MTFCA Forum

Over the past few weeks, I noticed old Liz was starting to develop a misfire, which at first, I thought was one of her coils beginning to fail. However, upon testing each coil myself, and taking them to visit a fellow Model T enthusiast with his 1914 Touring, running his car on my coils, revealed that there was nothing wrong with them. Still, to be on the safe side, I bought some additional coils from him, so I had some spares!
Fast forward, I've been busy replacing (and cleaning) the coil contacts where needed, and while I was at it, replaced my rather shabby looking porcelain insulators.
re-connecting everything back up, and .... well you'll have to wait and see!

https://youtube.com/shorts/GRq0yq74m3Q?feature=share

Did you clean up the coil insulator bolts? My experience was
I did and reused the originals but my T still had what I thought was a less noticeable skip. I bought the new coil box bolts and there was a noticeable difference in the way the car ran. Just my experience for that one coil box but the new bolt hardware made a difference. Maybe not someone else’s experience though. Maybe each coil box is a little different!

I did more than that I've got the full video coming very shortly!
Safe to say that clean electrical contacts make a world of difference!

John kuehn wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 22, 2024 10:04 pm

Did you clean up the coil insulator bolts? My experience was
I did and reused the originals but my T still had what I thought was a less noticeable skip. I bought the new coil box bolts and there was a noticeable difference in the way the car ran. Just my experience for that one coil box but the new bolt hardware made a difference. Maybe not someone else’s experience though. Maybe each coil box is a little different!

ModelTMitch wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 23, 2024 8:23 am

I did more than that I've got the full video coming very shortly!
Safe to say that clean electrical contacts make a world of difference!

John kuehn wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 22, 2024 10:04 pm

Did you clean up the coil insulator bolts? My experience was
I did and reused the originals but my T still had what I thought was a less noticeable skip. I bought the new coil box bolts and there was a noticeable difference in the way the car ran. Just my experience for that one coil box but the new bolt hardware made a difference. Maybe not someone else’s experience though. Maybe each coil box is a little different!

Re Mitch's comment at top of this....I've always been a proponent of clean contacts, ever since my first T with the Tru-Fire especially. A friend of mine found this out recently on his '23 all stock ignition too. I remember telling him a coupla years ago of my experience and he put it into practice and car runs like new. Amazing how contacts get gunked up "just sitting there"

Hardly a 'rebuild', more of a cleanup of cosmetically unappealing parts that would be part of regular maintenance. Likely helpful as others note, but showing how to loosen/tighten bolts is disappointing video when the title promises much more. Replacing that delaminating plywood with a Funprojects-type kit and replacing broken/missing contacts is more in line with 'Rebuild'. Respectfully, jb

Developing a Miss in engine firing constitutes a lot of things................. Could be a worn out timer/commutator, a dirty commutator, a loose wire, worn coil points, dirty coil points, Maladjusted coils, worn and dirty and improperly gapped spark plugs , coil box wood carbon tracking, wet and dirty coil box contacts, corroded metal contacts, improper spring tension on coil box contacts,..... Just to mention a few items to check....,......... Coil box wood can be replaced with plastic or new wood offered by our suppliers that should be treated with boiled linseed oil to seal the wood, wire brushed and cleaned metal parts should be followed along with soldered terminals on the coil box bolts. .......... Respectively.

Coilbox Restoration article from MTFCI: https://nebula.wsimg.com/dd5992ef3b0d5d ... oworigin=1

I was told by the prior owner Daisy had a bad mag... but iwas going to validate everything regardless. In testing continuity I found I had no power to the coil box. Using a battery on both bat & mag posts (yes mag wire disconnected), neither switch setting was sending juice. Taking apart the switch I found the common lead had corroded at the switch post.
So just rebuilt the entire box...ain't nuthin like clean contacts and solid connections!!