Videos - testing a flathead V8 coil when cold, then hot

ndnchf

Well-known member
A friend asked me to test a flathead V8 coil for him. He's been having ignition issues and suspected the coil or condenser. It was set up on my Herbrand coil & condenser tester with a 6v battery.

First it was tested cold. Here is how it went: https://youtube.com/shorts/i3GNE9WaQKU?si=8auYTgM8QCkTLTDM

Per the tester's instructions, it was then switched to the HEAT setting for 10 minutes. This runs current through the coil heating it up. Here is how it went with the coil warmed up: https://youtube.com/shorts/SoJHg82qNt0?si=vNQWknbeIrfyG6VN

This clearly shows how temperature can affect coil performance.
 
convincing demonstration of hot vs cold coil performance...although it doesn't come as too much of a surprise, as i've had two instances in the past couple of years that involved engines that would run like a Swiss clocks when cold...until the rot set in once they reached operating temperature. neither involved a coil, but both involved sparkplug or coil wires. :(

maybe i'll invest in one of those conversion kits that dispenses with the original diver's helmet coil in favor of a more modern canister version. ...hmmmm...

at this point, i'm grasping at straws... as i've exhausted all of what i thought were good possibilities. and am now left with only about one more. and it's desperate hail-mary type thought. :)
 
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convincing demonstration of hot vs cold coil performance...although it doesn't come as too much of a surprise, as i've had two instances in the past couple of years that involved engines that would run like a Swiss clocks when cold...until the rot set in once they reached operating temperature. neither involved a coil, but both involved sparkplug or coil wires. :(

maybe i'll invest in one of those conversion kits that dispenses with the original diver's helmet coil in favor of a more modern canister version. ...hmmmm...

at this point, i'm grasping at straws... as i've exhausted all of what i thought were good possibilities. and am now left with only about one more. and it's desperate hail-mary type thought. :)

Those can be problematic as well. You would be better off investing in having your coil "rebuilt" by "Skip" Haney. Many on here will attest to doing it this way.
 
Those can be problematic as well. You would be better off investing in having your coil "rebuilt" by "Skip" Haney. Many on here will attest to doing it this way.
I will attest that I did it that way. Skip Haney rebuilt original coil has been working flawlessly for about nine years.
 
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