Morris Minor Owners Club

I bought my morris about a month ago, it had been lying on a chaps drive. I drove it of the trailer and around the field for a bit and it conked out. My problem is there is no spark to the plugs, i have inspected the distributer, points working fine, rotor arm good and no cracks in the distributer cap. I have power from the coil to the points, but i just cant get any spark to my plugs. the distributer body turns a bit with the clamp tightened. my mum has a morris and her distributer is rock solid. Any ideas to get my plugs to spark?

thanks, david.

If you take the dizzy cap off and turn the starting handle with the ignition on do you get a spark between the points when they open?

If yes...

And if you are not getting a spark at the plugs then between them is only one thing isn't there? The coil that is. I think that is the most common thing... its happened to me a few times

i have thought of the coil but i have got power coming from the coil to the distributer

Try swapping it with another one and see - if you have a spark at the distributor that doesn't mean your coil is ok.

There's a fragile little (low tension) wire from the terminal to the contacts - this has been known to break and stop a car dead.

ok, i have tried switching the coil with two different coils and still no difference so i dont think it is that

my distributer turns and wobbles, when i know that it is meant to be solid. does anyone know if this might make a diffence to the spark

Yes, if the centre spindle moves about then the dwell angle will be all over the place and your timing will be erratic. The spark should be OK ish (might be a little weak if the movement is so severe as to open/close the points gap). Just the spark will occur at the wrong time!

but if the car was fine and then just didn't start after a months rest this wouldn't seem to be your problem - as cam says, you should still get a spark to the plug - which you are not.

davidmayo - are you sure you have a spark at the points - when you turn the starting handle with the distributor cap off and the ignition on, is there a spark each time the points open?

DAVIDMAYO.....reading your earlier post I think you are saying that
the WHOLE distributor body can turn??? Is this so???

yes, willie this is correct

yes kirstmin there is always a spark.

cust in case it helps, i will tell you when it stopped working, it was working fine its just i was driving it aroung when the car just stopped dead and rolled to a stop then when i tried it there was no spark

sorry i thing my last post was a bit confusing.

just in case i meant that there is always a spark at the POINTS