No juice coming out of new coil on my 57 Caddy

[Gene McCormick]

I installed correct 12 volt coil for my 57 Caddy with external resistor. wire from firewall unit to positive side of coil and wire from
distributor to negative side of coil with new resistor attached to positive. With ignition on my test light shows power on positive side
and negative side.  When turning motor over no juice comes out of main coil wire. This was happening with original coil. What did
I do wrong

[52Cadillac]

Gene ill look, but I think I've a positive, and neg hookup to coil from distributor. I do have a electronic ignition installed. Then from firewall into ceramic resistor then into positive side if coil. I'm pretty sure that's how my 52 converted to 12v is hooked up. Hope it helps, or ya need me to go look, let me know.
Mike

[gary griffin]

   How are the points condenser, rotor and distributor cap? Any fault within the distributor can cause the symptoms  you mention.  The electrical path is from the coil in through the center of the distributor cap and then to the 8 wires going to each spark plug. The condenser saves up (For lack of a better term) the electricity until the points open.  You can tickle the points (open them with a screwdriver with insulated handle) and that should excite the coil to discharge a spark. Harder to explain it than to do it.

Gary Griffin

[dplotkin]

I installed correct 12 volt coil for my 57 Caddy with external resistor. wire from firewall unit to positive side of coil and wire from
distributor to negative side of coil with new resistor attached to positive. With ignition on my test light shows power on positive side
and negative side.  When turning motor over no juice comes out of main coil wire. This was happening with original coil. What did
I do wrong

If the points are closed you will read 12 v on both sides of the coil to ground. It is when the points open that the magnetic field of the primary windings in the coil collapses and in so doing induces a current in the secondary windings that result in the spark. The points have to close and open in order to get action. Verify your points (contacts & rubbing block) are in good condition, gap properly set.

Dan

[Gene McCormick]

The points rotor and cap are all new.  When you take the main coil wire and as a friend is cranking over there should be a blue
spark coming out when wire is placed close to a metal ground.  I had same problem with my 62 Caddy except it seemed to solve
itself. The only thing I havent replaced is the distb condenser.  Gene

[J. Gomez]

Gene,

I maybe missing something, you should have three wires at the resistor.

A pink from the ignition switch to one of the resistor terminal.

A yellow from the starter solenoid to the other side of the resistor.

A black for the “+” side of the distributor, this is hooked on the same resistor terminal as the yellow.

When the ignition switch is “on” it will feed a 12V up to the pink to the resistor. Once you turn the ignition switch to cranked the starter the 12V is removed from the pink and the solenoids provides a 12V on the yellow directly to the distributor “+”. Once the engine starts and you release the ignition switch it provides the 12V back on the pink.

Hope this helps..!

Good luck

[Gene McCormick]

Problem solved. Points were too wide open. These points were in sealed box ...old stock..but noticed some white like corrision
on the points adjuster and spring making stiff to turn for adjustments. Purchased current points and on bench tested using a used
Caddy distributor to set points and gap.  Installed the shiny point set along with new rotor and distb cap and Caddy started instantly
and purred nicely. Just have to set dwell (after I fix my dwell meter) and timing. Thank you everybody for your tips. It sure pays to
have a spare distributor to practice on. Gene in Canada.  P.S. I used a elastic around distributor cap to hold metal window open for the adjustments