The A1 wouldn't start

[jbjeeps]

Drove the A1 all summer during the Jeep Tour without a hitch. Always started, never left us stranded. Brought it home, parked it in the garage for about a week, went to start it yesterday - - NO START!

Got out my trusty TM9-8014 and went through the trouble shooting procedure. The problem? Bad points.

Either the Jeep gods were good to us during the Tour, or, the Jeep's mad that we brought it home.

Those points were put in a little over a year ago and only had maybe 1,500 miles on them. Is there anything I should be checking?
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1953 M38A1 (His)
1963 CJ5 w/Tuxedo Park Mk III (Hers)

See you at the Old Jeep Rendezvous in Ashton, Idaho 9:00 am - Noon on the first Saturday after July 4th. All pre-1970 Jeep vehicles, military or civilian, stock or modified welcome.

[w3wolf]

Check the oilpressure switch at the engine. There is no pressure, if you park your Mutt for a longer time. The security switch will stopp the fuelpump. You will have to overcome this safety tool with a simple wire. I do this every spring after the winterbreak.

Regards from Germany

[wesk]

JB has an M38A1 not a M151. No oil pressure safety switch.

JB,
Point systems require constant maintenance. It comes with the territory. Not sure of your age but I was running points in my cars in 1958 when I started driving and you seldom went 2000 miles without cleaning and adjusting them. 5000 miles was usually the limit on a set of contacts.

Several things contribute to early wear and replacement.

1-Worn distributor bearings. This causes a lot of point bounce.

2-Weak condenser results in excessive arcing and burning of the contacts.

3-Worn rubbing blocks especially from lack of lube lets the points virtually close all the way most of the time resulting in higher heat across the contacts and burning.

4-Poor distributor grounds result in higher primary resistance and shorter contact life.

5-Excessively high generator output will shorten both coil and contact life. So a periodic check with a digital voltmeter helps keep this under control.

The best continuing maintenance program is to own a dwell tach meter and a timing light. Use them about every 1000 miles. Large changes in timing or dwell will indicate contact issues that need to be addressed and you'll be able to catch them early and help your points last longer. Also the timing light check will allow you to confirm your centrifugal advance is functioning correctly and when it indicates that you aren't getting the correct additional advance you can get inside the distributor early and clean the weights and springs up and get that performance back up before it gives you grief on the road.
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Wes K
45 MB, 51 M38, 54 M37, 66 M101A1, 60 CJ5, 76 DJ5D, 47Bantam T3-C & 5? M100

Mjeeps photo album: http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules.php?set_albumName=Wes-Knettle&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

[Beacher425]

What about converting to a solid state ignition that doesn't use points or condenser?


http://www.eriksmilitarysurplus.com/m1sostigki57.html

[wesk]

That's a non-stock option worth considering for someone not interested in originality or not comfortable maintaining the point type system. It offers no increase in performance. It only offers the convenience of not having to maintain the mechanical contacts. I personally have used and installed both over the last 40 years and I don't feel the cost of about $150 Pertronix's vs $10 for points and condenser is worth it.

The $50 kit Erik sells is a military surplus replacement bolt in for the M151. The M38 & M38A1 distributors rotate opposite the M151 so the rotor in that kit has to have it's hall effect window relocated and the base assembly has to be indexed to the Willys/Auto-Lite/Prestolite distributor. A bit of work but not that tough for an experience builder.

Erik Maes has done this mod and posted a good how to here on this forum.
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Wes K
45 MB, 51 M38, 54 M37, 66 M101A1, 60 CJ5, 76 DJ5D, 47Bantam T3-C & 5? M100

Mjeeps photo album: http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules.php?set_albumName=Wes-Knettle&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

[oilleaker1]

I always buy a extra set of points and put it in the glove box. Done it for years with British cars also. Amazing how they mark their spot just like a Willys Jeep. Maybe the original designer moved here from England huh? John

[Balvar24]

[jbjeeps]

Thanks for all the replies and good info!

Wes, as always, very helpful! I'm putting a copy of your maint. tips in the TM for future ref. I started driving in the 60's and am familiar, but no expert, with points ignition systems. I suspected that your #5 might be the cause. It's been overcharging for some time. Had the regulator cleaned, serviced and adjusted this past May and it is better now. Rub block was also worn down.

Lucas ignition in a U.S. military Jeep oileaker? Sounds like an act of sabotage to me!

As oilleaker knows, I've been around British cars since the 60's. In fact, the last time a point ignition system let me down was in 1969 on a back road in northern N.J. in a '65 MGB roadster.

Pip pip! Cheerio!
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1953 M38A1 (His)
1963 CJ5 w/Tuxedo Park Mk III (Hers)

See you at the Old Jeep Rendezvous in Ashton, Idaho 9:00 am - Noon on the first Saturday after July 4th. All pre-1970 Jeep vehicles, military or civilian, stock or modified welcome.

[SHYBOY]

A newbie here... but';I couldn't resist... If you know about british cars you know about the oil leak inspector at the end of the MG assembly line.. If it didn't leak he put a small hole in the oil pan... Sorry; two drinks: I had to do it...

[oilleaker1]

Shyboy, that inspector drank warm beer too. He had a Lucas refridgerator. All British vehicles had a 3 position light switch: Dim, Flicker, and Off. On and On John

[SHYBOY]

That's for sure..