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Re: Oh Well, + vs. - ground

To: "ROBERT G. HOWARD" <mgbob@juno.com>, "MG List" <mgs@Autox.Team.Net>
Subject: Re: Oh Well, + vs. - ground
From: Larry Macy <macy@bblmail.psycha.upenn.edu>
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 1998 15:23:16 -0400
On 8/9/98 7:56 AM so and so (ROBERT G. HOWARD) said. (And I quote:)

Guess What? when I went and looked today I found that the two sets of 
points I bought yesterday are different. One is identical to the set that 
was on the car. Nylon post with a metal washer to connect the coil wire 
to the springed point. The other set is a metal post with a nylon bush to 
isolate it from ground. When I first put that one in, I put it in, in the 
same fashion that the one I took out was, nut and washer on top of the 
post. This grounded the coil/condenser wires to the dizzy. When I looked 
at it again, in the light of a new day, I realized that it was really the 
same as the original, the condensor and coil wires go under the nylon and 
connect to the spring. When I put it in that way, TaDa, Vroom and all 
that bloody rot.
Oh Well Operator error.

Learn to look at the parts, not just assume they are the same as the ones 
you took out.
(maybe a new sig line - Whadda think Nory?)

Bob, thanks for making me look.

Larry Macy
78 Midget
PS Bob I'm sending this to the list even though you sent your reply to me 
to save me some embarassment
>Hi Larry,
>  I'm puzzled by your observations--I have NOS points for the TD from its
>days as a + earthed car, and I have the current points for it purchased
>from Moss now that it's a - earthed car, and the points are the same. 
>They're interchangable and the car runs.
>  Could it be that the little fibre washer that fits under the moving
>points is missing, and that the moving point is shorting to ground? 
>Could it be that there is a tiny gap in the insulation of the wire that
>goes to the moving points? I've had that happen, and the problem can be
>difficult to find--try checking this in deep shade and looking for spark.
>  The fixed point is always grounded, since it is screwed to the base
>plate and the screw will be doing the grounding even if the rest of the
>unit were isolated by dirt or grease.
>Bob
>
>On Sat, 8 Aug 1998 18:43:04 -0400 Larry Macy
><macy@bblmail.psycha.upenn.edu> writes:
>>Well since this has come up in the last couple of days, here it is....
>>The Midget has to go in for state inspection this month (still got 
>>regular plates on it), SOOOO I decided this would be a good weekend to 
>>do 
>>a tune-up. 
>>Now Several years ago I replaced the Lucas electronoc ignition w/ a 
>>set 
>>of points. I have always bee able to get new points from PepBoys. (75+ 
>>
>>Spit motor) Now today It took better than 40 minutes to find the right 
>>
>>set. (shoulda known better) Got 'em home plopped 'em on the old dizzy 
>>ond 
>>NO JOY!!
>>WDF I thought. Went and pulled out the Haynes and the Factory Manuals. 
>>
>>Looked up the wiring diagrams, and HUH?? Got me cold. 
>>
>>So I tried the put back what you done took out ploy.
>>
>>VROOM. Fired right up. Shut er down looked at the diff between the two 
>>
>>sets and lo and behold, the non-movable contact is grounded - not the 
>>movable one (or could be the other way). Seems the ol' PepBoys sold me 
>>a 
>>set of points from the ol' pos ground spits, (course I tol' em it was 
>>a 
>>spit motor, silly me). 
>>Now I filed the snot out of the old set of points, before I went to 
>>PepBoys, so I figure I got a few miles on the old set 'fore I gotta 
>>get 
>>ANOTHER new set. 
>>Think the dummis at PepBoys will take the "new sets back??
>>
>>Larry Macy
>>78 MIdget


Larry B. Macy, Ph.D.
macy@bblmail.psycha.upenn.edu
System Manager/Administrator
Neuropsychiatry Section
Department of Psychiatry
University of Pennsylvania
3400 Spruce St. - 10 Gates
Philadelphia, PA 19104

In a world without walls or fences, what use do we have for windows or 
gates?


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