Can anyone tell me the place to go to build a simple coil tester. And when I build one do I need a volt meter and a amp meter. Also can you tell me exactly what the readings should be (volt or amps). I know this is not the best way to check a coil but I hope it will do for now....Thanks
Jim, I fully understand you wanting to test your coils but I would say there is no such animal as a Simple tester.
Go check out a project in progress by the famous Mike Kossor. Try searching ECCT. I recently witnessed a night of testing coils at our club garage with one of his new testers that he is developing. We were able to test the same coil on all three machines.
You can also search for info about StroboSpark and of course the original HCCT.
Here are some instructions to build a very good hand cranked coil tester. I built one and have used it a lot, it works very well and you can properly adjust your coils to 1.3 amps with no double sparks. Click on the following link: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/80257/Coil_Tester-93057.pdf
Photo of the tester I built:
Jim,
You can find detailed plans for a coil tester at:
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/80257/Coil_Tester-93057.pdf
Like the instructions say, "It Ain't Rocket Science"
Anything less then a HCCT (or modern equivalent) is pretty much a waste of time and effort.
Good Luck,
Jim
What i was thinking of building was a buzz box tester. I understand that a hand cranker is a much better unit but Im going to have to hold off on building that one till a later date. I also have an old SUN TUNE UP machine in the garage, can that be used to test a coil. Im also wondering if I do build a buzz box tester do I need a volt meter and an amp meter and then where do I set them?.....Thanks again
Jim
Don't waste your time building a buzz box tester. Heck if you really want one, I have a nice buzz box I purchased before building a hcct. Will sell it to you cheap or even swap it for something of some value, knowing that I am getting the better end of the bargain.
Building a hcct is a fun and quick little project.
Jon's right Jim. Just didn't want to say it first. I've built a couple & sold 'em on T-bay but it doesn't tell you a darn thing short of it buzzes. Which only means it's worth HCCing. After a capacitor change that is.
Jim, you can get by with a buzz box plus an amp meter, 6 volt or 12 volt battery if you can obtain a video made by Ron Patterson. No it is not as good as one of the original testers or one of the new built ones but you can get close. Following Ron's guidelines for setting gaps and adjusting for 1.3 amp draw you CAN get close. I have set up several coils this way and then got them to my cousin who has an original tester for final set up. Some he has not had to adjust at all. Ron's video(s) should still be available on this web site.
So Harry, how do you know if it is set to 1.3 and single sparking or .65 and double sparking?
That is part of the problem, as the spark period current is about 5 amps or more and the meter only shows the average value. With random misfires, that spark current can be much higher to produce the same average and only noticed with an O'scope or determined with a HCCT or newer device such as the StroboScope or ECCT.
Harry, I'm not arguing your point but I,ve been down that same road. I did a dozen coils with new caps & points using a buzz box & a good meter. When they were HCC'd only 2 didn't need further adjusting. Close enough is as good as a miss in my book.
I've had a ServeWell buzzbox that I used for years but it certainly wasn't the final word in coil setups. Every once in a while I'd find a coil that worked in it that would NOT work in the car. These were the coils in which the caps were going bad. You won't spot them with a buzz box.
Jim, if you look on the Smokestack website [ old engines site ] they show a few drawings of what you are looking for. Search for coil tester or as I call mine a spark plug tester, that is what I use mine for, and it works great for that. Jim Derocher AuGres, MI
My ECCT arrived today for a fourth opinion. I set it up and as an initial test to see if it was all together and operational, I gave it an easy test with a Coilman rebuilt coil. That coil passed, as I strongly suspected it would!
Another selling point for this ECCT system not previously mentioned is the tester with the test lead only weighs 8 ounces. That is much easier to lug around or take on a tour than an original 100 pound HCCT.
The test box to hold the coil also only weighs 8 ounces. small 110 VAC bench power supply to provide the coil test voltage is a little heavier at 10 ounces, but the test box and power supply are not required to test a coil in the car.
That required in the car test strip only adds 1.5 ounces to the total weight.
James
We recently had the opportunity at a club garage to test out the ECCT and then test the same coils on a Strobo Spark and then the HCCT.
Was really interesting to compare the three coil testers.
I'm totally impressed with the work of Mike Kossor. Now anyone can easily tune and adjust his coils ready for the Montana 500 rigors.
I always had the idea that a fixture with a hand-crank, pointer, and spark ring could be simply installed in place of the regular hand crank on your T. Make a wiring harness jumper to short all the commutator wires together, install just one coil in the coil box, run a high tension wire from that coil position to the spark ring. Pull out all the spark plugs and get cranking. The adjustment of that coil would be a pain. Setup would be a pain, but there probably is less than $50 into construction of the whole works and it would work just fine for occasionally setting up a set of coils.
Anyone that wants to run with that idea is welcome to it. Post a photo!
I meant "jumper that coil lead to ground", not "short all the commutator wires to ground".
Gene, we have one of those sessions set for this coming weekend.
I hope you some of your coil pros there and also the other testers so you can get into some real discussions.
We forwarded our comments and suggestions to Mike.
I think we were all really impressed, not sure why though cause I've heard here on the Forum that "you only need to adjust your coils once for the life of the car"
I guess that's cause nothing wears out when they're sitting in the garage.?. LOL
Have fun