[classwinners]

I am helping out a friend with his '72 350SL (in gorgeous Moss Green) that started right up after 8 years of sitting. A week later (and after working on brakes), I'm getting absolutely no spark. I've read through all of the online material and here's what I've tested and found:
1) The ballast resistors are showing resistance in the .4 and .6 ohm ranges
2) There is power to the coil -- at least on one side, but nothing firing from it. I have tested by swapping in a good coil with no change.
3) There is power to the points
4) The green wire to the capacitor has been cut.

Anything else I should check before trying to track down a new switchgear unit to mount in the wheel well? If this is the only item left to be bad, does anyone have a spare sitting around that I can buy? The ones on eBay seem egregiously expensive.

Thank you so much!
Sam

 

[MBGraham]

I am helping out a friend with his '72 350SL (in gorgeous Moss Green) that started right up after 8 years of sitting. A week later (and after working on brakes), I'm getting absolutely no spark. I've read through all of the online material and here's what I've tested and found:
1) The ballast resistors are showing resistance in the .4 and .6 ohm ranges
2) There is power to the coil -- at least on one side, but nothing firing from it. I have tested by swapping in a good coil with no change.
3) There is power to the points
4) The green wire to the capacitor has been cut.

Anything else I should check before trying to track down a new switchgear unit to mount in the wheel well? If this is the only item left to be bad, does anyone have a spare sitting around that I can buy? The ones on eBay seem egregiously expensive.

Thank you so much!
Sam

If you think the switchgear is dead, a low cost fix, is to install a Pertronix points replacement plus a Pertronix Flamethrower coil. There is a section in the stickies showing how to wire this.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r-c...668-pertronix-install-without-switchgear.html

Have you checked the points? If they are set to about 0.014", car should run. Dwell can be adjusted later.

Other than disconnected condenser, is the distributor green wire still connected from distr points to terminal near resistors and then to switchgear terminal 7?

Switchgear casing should be grounded as should distributor, both by mounting bolts. Make sure coil brown wire from coil terminal 1 has good ground.

M117 shop manual Section 7.5-520-4.2 has some info on testing the switchgear. (section 519 has wiring diagram)

I have same car with Pertronix (but still original switchgear), so please ask if you have any questions.