Hi, I am hoping to get some answers about my ignition problem on my early 80's 90hp inline 6 (tower of power). So over the last couple of years I have experienced some intermittent starting issues (weekend to weekend). But when it starts it runs great and would always start that weekend. This time when it wouldn't start I wanted to do some troubleshooting. I found NO spark. So here are my questions....
I think it is the trigger assembly. I can rule out the coils (unlikely all 6 stopped working). I can rule out the switch boxes (unlikely both switch boxes went at once). I can rule out the stator (newer stator and the ohms readings match the service manual values). So I say trigger because I was reading very high resistance between the brown and white wires. Service manual says it is way out of spec. Now I hope I got the right wires when I did the test, but I followed the manual to the best of my abilities.
So here are my questions... before I start spending money on parts.
1) When I was looking at this I found that my starter pinion gear is seized in the top position. It still works but my flywheel is grinding it away. So I have metal shavings in the starter/flywheel area. So how does the trigger work? Can the metal shavings be stuck on the flywheel magnets? Is there a chance that i can clean it up and my trigger will work again? Or should I just get a new trigger?
2) Will I have to re-time the motor once I take off the flywheel? Can I just remove the flywheel, don't spin the crank, and reinstall in the exact same place?
3) When I was troubleshooting I put my voltage meter on the green coil output wire, off the switch box. I found when i was cranking the engine i would get only 1 volt DC when the switch box calls for that coil to fire. What is the proper way to troubleshoot the switch box? Should I be getting 12 volts DC there? Or is that AC voltage?
Thanks for any help!!
I think it is the trigger assembly. I can rule out the coils (unlikely all 6 stopped working). I can rule out the switch boxes (unlikely both switch boxes went at once). I can rule out the stator (newer stator and the ohms readings match the service manual values). So I say trigger because I was reading very high resistance between the brown and white wires. Service manual says it is way out of spec. Now I hope I got the right wires when I did the test, but I followed the manual to the best of my abilities.
So here are my questions... before I start spending money on parts.
1) When I was looking at this I found that my starter pinion gear is seized in the top position. It still works but my flywheel is grinding it away. So I have metal shavings in the starter/flywheel area. So how does the trigger work? Can the metal shavings be stuck on the flywheel magnets? Is there a chance that i can clean it up and my trigger will work again? Or should I just get a new trigger?
2) Will I have to re-time the motor once I take off the flywheel? Can I just remove the flywheel, don't spin the crank, and reinstall in the exact same place?
3) When I was troubleshooting I put my voltage meter on the green coil output wire, off the switch box. I found when i was cranking the engine i would get only 1 volt DC when the switch box calls for that coil to fire. What is the proper way to troubleshoot the switch box? Should I be getting 12 volts DC there? Or is that AC voltage?
Thanks for any help!!
