Post to the EFV-8 Forum
Post Classified Ads
Shop the Online Store

User Login

Not Registered Yet? Click Here to Sign Up!

Early Ford V-8 Club Forum

FORUM RULES: Users agree to these Rules when using Forum.

The site administrator reserves the right to change the terms and conditions of the user agreement without prior notice to the user. It is the responsibility of the user to regularly review the terms of this agreement.

The user agrees to the following terms:

All information that you provide to us for your membership is correct.
You will not use your membership to spam, harrass, or exploit other members in any way.
Vulgar, Abusive, Racist and Sexist Language will not be tolerated.
Commercial-type sales postings will not be allowed.
No mass posting or flooding of the boards is allowed.
No Advertising of parts or cars; no Ebay or business/commercial ads (please use the "Classified" for ads Wanted or For Sale).
VIEWING MULTIPLE TOPICS ON SCREEN: You can choose to see more than 10 Topics at a time ... Log In and choose "Preferences" from the top bar on the Forum page. Scroll down and Change the "Default Topics Returned" parameter to 25 or 50, and save the changes. Since this setting is stored in your browser 'cookies' (if enabled), it seems to use that stored value even if you are not logged in. So, if you use a PC that you haven't logged into the forum from, the setting still seem to remain at the default.
EXTERNAL PHOTO LINKS ON FORUM: You can still use external photo links in your posts on the new forum. They follow the rules of any link in that they have to have the URL link qualified down to the full image file name (example: .jpg). The links will open in a new browser window, the same as an uploaded image attached to a post. Since an image attachment to any post does not display inline with the post, the results are the same. You can use multiple external links within a post. This link is from photos on a site from Don Clink's 'Deuce@75' albums:

http://donclink.com/deuce_75_1/images/dscn2950.jpg

Using links from photo sites such as Photobucket can help in "size" issue with uploaded attachment files. For best viewing in web browsers, photos should be around the 800x600 pixel range, and probably not more than 1024x768. Most cameras today store HUGE jpg image files, as the default settings are in the 7, 8, 10, and 12Mb image sizes. The image files that are then attached are very large, and the browser can't display the full image size without using the scroll bars. Use the re-sizing functions of your photo editing software to reduce the image to 800x600, which reduces the file sixe and the image load time in the browser. Don uses Google's free Picassa3 software, which is an excellent photo management product. All of the photo albums of the Deuce, Grand National, and Auburn that are links on the NORG site were built using Picassa's web creation functions. And it's free? (THANKS to Don Clink for the info!)
HOW DO I SHOW MY EMAIL ADDRESS ALONG WITH MY USERNAME? You can LogIn on the Forum, and select PREFERENCES. On this page Members can add optional information such as their City,State, Country; Occupation; Hobbies: list a Homepage; list AOL Instant Messanger Handle; Signature; "Make Email Address viewable to others;" and even change the number of Default Topics shown on a page. WHEN others click on your profile, they will see this information.

EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Proper ignition coil wiring

Reply to Discussion | New Discussion

<< previous || next >>

Posted By

Discussion Topic: Proper ignition coil wiring -- page: 1 2

Junglejim

06-12-2020 @ 11:17 PM

reply profile send p.m.

Member
Posts: 17
Joined: Jun 2020

Hey y'all, I'm new here and am trying to trouble shoot my '37 flathead. It will turn over but wint fire. Carburetor gets fuel. I have installed a 6v fuel pump and a fella that rebuilt the engine back in 2003 put an aftermarket distributor and ignition coil in. I have removed a spark plug and get very poor arc, I suspect it's my ignition coil, which I noticed had the wire that came from the firewall hooked to the positive pole of the coil and the other wire connected to the negative. Is this wrong? 6v positive ground, the wiring should be flipped. Could some one inform me properly on how to hook up my ignition coil?
Jim

40 Coupe

06-13-2020 @ 7:36 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 1679
Joined: Oct 2009

If your battery is connected + to ground then the coil + should go to ground, that is the wire going to the distributor points.
Another source of poor spark could be the resistance of the primary of the coil you have. Ford has a 0.5 ohm resistor under the dash for their original coil which had a primary resistance of about 0.5 ohm. If your coil has the same approximate primary resistance then use the ford resistor if it is 1.0 ohm primary resistance there is no need for the Ford resistor and it should be bypassed.

Junglejim

06-13-2020 @ 9:16 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Member
Posts: 17
Joined: Jun 2020

Thanks for the info. I cannot see where a resistor is on I'm my car, but I will continue to look. What is the life expectancy of an ignition coil?
Jim

carcrazy

06-13-2020 @ 11:03 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 1674
Joined: Oct 2009

The ignition resistor should be mounted up under the instrument panel inside the passenger compartment. The wire from the ignition switch mounts to one side of the resistor when using a stock original 1937 Ford coil and the wire that goes to the ignition coil mounts to the other side of the resistor. When using an aftermarket cylindrical 6V coil you should bypass this resistor by either mounting both wires to the same terminal of the resistor or using one new wire to go directly from the switch to the coil.

Buy a quality coil and it should last a long time. Always carry a spare coil with you in case the one on the engine fails. I have had new coils fail in as little as 10 minutes.

Junglejim

06-13-2020 @ 11:56 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Member
Posts: 17
Joined: Jun 2020

Thanks senior,
Where do you purchase your coils?
Jim

carcrazy

06-13-2020 @ 9:25 PM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 1674
Joined: Oct 2009

I have bought coils from many sources and found that cheap coils do not last very long. One source that I trust to sell a quality coil is Fifthavenuegarage.com. Randy Rundle who prepares cars to run in the Great Race sells a 6V Coil, P.N. 954156C for $80. You can buy coils for as little as $20 elsewhere but I find that you get what you pay for.

Big Red 51

06-14-2020 @ 2:48 AM

reply profile send p.m.

New Member
Posts: 192
Joined: Oct 2009

Car Crazy, Is it possible to check electrically an ignition coil with built-in resistor for working? I use the NAPA Echlin IC 7 coil on my 8BA engine with stock distributor. About every three years, in hot weather driving, the engine stumbles and dies. At first I thought it was a fuel problem or just bad ethenol gas. Fuel system is clean and tight. I finally installed a new Echlin coil and I am good for another 3 years at about 2 or 3 thousand miles on average with plenty of hot weather driving. Never a problem otherwise. Thus, I would like to test the coil for functioning under load with high heat to see if it really is the coil. Thanks, Big Red

1931 Flamingo

06-14-2020 @ 5:34 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Member
Posts: 388
Joined: Nov 2019

Interesting: Coil failure vs. condenser...............
Paul in CT

TomO

06-14-2020 @ 9:30 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 7256
Joined: Oct 2009

Big Red, you can test the coil for heat break down by removing the coil wire from the distributor cap and holding it near a good ground while turning over the engine to check the spark. If the spark jumps about 1/2" and is blue in color, continue with the heat test. If you do not get a good spark, try checking or replacing the condenser.

Heat test: Tap the starter until the points are closed and turn on the ignition for 4-5 minutes. Recheck the spark, it should be the same as the first test. If it is significantly weaker, get rid of the coil before it strands you.

I have seen new coils fail this test, but when they pass it they last a long time.

Jim, the best test for an external resister is to tap the starter until the points are closed, turn on the ignition switch and measure the voltage at the input to the coil. It should be near battery voltage, if it is less, you have resistance in the primary circuit. Check your spark like I described for Big Red.

Tom

JayChicago

06-14-2020 @ 10:03 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Member
Posts: 486
Joined: Jan 2016

"Interesting: Coil failure vs. condenser...............
Paul in CT"

Yes, this can be confusing. From what I understand, they both give similar symptoms: weak spark, more likely to show itself when warm, may work again after cool-down.

TomO, do you have a thought on this? Am I correct about the symptoms being about the same? Or does a bad condenser give weak spark hot or cold. When we are faced with a weak spark condition, is there something to indicate the coil vs. the condenser?

This message was edited by JayChicago on 6-14-20 @ 10:06 AM

<< previous || next >>

PAGE: 1 2

NOTE: YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED USER AND BE LOGGED IN TO POST (and reply to) messages in this forum. If you are a first time user, please click the CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT in the masthead above to register and Log In. After that, all you do is LOG IN to enjoy using this site.

DISCLAIMER: The V-8 Club does no independent testing of any of the opinions, thoughts or suggestions presented in the website on the Forum, in the Tech Tips section, or any section. A reader should consider the website to be a forum wherein differing solutions to a particular set of circumstances may be discussed. Ultimately, the selection of an item for an individual's vehicle must be based upon the independent study of the vehicle owner in consultation with people in the hobby and restoration experts.

Early Ford V-8 Club Forum

Merchandise Questions

Membership Questions