Help with coils

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Topic author
John Illinois
Posts: 167
Joined: Mon Jul 29, 2019 1:49 pm
First Name: John
Last Name: Burgett
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1924 Touring
Location: Camargo Illinois
MTFCA Number: 29590

Help with coils

Post by John Illinois » Mon Oct 07, 2019 5:43 pm

I have been working to get my new 24 Touring ready to start. The coils do not buzz. I was getting 6 volts to the coil box,so I removed coils. I put +6v to the bottom contact and -6v to the top side timer contact. All were dead. I measured the ohms between the contacts and got 3-5 megs with the points closed or open.
Am I testing these right. I do not understand how 4 coils could all be dead.

Thanks,John

User avatar

Jeff5015
Posts: 163
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2019 3:20 pm
First Name: Jeff
Last Name: Schroeder
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1916 Touring
Location: Pensacola FL
MTFCA Number: 50300
MTFCI Number: 87
Board Member Since: 2019

Re: Help with coils

Post by Jeff5015 » Mon Oct 07, 2019 6:06 pm

Mine almost never buzz. Maybe 1 out of 100 times I get buzzing.
But it always starts, usually on the first crank.

Don't know why.

Jeff in Florida
1916 Touring


Wayne Sheldon
Posts: 3637
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 3:13 pm
First Name: Wayne
Last Name: Sheldon
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1915 Runabout 1913 Speedster
Location: Grass Valley California, USA
Board Member Since: 2005

Re: Help with coils

Post by Wayne Sheldon » Mon Oct 07, 2019 6:15 pm

Unless your coils have been properly rebuilt in the past thirty to maybe forty years? It would be very likely for any or all of them to be dead after a half century to more than a century.. A couple years ago,I went through a stack of I think 18 old and unknown coils. I found two that sort of worked, and more than 3/4 of them were completely dead. I was able to repair all but two of them!
The coils had broken wires, broken connections inside, and totally failed capacitors. Basically, any coil "rebuilt back in the '50s/'60s/ and even likely in the '70s is practically guaranteed to have faulty and likely failed capacitors because back then, nobody KNEW what the requirements was for a model T coil capacitor! THANK YOU Ron P !

Be careful testing coils into the open air! And do not let them buzz continuously for more than a few seconds. Allowing them to buzz continuously can over-heat the coils, and can burn them out. Putting power in and out without a short path for the high voltage to reach ground can burn a coil out in an instant, or it may not. Best to never do that.


John kuehn
Posts: 3907
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:00 pm
First Name: John
Last Name: Kuehn
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 19 Roadster, 21 Touring, 24 Coupe
Location: Texas
MTFCA Number: 28924

Re: Help with coils

Post by John kuehn » Mon Oct 07, 2019 6:56 pm

John if your unsure about your coils or don’t know the age of them send them off to Brent Mize the coil dr. Go to the suppliers on the MTFCA home page and check out his website. He rebuilt the coils on the 3 T’s that I have and he did a great job on them. Fast turn around and a really reasonable price. A good guy and great to deal with. Good luck.


Topic author
John Illinois
Posts: 167
Joined: Mon Jul 29, 2019 1:49 pm
First Name: John
Last Name: Burgett
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1924 Touring
Location: Camargo Illinois
MTFCA Number: 29590

Re: Help with coils

Post by John Illinois » Mon Oct 07, 2019 7:10 pm

Jeff and Wayne thanks for the replies. I have a friend that has a simple amperage coil tester. We are going to function test them to see if they would be rebuildable as cores. He is going to lend me 4 coils to see if I can get it started. I am anxious to see how it runs.

John


Topic author
John Illinois
Posts: 167
Joined: Mon Jul 29, 2019 1:49 pm
First Name: John
Last Name: Burgett
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1924 Touring
Location: Camargo Illinois
MTFCA Number: 29590

Re: Help with coils

Post by John Illinois » Mon Oct 07, 2019 7:13 pm

John,I will keep him in mind.

John

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