Red wire on coil

Someone posted this earlier and I copied it...maybe it'll help..

My coil is marked + and - and the red wire is on the - side, and goes to the ignition switch..I am wired + ground

It is not necessarily correct, but it works....
 

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Mine is backwards.....as Mitch has pointed out...

I was reading in Les Andrews book and he agrees with Mitch..

I'm going to go change mine right now!
 
Well, I did say that he agrees with you..:)

Just went for a little drive, I think it runs better!

I did read that for a spark plug to work as designed, that the current must flow from the center electrode to the ground....has to do with temperature and probably a thousand other things....
 
Bratton's (as well as other suppliers) sell a little device that temporarily plugs into the top of the distributor. By running or cranking the engine it tells you with led lights if the polarity of the ignition is correct or reversed. The part number is 17140, cost $25.50.

They have been around for years, I bought one about 20 years ago when they were about $15. I took it to a club event when I first got it and found about half the cars had their ignitions reversed and the owners were not aware of it.

Markings on coils and colors of wires will not always tell you if you have the ignition polarity correct.

I carry this little device with me in my Model A and when ever working on someone's car I make a quick check of the ignition polarity. If it is incorrect the easy fix is to reverse the two primary wires on the coil, regardless of what color they are.

There is also the old pencil trick that has been around forever that auto shop teachers like to demonstrate, then hand the pencil to the class clown and have him do it.

Tom Endy
 
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Thanks Mitch: Mine is + ground and was wired right, had read some were it would give about 15% more on top end.
Thanks Everyone
Dana
 
On my Piper Cub, I always move the plugs so that the current flow is reversed every year at annual. There are two mags and two plugs per cylinder so the wear is more even over time. I didn't realize the direction of current flow through the plugs was that critical. I'll be ordering the little unit from Walt Bratton and check my Tudor. I could alwys use some improvement. Thanks for the tip.
 
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