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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / 1935 ignition coil testing

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Discussion Topic: 1935 ignition coil testing

gmcbuffalo

07-28-2025 @ 3:31 PM

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I have a 1935 ford with a helmet coil and electronic ignition. Started ok once and then turned it off to work on something else. Now I get no spark to the plugs. I get 5 volts to the coil. Testing the coil with an ohm meter I get no resistance through ghe secondary or primary winding. By this I mean I get a -1 reading the same as if it touch the two probes together. I’m I get good readings or should I do something different?

Greg Meiling
1935 3 Window Coupe

nelsb01

07-28-2025 @ 5:17 PM

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Electronic ignition and old flatheads do not dance nice together.

Points and condenser -- built that way from job #1.

pauls39coupe

07-29-2025 @ 7:14 PM

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Did you change the plug wires to carbon resistance type? EI does not like solid spark plug wires!
Put your ohm meter on the lowest scale to get an accurate reading.

40 Coupe

07-30-2025 @ 5:40 AM

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With the coil in hand, disconnect the ignition condenser screw and remove condenser. The secondary is between the wire terminal and the ignition condenser plate where the screw terminal was removed. It will have high ohms about 3,500. ohm
The primary is between the wire terminal plate and the brass well for the carbon brush. This is low ohms o.5 ohm
If you have a analog ohmmeter connect it across the condenser and the reading should start very low and quickly increase to nearly infinite ohms. If not the condenser may be shorted and bad.

JayChicago

07-31-2025 @ 8:09 AM

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I believe some of the above is not correct.
Primary (low voltage) is measured between top power-in terminal and condenser terminal. And I believe should be about 0.5-1.0 ohm.
I don't know how to measure the secondary (high voltage discharge).

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