Ignition fault diagnostic help please

[dave.vitesse]

Pete, Agreed.

I guess this where our training kicks in!

Thinking on what has happened the welding is unlikely to effected the standard ignition system other than damaging a lead due to sparks or heat etc. Or did something get knocked in the welding process by accident. So a physical inspection to start with.

Then as the fault is somewhat elusive if it were me I would start from basic principles and work through the system. When in doubt establish a few facts.

The welding may be a red herring as there could have been a fault just lurking ready to jump out. It's the Gremlins I tell you! At least the smoke is still in the wiring which is a good start.

Dave

[Colin Lindsay]

1 hour ago, dave.vitesse said:

It's the Gremlins I tell you! At least the smoke is still in the wiring which is a good start.

Dave

Just because you didn't see it leave it doesn't mean that it's still there. Sneaky stuff, wiring loom smoke...

Sadly, when I went to check on my spares I found that it has seeped out through a cracked seal. I've ordered more from these two guys at the factory.

 

   

 

[JohnD]

20 hours ago, NonMember said:

Pretty unlikely. The problem with welding damaging alternators is because they contain some relatively sensitive silicon semiconductor bits. High voltages, even at low current and for very short times, can destroy such items. On the other hand, high voltages are exactly what the condenser is there to handle. The voltages aren't applied directly, of course, but through complicated inductive coupling from the arc generated by the welder. Arcing is very bad for semiconductors but, again, it's pretty much exactly what the condenser is wired across in normal use. In fact capacitors (which, as has already been said, is the modern name for condensers) are fitted on the "outside world" pins of electronic circuits precisely to protect the delicate semiconductors from high voltages generated by static charge build-up.

Thank you, NM, you lighten the darkness.

J.

[RAW1969]

Evening all

Just braved the cold to have another look. I’ve put some new points in. The old ones taken out look like the upper  Upside down plastic “top hat” washer had been squashed down under the ring terminals. The flange pretty much gone but still insulating the terminals from the spring. So swapping in the new points I’ve got the rings under the new hat. I now have a spark at the points when manually opening them. (What gibberish this is if taken out of context!). Unfortunately the battery’s has enough now. Will see if a bit of a charge up will revive it!

Still optimistic. Loving your post Dave. Just to see your picture the same as what I’ve been staring at gives me a bit of a lift .

Thanking you all again. Nearly there I hope!

Richard

[Pete Lewis]

 quote     the flange pretty much gone but still insulating the terminals from the spring

if the bush was insulating the eyelets of the wires it could never have run ???

Pete