914 tachometer acting funny Options

[recko911]

What would be the cause for the tachometer needle to move irregular. It's starts off normal but as I get to the end of the gear it jumps irradically. Then returns to normal. It also feels as if the engine will shut off but it doesn't. Advice would be appreciated.

[recko911]

Hopefully I make it home with this rain.

I also just found that on the distributor only two have a spark at the cap. Does that mean I need a valve adjustment

[realred914]

Hopefully I make it home with this rain.

I also just found that on the distributor only two have a spark at the cap. Does that mean I need a valve adjustment

at teh cap only two of the four throw a spark??? uhm, how are you testing it? if your holding the spark wire just above the cap looking for a spark, you have to be sure the wire you are using is grounded and in good condition.

also never ever ever run a pertronix equiped motor with no spark plug wires attahed, you always MUST have at least one spark plug attached, or have the center terminal on the coil grounded with a jumper. if you crank the motor with no spark plugs attached to the distributor, the spark will have no place to go, the charge will continue to build until it frys the pertronix, do not even crank a motor with out the coil having a path to ground else it is bye bye pertronix.

now that is nto your problem, for if the pertronix failed, you'd get no spark. so double check you test wire you use to see spark jump if you still have no spark on two terbminals I'd suspect bad cap or you wires you use to test are bad.

try this test, take spare spark plug, and ground it to the engine (a jumper wire hosed clamped to the spark plug threads on one end,a dn grounded to the engine case on the other works nice. then crank the motor, and confirm spark or not. do this for each of the four spark plug wires.


the valve adjustment would nto effect the spark, so lets not mess with the valves yet.

you have no dwell adjustment to worry about with electronic points, however you still need to set iming, BUT the timing will not effect te lack of spark you now have.

likely bad spark plug wire, or cap.


you can also ohm out the spark plug3wires, make sure the "good" ones read simular resistance to teh two "bad ones" also check the center coil wire the same way, the longer wires will generally have a hgiher resistance. be sure to wiggle the ends to make sure any breaks in the wires are not intermittant.

good lucky