1966 Ford 3/4 pickup w/351 won't start

[lennyduval]

Have replaced plugs (sparkplug wires), distributor cap, coil, distributor cap, points and capacitor, and the large resistor mounted on the firewall. Can't figure out why it won't start. Weak spark from the coil.

[chandler]

Is it a Windsor or Cleveland? Not that it matters a lot, just curious. How do you know it has a weak spark from the coil? How is your fuel delivery? Break open the gas line, pull the coil wires off the distributor and coil and turn the engine over. Do you have fuel? Is the carb set properly. That thing is a gas hog, you know. You only got three things to check....fuel, air and spark. Have you checked the spark at the plugs? Are the plugs gapped good.

[Edward074]

Oh those were the good old days. A hand full of wrenches, a few screw drivers, and there was much you could do. Now you need a roll-a-way full of tools, and all kinds of meters, and code books.

[equinox]

On the spark side did you also replace the rotor and the high tension coil and plug wires? If not, have you tried cranking it over at night and looking for arcing, typically across the valve covers. Are you sure you have the points gapped correctly? How about the distributor itself? Any chance you loosened it off a lilttle and messed with the timing? What is the wiring connection going to it like? Is it connected by a harness connector and what is that condition? Are you getting a good 12Volts into the distributor and also then into the coil?

[marksr]

How was it running previously? have you done a compression check?

btw - welcome to the forums!

[WB3BSN]

You guys forgot the little ground wire on the breaker plate.
God you guys are as old as myself.

[chandler]

Old is right. Sage advice is the best. Book stuff you can get on the internet. Our stuff can't.

[equinox]

Exactly as Chandler says. Learning by scraped knuckles and more than a few curse words goes a long way in our memories. I just changed the serpintine belt on my sons car on Saturday night and expected it to take me 10 minutes max. 1.5 hours later trying to fish it in a half inch space left between it and the fender well, with just barely enough space to get my 3/8 drive ratchet into the tensioner in the first place and get it to stay around the pulleys so I could release the tensioner brought all my learning methods back including rarely used words these days for me from the English language. I have the scrapped knuckles now to prove it too. Hey the shop wanted to charge my son $98 and I bought a good quality belt for $25. We may not all be young still but we all still love a good repair opportunity to open up the tool box.

[the_tow_guy]

FWIW, I chased a weak spark problem on my '76 Celica way back when for about two days that turned out to be a dead (or dying) condensor; as soon as I disconnected the darn thing engine fired right up. Ah, the good old days.