1941 Ford 6 Volt Coil

[Randall Hornback]

I need help again, i have a 6 volt distributor coil for a 1941 Ford flat head v/8 ford. Can someone tell me how to check it out to see if it good or bad. Can you check the ohms from the top where input wire hooks up to the pig-tail on bottom that goes into the distributor, and what should the ohms be?. I had the distributor rebuilt with everything inside replaced. It starts good, it runs good until it gets hot. then it acts like it is missing, or not getting the gas. When you shut it off it is hard to start, until it cools off. Then it starts good and runs good. Can someone help me out?. All help appreciated.
Randall

[G.M.]

Originally Posted by Randall Hornback

I need help again, i have a 6 volt distributor coil for a 1941 Ford flat head v/8 ford. Can someone tell me how to check it out to see if it good or bad. Can you check the ohms from the top where input wire hooks up to the pig-tail on bottom that goes into the distributor, and what should the ohms be?. I had the distributor rebuilt with everything inside replaced. It starts good, it runs good until it gets hot. then it acts like it is missing, or not getting the gas. When you shut it off it is hard to start, until it cools off. Then it starts good and runs good. Can someone help me out?. All help appreciated.
Randall

You have the typical old Ford coil symptom. 99.5% of all Ford coils from 1932 to 1948 do exactly what yours does. Some may go a longer distance in hot weather or take a little longer to get real hot. But heated every old Ford coil will break down like yours. Skip Haney in Florida rebuilds all of these coils. He winds a new coil replacing the old one inside of your existing shell. Using modern high temperature coatings and insulation materials in his rebuilds it completely illuminates the problem. He has done them for 18 years and never charged anyone for the few failures that occurred over the years. G.M.

[Randall Hornback]

Good morning GM, a big thank you for the information you gave me on the 1941 Ford coil when it gets hot. Do you know the ohms amount from the input to pig-tail, is it low or high when checking with volt meter?.

Randall

[G.M.]

[QUOTE=Randall Hornback;902416]Good morning GM, a big thank you for the information you gave me on the 1941 Ford coil when it gets hot. Do you know the ohms amount from the input to pig-tail, is it low or high when checking with volt meter?.

Randall[/QUOT

I don't have the ohm info here but it is a waste of time checking old Ford coils because like I said it is rare to find a good one, used or NOS that works when hot. The coil winding leakage don't show when the coil is cold. Years ago Skip checked stock coils and they all looked good cold. To test a coil it takes 20 or 25 minutes just to find out they all fail when hot, some need to be a little hotter than others before failing. The only ones he checks now are ones that people CLAIM he rebuilt failed. The failures are so rare and condenser failures so frequent he requires they send a check for $10.00 return shipping in the USA. He spends the 20 or so minutes testing the coil and very seldom finds a bad one. If it would be bad he repairs that coil free and sends the $10.00 check back, if good he uses the check for the return postage. Someone recently returned one twice with a resume of his expertise. Skip tested the coil the second time plus took an hour to put it on a 39 and test drive it in over 90 degree temperature and it never skipped a beat. The expert said he tried 3 different condensers, Skip told him he had three bad ones. After getting it back he put a new one on and it ran perfect. He wrote back there must have been some bad connection before. G.M.

[Randall Hornback]

Hello again GM, do appreciate the help you give me i am trying to learn about these old Fords.

Randall

[adileo]

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I had same problem with my 39 - sent coil to Skip and have not had an issue again.

[BUBBAS IGNITION]

Just happened to have one laying on my desk with a fluke ohm-meter etc.
All coils are constructed with a primary and secondary winding.
To test the primary winding hook as pic shows from spring terminal to battery connection on coil top. This reading should be less than one ohm ( usually .6-.7 ohms). This is considered the primary winding of the ignition coil and will carry approx 4-5 amps when used with a dash resistor.
Then switch the lead from the spring to the output button for secondary ressitance test. This will usually be 5-9,000 ohms . Secondary winding is the output side for the spark plugs etc.
As GM mentioned above this is only a static test and there may be other problems . The Ford bullitens have the coil flowing 4-6 amps on the tester for a period of time before testing to allow heat build up ...

[Randall Hornback]

Hi BUBBAS, you was abig help on getting the ohms on the primary and secondary of the Ford coil i was needing information on. I checked mine out i used a vacuum tube volt meter, i had .07 of ohm on the primary and 20,000 on the secondary. It does not show open, shorted, or leaky. Thanks again for the information.

Randall