Ignition Switch Woes

Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration
Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: Ignition Switch Woes
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Eddy Lee Emerson on Wednesday, July 09, 2014 - 10:08 pm:

When my friend Archie Wight died, I bought all of his Model T parts, thinking there should be enough there to build a decent speedster. Building a car out of an assortment of Model T parts of various years has been a challenge. Now that I'm ready to start the engine has come another problem. Building an ignition switch from what seemed to be the best parts from three switches, and using a new switch back from Langs, I have no fire through the coil wire. Everything
else works just fine. I'm getting frustrated with continually taking the switch apart and not having any results through the coil wire. Any thoughts about what the problem could be? Ed


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Zibell on Wednesday, July 09, 2014 - 10:33 pm:

Send it to Ben Martin. He gets switch backs from a different source that work well.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Gregush Portland Oregon on Wednesday, July 09, 2014 - 11:22 pm:

Meters are our friends. Check with a meter to see if the switch is the problem. If you are running a distributor are you hooking the power wire to one contact and turning the switch for the other.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Tomaso - Milton,WA on Thursday, July 10, 2014 - 09:42 am:

Being Mark mentioned distributor, please do not run a "jumper" from the mag to the coil terminal being able to switch the key either way. A friend who's magnets I had just recharged, re-assembled his engine, ready for the first re-start (with distributor), lights it off, switches from Bat to Mag and immediately lost his fire - Yep, jumper on the back of the switch and neutralized the fresh magnets !


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Eddy Lee Emerson on Friday, July 11, 2014 - 05:01 pm:

Solved the problem. I discovered that the ignition key turns a little to far for the switch to make a good connection. If I turn the key to battery and then bump it just a hair to the right, it works fine. Don't know why it took so long to discover this, or what, if anything can be done about it, Thanks john, Mark, and Steve for your input. Ed


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry Dvis on Friday, July 11, 2014 - 05:50 pm:

I, as well, have had my share of ignition switch woes. What I decided to do was to leave the original switch as is but build an auxiliary electrical "switch" box that does it all. I.E., on/off...coil/battery/mag... Headlights on/off...Turn signals...brake light and so on. The only original function remaining is the amp meter. I have the "box" wired to a flexible loom so it rides on the front seat. The circuit to do this is not hard to work out and it eliminates the woes inherent with old electrical switches. Now, is it authentic T, of course not. Does it work, you bet....


Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.
Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration