If I have a wiring error, I simply can’t find it…UPDATE: FIXED!

[frankr]

One more thought before I die from brain overload. Grounding out through the coil primary resistance is over simplification. It is not only a DC load but also an inductive load, since it is a coil. Added to that, it also is combined with a capacitor, making it some sort of resonant circuit.

STILL, we are right back to why the points are not grounding it out.

Back to the EE.

[crosbyman]

to kill the ignition you need to join the two point sets together via the "kill" switch….

have you tried disconnecting both kill wires at the points and measure the resistance between the two wires … with and without the kill switch in kill mode

please post your results ! you should read 0 ohms in kill mode and OPEN in run mode (disconnect the battery while doing the test )

option a – wires short out to 0 ohm in kill mode …… work the engine points side for a solution
option b- wires do not short themselves in kill mode….. work back to the switch for a solution (bad switch, wrong switch, open wire….

Joining AOMCI has priviledges 🙂

[nj-boatbuilder57]

Really hate to say "I’ve done all that", but Tuesday night I’m going to do it all again, this time taking careful notes & disconnecting everything.

What’s bugging the heck out of me it this: if the kill switch was wrong or miswired, etc., then I would think both cylinders would spark. But no. Bottom dies, top sparks. Makes no sense.

But you’re right: disconnect in the middle, then either work back to the points, or work forward to the switch.

To get good resistance readings, I really need to disconnect the coils from the caps…..which I may end up doing. But if I reach into the drawer for my wheel puller one more time, it’s going to look at me and say "seriously?"

[garry-in-michigan]

The kill switch is a simple switch. The fact that one breaker point set shorts without affecting the other indicates it is picking up a ground some ware. Running OK when the switch is not pressed indicates the Magneto is OK. I would suspect an internal fault in the stop switch. If it is a new switch, it may be the wrong one. Disconnect both magneto wires at the switch and see if touching them together kills the engine. The switch for the magneto ignition is different from one for battery ignition. They are easy to mix up. . .

Good Luck ! ! ! 😀

[nj-boatbuilder57]

The magneto kill wires are presently connected to a SPST switch and nothing else. Closing that switch should….in theory & practice…kill both sparks, but it only kills one.

Something’s wrong somewhere, but I’ll be damned if I can figure out what.

[garry-in-michigan]

It can only happen if one of the wires from the points became disconnected and the part from the switch is touching a ground. Check the insulating sleeves and wire clamps . . . 😉

[crosbyman]

step 1- remove both condensers
step 2- measure ohms across both kill wires going to the points
step 3- on each individual kill wire measure resistance to mag plate frame with points closed ..
step 4- measure ohms between mag plate to engine frame

please post results for each step

Joining AOMCI has priviledges 🙂

[vintin]

The 1957 Javelin didn’t have kill wires going to both ignition points. Did you add a second wire?

Also the 57 Javelin isn’t covered in the wiring diagram you posted.

Are you sure the both wires really go all the way back to the two sets of points?

0.6 ohms sounds low for two primaries in series.

[jerry-ahrens]

quote VinTin:

The 1957 Javelin didn’t have kill wires going to both ignition points. Did you add a second wire?

Also the 57 Javelin isn’t covered in the wiring diagram you posted.

Are you sure the both wires really go all the way back to the two sets of points?

0.6 ohms sounds low for two primaries in series.

Good point on the kill wires for the 1957 model…. I believe I would start at each set of points (if in fact they each have a stop wire attached to them) and work my way down with an ohm meter. Don’t forget to wiggle wires and connections during testing. FYI, those little knife connectors on the stop circuit wires are notorious for opens. Just for kicks, consider using an analog ohm meter for these tests. Digital meters can make us chase our tails sometimes.
You can recheck the gap on each set of points, and be certain that they are closing squarely. You don’t need to re torque the flywheel nut to retest the system… just drop the flywheel on and finger tighten the nut. After the problem is solved, then torque to specs.

[frankr]

’57 Javelin??? Where did it say that? If you really do have a ’57, what was just said is true. ’57 was not wired for an igniton switch, and that is the wrong diagram. Of course it could be modified to ’58 design.

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