coils question

daveymc29

daveymc29

Well-known member
Just wondering if the new coils with the oil inside can be mounted in the normal manner on a Model A or do we need to get a longer feed to the center of the distributor and mount them with the outlet to the distributor in the upright position. I have been told the oil is for cooling and if mounted with the high tension wire down, as in the Model A, that the coil will burn out in short order. NAPA says that is not true, as does our local parts house. What is correct?
Thanks,
Dave Mc Arthur,
"Not the Ace electrician"
 
Most coils are now probably oil filled . People that sell oil filled coils are not likely to give negative info about products that they sell . I read the info about oil filled coils failing when mounted with the wire connections at the bottom , here years ago. I bought a bunch of six volt tractor coils from a tractor dealer here that was going out of business . The tractor coils were oil filled and every one of them failed in a fairly short time after being mounted in the model A manner . Several of the bee hive coils that I used failed in a short time after being mounted in the model A manner. I haven't had a single coil failure since I learned how to mount them . All oil filled coils may not fail after being mounted in the model A manner . After what I have learned about the mounting of oil filled coils , I won't mount another oil filled coil in the model A manner to find out . I mostly avoid oil filled coils and just used the epoxy filled version . The few dollars that I would save by using oil filled coils is just not worth it to me. A person will learn more from their mistakes than from what something that someone that they don't even know said .
 
I've tried probably 5 different coil brands, oil filled (12 volts) and mount them with the terminals up and with an extended copper (not carbon) lead to the dizzy. They can get hot, but supposedly some say it's better terminals up so the oil engulfs the secondary windings. I try to find paste or tar filled coils in junk yards which seem to work well at a fraction of the cost. Take a good ohm meter and measure the resistance across the +/- term's.
 
Me neither. I follow ignition threads closely since I am a retired firefighter from the days of old. We depended on having dual ignition setups to guarantee the engine would show up where it was supposed to. We had a great deal of extra training in ignitions, coils, points, voltages, and such. People should clearly use whatever coil they wish, in any position they wish, and it seems we should be able to express our experience and opinions.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=212600
 
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Some cars had oil filled coils mounted sideways, and tower down from the factory, it wasn't a problem till recently, modern production is having problems making replacement parts that work properly---even OE companys
 
Here's a shorted out coil that was leaking oil on a neighbor's car yesterday. Had spark at the points, but little or no spark at the secondary going to the distributor cap and spark plugs. Car wouldn't start. Noticed the oil on the coil, so I touched the coil and it was VERY hot with ignition switch on. Then I installed an old aftermarket 6V coil I had in a box and the car started instantly and did not get hot. This coil had been running in his car for many years, and just now shorted out. My two cents for the day.
 

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The first time I encountered this was with VW decades ago. Oil coils do not like to be tipped upside down. Hard lesson learned. Keep the coil wire pointed skyward and you should be fine. Or, use a resin or epoxy filled unit. If the new oil filled units are properly filled and completely sealed then maybe they would be fine, but, I'm not sure about that, so, I'm not trying it.
 
I was told by a guy who has forgotten more about Model As than I will ever know that oil fillied coils shoud be mounted with terminals up after I complained about having just had to replace my 5th coil in ten or fifteen thousand miles. He said he had to replace coils often too until he turned them over and no trouble since. He said that the primary windings are at the bottom of ther coil and if it is mounted terminas down, they get hot. I changed mine and no trouble since.
BUT I mentioned it at a club meeting one night and another member cut open an old coil and we couldn't see the logic in that. The fact that it works remained.
Are you confused yet??? I am and my coil will stay terminals up.
 
Studebaker has oil filled coils mounted with the terminals down, and no oil leaks.
 

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Why would ford mount the coils terminal down? just to keep water out? Terminal’s up and a boot for the high tension lead, problems solved? Terminal’s down and a boot I found corrosion, cleaned it up and running good now.
 
The old PCB filled coils worked in any position. The new oil filled coils sometimes work in the Model A way depending on how well they are made and if they have the correct ohm rating for thei usage. The oil filled do t like to work on their sides. The epoxy will work in any position.
 
I am looking to purchase a coil other than OIL filled. I see that Summit Racing sells Per Tronix Ignition Coils which are EPOXY filled and Primary Resistance is 1.5 ohms with maximum voltage rated at 40,000 volts.

MY QUESTIONS:
How does this coil match up to the original coll in that it is filled with EPOXY and voltage rated at 40,000 volts?
What is the original coils maximum rated voltage?
What are the original coils Primary Resistance?
Will it burn the plugs or points more quickly?
 
A Friends' 12 Volt Dodge pickup DIED! He grabbed an old coil & it ran FINE. Next day,Something went BOOM & it died. It was a 6 Volt, oil filled coil & it EXPLODED, with OIL/SMOKE/COPPER FUZZ, EVERYWHERE!!!!---NLOL
Bill W.
 
OK, so I have found so many things wrong with my car by the previous owner, that now I suspect everything. I have two new coils (from Snyders). They indicate + and - at the terminals.

What goes where? The way my car was wired, the black wire from the terminal box goes to the - and the red wire from the switch goes to the +.

Is that correct?

Thanks gents.
 
hangarb7 said:
OK, so I have found so many things wrong with my car by the previous owner, that now I suspect everything. I have two new coils (from Snyders). They indicate + and - at the terminals.

What goes where? The way my car was wired, the black wire from the terminal box goes to the - and the red wire from the switch goes to the +.

Is that correct?

Thanks gents.
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If your car is positive ground then yes it is correct.
 
Continued failure of an ignition coil (oil or epoxy) infers, to me, something other that the coil is the cause. other areas are spark plugs, rotor, distributor cap, coil wire, Just FYI! If replacing the coil often is the case, further investigation needed.
 
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