert to electronic I would do that 

[UKcuda]

Sounds like your points are not making proper contact.  You probably need to clean the contact surfaces with a very "hard" abraisive like black carborundum paper or something.  It doesn't have to be coarse grit, it can be a fine grit, it just has to be hard or it doesn't cut properly into the tough coating that builds up there.

[72rtchallenger]

you might want to regap the points if you havent already tried