A coil question from a stupid newbie, again

J

jay1922t

Junior Member
The coil has positive and negative stud terminals.
Which stud terminal connects to the distributor?

It was suggested to replace the coil on a '29 closed cab pickup.
It would start, rpm good, rpm reduces, engine dies.
It would start right away, rpm good, rpm reduces, engine dies...repeat..repeat.
The fuel flow is excellent.

I bought a new distributor from Snyder's and was going to install it this morning.
I did not notice or knew that that there are positive and negative terminal studs on the coil.
And I didn't look to see what terminal connected to the distributor before I removed the old coil.

I gained another 'Stupid Guy Who Doesn't Know Much' trophy.

Comments appreciated. Bad comments welcomed....I deserve it.
 
If your car is wired like original, the wire from the terminal box connection goes to negative, and the wire to the ignition switch goes to positive, and the other wire from the ignition switch goes to the distributor. If it does not have original wiring, then the short answer is that the positive side of the coil is connected to the distributor. Of course if you have negative ground, or 12 volt system, then all of that is reversed. The basic answer is that if the car is a positive ground system the positive terminal connects to the distributor, one way or another, and if negative ground, the opposite is true.
 

Attachments

  • Wiring-DiagramColor2sm.jpg
    Wiring-DiagramColor2sm.jpg
    93.5 KB · Views: 33
What about the situation of a generic 6-volt coil with terminals marked with (+) and (-). If the coil was intended for use on a negative ground (i.e.. non Ford) system would you still connect it up the same way on a stock Model-A ignition?
 
Never call yourself stupid. If you don't respect yourself others will not respect you. Self esteem is more important than a damn old Model A. Wayne
 
Short answer yes. However a coil is not designed for any particular application its the way you hook it up that counts. And there are no dumb or silly questions. Ask away and welcome.
 
When teaching law I started out each semester with a sign on the board that said" don't be afraid to ask dumb questions, they are are easier to answer than dumb mistakes " !
Wayne Wayne
 
Everyone of us was a "stupid" newbie at one time. Please don't feel foolish for any question you have is an important question to you and deserves an intelligent answer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top