Sparks lost in the engine bay

[HFHAWK]

I recently purchased a Beta volumex, had been standing for at least 3 years with an engine problem, probably ignition. This is my third VX engined car and is proving a bit reluctant to burst into life.

I was convinced the rotor arm was at fault as the coil, plugs, leads and cap had been changed. There was a signal from the dizzy and the ignition modules are pretty bomb proof. It was not the rotor arm. I changed the ignition module, it was not that either.

Eventually I found the fault but not the cause so to speak. If the distributor is removed and turned by hand, the sparks come back into our lifes. The distributor does not appear to function when on the engine(end of camshaft type) The sparks are lost somewhere or more likely the coil is not 'triggered'

WHY?

I tried earthing the distributor when turning by hand, stills functions. All the plugs were out and the battery was fully charged so the engine turns over quickly but:

Perhaps the hall effect signal is too weak
I've got 'charged hands'
I've missed something obvious
Not many passengers are prepared to sit in the car and turn the distributor by hand, imagine, 3000rpm

Any ideas, it took me 3 months to find the faulty rotor arm on my stratos replica, only played up when hot. Starting to wish I'd bought a piano!

[lanciamad]

Presuming the end of the cam is ok. (Get someone to turn the engine over with the dizzy off so you can check the cam), interesting... Where are you getting the sparks, off of the coil lead or each individual lead If its sparking easily by hand, set all 4 leads up on the cam cover, then set all 4 spark plugs up on the engine and turn over by hand. If all 4 plugs are sparking strongly, then not when fitted, your beta's in a stroppy mood 

[thecolonel]

It is also possible that moving the dizzy is having an effect on the two pin cable plugged into
the side, these cables can deteriorate and make intermittant connections.
I once went through a dozen Alfa cables before finding a good one.

Geoff

[HFHAWK]

It was not the cable, last hope, something to do with the starter/ignition circuit. I'll try and bypass the ignition lock barrel, failling that it'll slowly join the parts bin, blower for an MG anyone?

[thecolonel]

While since I had a Beta but, I seem to remember that the dizzy drive has a pin that holds
the offset tooth drive to the distributor shaft, might be that the distributor drive is not
engaging with the camshaft.

Had a similar problem with a friends Volumex and it was the ignition amplifier that was
at fault. (even replacements can be faulty)

Geoff

[rossocorsa]

blower for an MG anyone?

in my opinion anyone knowingly selling a blower for an MG should have a lifetime ban from the forum

[HFHAWK]

Finally had some free time and discovered that the car will easily bump start, sort of an obvious thing to start with. The engine did cut out a few times, especially when one brakes hard - when your annoyed for example. Any ideas?