MTFCA Forum

I'm adjusting the coil points for a 1913 KW Coil. The points that are on the coil are the ones that Randall (RIP) Anderson had made about 10 years ago.
On the upper, top point. the cushion spring is way greater than it should be. I just checked a NOS late Ford script coil point, and that setting is .009".
I'm thinking of gently smacking the rivet on the point to close that gap. I've never done this, so I'd better be careful!! Any thoughts?

On the later coil points, I have used one of those little brake rivet anvils that the vendors sell to tighten the cushion spring rivets in order to tighten the gap. It works very well.

The points I have on my 1913 coils are the new reproduction type KW points. Randall Anderson put these on for me several years ago. All are fine except one. There is a limiting rivet on the vibrator bridge that limits the clearance on the cushion spring. This clearance on several NOS late style points I have is .009. The Ford service book says .005. Anyhow, this one coil I have had over .030 drop on the cushion spring. I had to re-rivet that limiting rivet to get it in the ball park. I would suggest when buying the new early style points to check this out.

There was a time when new reproduction points were of inferior quality construction. It was deemed mandatory that the coil point bridge adjustment needed attending to. I used a .006" feeler strip to make a setting tool. I carefully ground a groove in the end so that the tool passed the rivet. with the tool in place the rivet could be tapped down to reduce the gap which was dictated by the tool. Without the tool, tapping down the rivet may make the gap too close, a situation almost impossible to retrieve.

Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.

I finally got the limiting rivet for the cushion spring where it should be. I had to smack it hard several times to get it right. The rivet looks like a very small semi-tubular rivet. Keep in mind this is a reproduction early KW vibrator bridge, not an original.

I sent two of those otherwise great shape coils to someone in the mid-west to rebuild.

When I asked about them two years later, I was told they needed new points and none were available.

Evidently there are still no points available!

J1MGOLDEN wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 09, 2025 11:30 am

I sent two of those otherwise great shape coils to someone in the mid-west to rebuild.

When I asked about them two years later, I was told they needed new points and none were available.

Evidently there are still no points available!

When I restored my Model N, I used the original Heinze coils. They all needed new points. I think RV may made had them at the time, but I might not have known about that. I carefully removed the actual contact points from the reed spring and bridge. I then removed contact points from new KW style Model T point sets. I was able to install the new contact points in my old Heinze point sets by peening the small stubs on the back of the new contact points. Had I not been able to peen them, I would have tried using silver solder. As it is, they work great. Perhaps a possibility to keep in mind.