Need help with distributor situation

Let me begin by saying thank you for any troubleshooting and/or advice you can give me.  I will start with some background.  I have a 1948 CJ2A that is all original.  I purchased it in August 2019, running and driving, and have used it regularly since.  It started to develop a very slight sputtering issue that I first tried to remedy by changing the fuel pump and filter.  This seemed to make it a bit better, but didn't get rid of the problem.  A few months later the problem is getting worse.  I read somewhere that the ignition condenser could be the culprit.  I ordered a new one, and since I was going into the distributor I went ahead and ordered points, a rotor and cap as well.  Now, I have never done any of this before.  This is my first vehicle with a points distributor.  I watched some youtube videos, and it seemed pretty straight forward.  I will tell you exactly what I did so as to provide complete information.  I removed the cap, rotor, and the metal cover that is under the rotor.  I did not turn the engine to TDC or anything else because I didn't think I had to.  I am starting to question if I was supposed to.  The thing is, I am a decent parts changer.  For the most part I (figure out how to) maintain and fix my own stuff, but while I can describe the trees in great detail, I do not fully understand the Forrest.  So, I removed the plate containing the points and condenser.  It took some doing to make it turn so that it would clear the bracket that forms the connection from a wire (negative?) that goes to the ignition coil.  I removed the plate and changed out the points and condenser, put the plate back on, turned the engine by moving the fan until the points were at their most open, and gapped the points to 0.02.  I then replaced the metal cover and put the new rotor on.  I then put the new cap on and transferred the wires from the old cap to the new one.  I am fairly certain that I got them back into the order that they were before.  Going counterclockwise, the order is 1-3-4-2, with 1 being at about 1:00.  I have since seen from a google search that 5:00 is correct, but I believe mine was at 1:00 originally.  I could be wrong though.  Jeep would not start.  I checked that the wires went to the right plugs (1 being the plug closest to the fan), then tried moving the wires one spot counter clockwise, then went the other way.  I then went back in and swapped out the new condenser for the old one and tried everything again.  I then swapped out the points for the original and tried again.  I am not having any luck, and I do not know what to do next.  I am hoping that someone sees a glaring mistake and can tell me what I did wrong.  Even better if they can tell me how to fix it.  Sorry for the long post, but I want to be thorough.  

I had a really weird situation.

jeepdidwhat wrote: wantcoffee99 wrote: ...  It started to develop a very slight sputtering issue that I first tried to remedy by changing the fuel pump and filter.  This seemed to make it a bit better, but didn't get rid of the problem.  A few months later the problem is getting worse.  ...   I had a similar problem, over time the engine started missing and sputtering.  The points were shot, so I changed points and condenser.  No change, the engine was still missing and sputtering.  I noticed the engine seemed to miss more after it had run for 20-30 minutes.  Then, I noticed my coil was hot, too hot to touch.  I replaced the coil, and it was like I had a new engine.

does the (-) terminal wire on the coil go to the distributor? A lot of people think that the (+) wire should go to dist

Check that the point mounting plate is "grounded".

Stev wrote: Great progress.  ------- Here is how this system works: 1. All the connections need to be clean and tight. 2. The coil has two windings in it and solid copper rod in the center that the main plug connects too.  The Battery feeds the outer winding of the coil called the Primary winding.  The Primary winding (thick wire with about 200 turns in it) is insulated from the inner winding (called the secondary winding (fine wire with let's say 2000 turns in it).  The primary winding is grounded to external post on the side of the distributor.  When the switch is turned "On" the Primary winding creates / induces a field around the Secondary winding and the Secondary gets loaded up with a high voltage charge - that is stable as long as the primary field is uninterrupted.  In order for the Secondary to release the high voltage charge to the center of the distributor, the Primary voltage has to collapse/ be interrupted.  Now this is where the genius of this thing happens.  The ground wire of the Primary goes into the distributor through the isolated post on the outside and shows up on the inside and connect to both the points and the condenser. The points arm is insulated from the base of the distributor and the center of the condenser by construction is also insulated from the base plate of the distributor.  So, the ground of the Primary is insulated when the points are open and no voltage can flowing from the battery except the amount getting loaded up in the condenser. I think of this as simple switch (points opening and closing).  When it is one way the Primary has voltage flowing and making a field and flowing to ground when the points are closed.  When the switch is in the other position the voltage is flowing into the condenser.  Here is where the magic happens - the voltage quickly loads up in the condenser and actually overloads the flow from the battery and starts flowing back towards the battery.  When this happens the Primary field collapses and the unstable high voltage charge built up in the Secondary winding flows out of the coil to the center of the distributor and on to the correct spark plug.  Got it? ----- So now you need to check to see if the condenser is working and make sure the point moving arm is not grounded when it is in the open position. With the key "On" and the plastic straw still holding the points surfaces apart in the distributor, take a jumper wire and hook it to the moving arm of the points. (Make sure the case of the condenser is grounded to the bottom plate of the distributor - clean and tight). Take the main center wire out of the distributor cap and again hold it about 1/4" away from the block (glove around it to insulate your hand) and take the unconnected end of the jumper wire and  touch it to a bear metal spot on the block.  If the condenser is good you will get a spark out of the main center wire to the block.  If you get a spark the condenser is good.  No spark and you did not get a spark fron the jumper wire the block either the here is a problem with the ground on the points.  If you do get the primary to spark then the condenser is probably bad.  There is still a change the at the main wire from the coil to center of the distributor is bad (it can be checked (Checking Continuity) with your meter set on Ohms).  If you get a spark it is time to fiddle with the points.  The points need to mate flat and centered.  Make sure there is not oxidation on the point contact surfaces (fold some 600 grit or higher # emery cloth (read very fine sandpaper) and polish the surfaces). After you clean up the points put the plastic straw back in between the points.  Turn the switch "On", while holding the center main coil wire 1/4" from a good ground spot on the block and remove the straw quickly.  You should get a spark from the main coil wire. Let us know what your find. Sorry about the Typos.

The points are held to the base plate with a single screw and there is no insulator under that screw because the plate is on the grounded side of the points (there is also an adjusting screw to changed the point gap that passes through the points plate). The moving arm is insulated from the points post. It rotates on by a plastic collar that acts as a insulator.  There is a terminal that the points spring mounts  to that the condenser wire also connects to.  That connection (read terminal) is made on a stand off that is insulated from the base plate - which may be where the "plastic broke free" from.

Edited by Stev - 21 May 2020 at 6:13pm