Ford Electrical Query

[Stewart Loy]

Originally posted by Alex Blair
Pull your coil wire from your dist and hold it to ground and have the missus crank it ...It should spark to ground...Make sure your engine ground and chassis ground wire are clean and tight...If there is no spark pull the coil wire right out and hold a piece of house wire,insulated with a pair of insulated pliers in the coil hole and check that for spark to ground...If that sparks it is your coil wire...If no spark it is your coil ,if you have the right primary voltage ...

Alex and Cliff - thanks for your thoughts.

I have been told that I may be wrecking the coil with too much voltage. I have direction to reduce full battery voltage to a mere 3.5 volts supply to the coil. Another Carrier owner starts on 6V, then uses a resistor to back it off to 4.5V for running.

I am told that this was to reduce arcing and material transfere at the points sets. How long does it take to cook a coil?

Fianally, with the coil off the unit - how to poke/prode the coil with my VOM to see if it is OK?



Stewart

PS - Alex, I just saw the "l" in your flat head handle ...