57 Special Ignition wiring Diagram needed - HELP!

[57wagon]

Guys and Dolls: I finally received my 57 Wagon a week ago and have set about getting her tuned up and ready for a brake overhaul and an interior...first step - degrease the engine and clean things up under the hood. Washed the engine really well and then set about changing plugs, wires, cap and rotor, points and a condensor. The wires were Packard (original??) and in really bad shape to say the least. Here is where the fun starts: I went to start the car up and no spark. Nothing. Thought I might have shorted the coil, changed it - nothing. So now I am on my knees begging for some help! Does anyone know where I can find the ignition circuit diagram for my '57 Special? Any books that you can recommend would be appreciated as well. I gapped the points to the same (or damned close) to what came out of the distributor. All the leads are connected - and repaired where needed...this one has me baffled.

Any help is much appreciated. Will send beer or funds for beer if necessary.

[Albert]

NO spark.. check for power to the coil first, that lead should go to the Ign terminal of the ign switch, maybe throught a ballest resistor. the other side of the coil goes to the distributer and breaker points, you can check with a continuty tester to make sure from Ground to the distributer lead, then open and close the points , other than that pick up new points and a NEW condensor not NOS..

[57wagon]

Thanks!! Will let you know tonight!

[Bhigdog]

First disconnect black wire from dist. Pink wire at ballast resister, with key on, should show +12V. Yellow wire from res. to coil also shows 12V. Black wire from coil to dist. should show 12V with it disconnected from points. If all that is happening, and the coil is good you, most likely, have a problem in the dist. Most likely have something shorted to ground or bad condensor. BTW, ignition circuit is not fused so don't bother looking.......Bob

[57wagon]

Got her running and boy howdy does this thing PURR! Thanks for the tips and hints. Fixed a loose wire to the coil - all my wires are black thanks to some idiot with a can of Krylon 20 years ago...have to peel and clean paint off of the wires just to see what is what. At least it stopped the engine compartment from rusting anywhere! After we found the spark, we reset the points and BOOM! She fired with a tap of the throttle. Scared my dad near to death when she caught so quickly. Thanks to you both for the tips and suggestions, it turned out to be just what we needed!

An engine that has been sitting this long seems to have a 'gummy-ness' to it. The more we run it, the quieter it gets - any additives we should pour into the motor before the next oil change that might improve the flow? My oil pressure is quite high when cold, and seems to stay to that side of the guage after running a bit. The lifters did/do clatter a bit at start up but quiet quickly. She shows 83,000 miles on her, and the 8 is near the bottom of the odometer, so I doubt she has turned over 180,000.