Old points that aren’t badly eroded or burned can usually be cleaned
with a special ignition points file or crocus cloth and either reset for
additional use or kept aboard the vehicle. Be sure to examine the
rubbing block. Even if the contacts are good, the block may be too badly
worn for the point contacts to be properly set, in which case the points
should be discarded. Spare points should be sprayed with something like
WD-40 and wrapped in a paper towel or bit of cotton rag, also sprayed
with WD-40. Small cookie tins or metal candy boxes make good storage
containers for such parts. Again, if the old points weren’t badly eroded
or burned, you can assume that the condenser was okay and it can be
kept as a spare.
The rotor and cap are two other components of mechanical breaker
point distributors that are usually replaced, or at least checked and
cleaned during tune-ups,. Most M-series waterproof distributors have an
inner cap inside the metal cover, which is replaced like the cap of a
civilian-type distributor. Both the rotor and the contacts within the
distributor cap gradually erode and burn. Like the points, if not severely
worn, they can be cleaned and reinstalled, or kept as spares. If you plan
to drive and use your MV, it is very important to keep any usable parts
aboard. The same applies to spark plugs, whether conventional civilian
types as used on most WWII MVs, or the waterproof types of M-series
vehicles. They can be checked, cleaned and re-gapped with a feeler
gauge rather than simply replaced, and/or kept as spares. Keep in mind
that spark plug wires, even those formidable-looking waterproof types,
don’t last forever and will eventually need replacement.
The coil question
What about the ignition coil? While there are rare instances of a coil
becoming weak or failing to fire if it gets hot, one may usually think of a
coil as being like a light bulb... it either works or it doesn’t. If it works
it’s okay, if it doesn’t it can’t be fixed.
While coils, like condensers, can be tested with the appropriate
equipment, they are inexpensive items so it’s usually less bother to
replace them. Like a light bulb, if a coil doesn’t work, throw it away.
Compared to today’s cars and trucks, most common hobbyist military
vehicles require a lot of adjustments and tinkering with. But that, too, is