Topic: wiring a positive ground coil to dist.

jefferey	-- 11-04-2018 @ 6:15 PM
	The pancake coil went bad on my 36,so I replaced it with a normal 6 volt coil and cover plate on top. I can not get it to run correctly. Hesitates and just labors to run. I would like to know the right way to wire it. I have a 6 volt pos. ground system'. The instructions said key to neg post and positive post to the distributor. I installed new points and condenser. Any ideas ? Thank you Jefferey
carcrazy	-- 11-04-2018 @ 8:23 PM
	You have the coil to distributor wire correctly installed for a positive ground system. The conventional 6V coils do not require an external resistor. Your original coil required an external resistor which is located on the firewall inside the cabin. You need to remove this resistor from the wire that goes between your ignition switch and the coil. This is easy to do, simply connect the wire from the ignition switch and the wire to your new conventional coil on the same terminal on the resistor.
fenbach	-- 11-04-2018 @ 8:23 PM
	any chance your coil has a built-in resistor? regardless, you might try bypassing the resistor on the firewall to see if that helps. just use a jumper wire with alligator clips. of course, you can experiment reversing the connections. try using y0ur old condenser. and make sure the little carbon rod that rides on the rotor didn't break off, fall out or get stuck up in the cover plate. also, from personal experience, I know that the 2 spark plug wire covers that clamp onto the sides of the distributor might not be seated well. lastly, altho you'll pretty much have to remove the distributor, double check the point gap and the timing. you did look to see if you have and are getting gas??
GK1918	-- 11-05-2018 @ 2:56 AM
	Ok you have the adapter on the distrubutor for a 6 vt common coil. You wired coil Ign. to minus on coil and +on coil to dist. is correct. I have never seen a resisted 6vt coil (maybe they exist ?) So in my lifetime I always questioned why only Ford Prod. have a resistor, I conclude its a Ford coil thing. I have serviced too many vehicles of this time and for kicks (you have 36 Ford) so I looked up 1936 Plymouth diagram absolutely no resister and I know 1949 and up also no resistor. None in a Model A either, seems its just the 32s to 1948. My only wheels is a 1946 my coil took a dump couple yrs ago I put a Napa 6vt coil and put the condenser on the coil (dist side) got rid of the condenser on the dist. (impossible to get at). So as Carcrazy said just tie both resistor wires together on one terminal or jump it. I would take a jumper wire clamped to batt hot side to coil I bet it will run like a cat before you do anything. Just imagine a 6vt resisted coil and you hit the starter? I bet coil volts won't even light a flashlight LOL! Sam
jefferey	-- 11-05-2018 @ 4:18 AM
	Thanks, I will check this when I get home from work. Thank you Jefferey
juergen	-- 11-05-2018 @ 9:27 AM
	You can tell which cars use the lower resistance coils by looking at the starter solenoid. Besides the two large terminals for the starter current, if it has two small terminals, one is for the starter switch and the other is for a direct connection to the coil when the starter switch is activated. The coil also has a lower voltage connection either through an external resistor or using high resistance wire when the ignition is on. This allows higher current to the coil during starts and reduced current across the points during run. A high impedance coil will have less voltage while starting due to the battery voltage drop caused by the starter. Early Ford V-8s used a nichrome wire resistor whose resistance went up about 50% as the resistor got hot. So you get higher current immediately then lower as the engine (supposedly) starts. A solution many of us use to aid starting is to have a toggle switch to bypass the resistor during start. The 4 pole starter solenoid is the better way to go. I think Ford used this approach after 1951.
jefferey	-- 11-05-2018 @ 7:00 PM
	I bought a new 6 volt coil and hooked it up as you guys described. I did unhook the under dash resister by moving the wires to the same post. I seems to start and run better, was raining so I could not try it out much. Many thanks for the knowledge and directions. Thank you Jefferey

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