Hi guys and gals, Here in Houston and finally 70 degrees. Came out to start my 52 f1 pickup after rebuilding the engine over the winter. Haven't started the motor yet, so its the first startup. I dropped the motor in and did not label the coil wires, how do i know which goes where? I was trying to crank the motor, but couldnt get the motor to start. The coil is burning hot, can someone please help.
+ to switch - to points Do you have a ballast resistor? On a points type ignition, voltage has to be reduced to the coil and points. HEI/Dura Spark may be different. Check for poor connections. Lastly it could be a bad coil. These days some stuff is bad out of the box.
Just looked it up... If the ignition has a traditional coil it will need a ballast resistor to the coil on RUN. If you have a simple harness you can run it through the ballast all the time.
I dont think i have a ballast resistor, please look a pics of coil. There is no + or - , only bat and dec on coil.
Doesn't "BAT" go to the ignition and "DEC" to the ignition module. Came across an industrial motor that had some version of a Dura-Spark and the coil was marked like that. Never did figure out what the "DEC" stood for.
OK Think of electricity as water and the wire as the pipes. Switches are valves and a ballast resistor is a regulator that reduces current. The + or BAT is the intake which receives the flow. That coil only has two connections so the one marked DEC has to be the ground or -. The ballast resistor has to be in the harness before the coil connection or BAT. Fords would use a resistor wire that dropped voltage to the coil. Chrysler used a ceramic block.This type block is commonly used on 6 volt conversions. 6 volt systems require no resistor but 12 volt systems do. What type of ignition do you have? Points or HEI/Duraspark or aftermarket HEI? Now I have run a coil off of 12 volts when I was a kid and did not know any better. I put my ballast between the coil and the points . My coil did not get hot even though it got a full 12 volts, maybe I was lucky and it was a good coil. The point I'm trying to make is it may not be a lack of a resistor causing the immediate problem. The problem could be a mistake in wiring, say at the switch, or it could be something connected backwards causing a dead short. It could be a bad coil. Try it again with the Bat wire coming from the switch. If it still gets hot we'll go further once we establish exactly what system you have.
First time I built an engine with an external coil, I saw + and - so hey they must go to the battery + and - right? It got hot - like smoking and darned if the car wouldn't start.
You still haven't answered if you're running points or electronic ignition. If it's points, it sounds like your points are stuck together or you're simply leaving the switch [or wires] "on" too long.
as volvobrynk said the coil will also get extremely hot if defective...and will not run when hot...a lot of times this is due to the oil leaking out of the coil...
If it is a Dura Spark system then you have to make sure all of the components are matched. It seems like Ford made as many versions as they did 302s.
If everything is stock 52 pick-um-up you have a 6 volt system, and no ballast resistor is used. Bat goes to ignition switch, and Dec goes to distributor / points.
With all do respect. There is no way we can help unless we know what system you have. You need to know for sure what ignition system you have. Not only that you need to know how that system is set up and how to correct the basic set up. Since you are using a later 12 volt engine and ignition in a 6 volt era vehicle, you need to know how each is modified to fit your custom application. For instance, It's very easy to drop the distributor in a tooth off. Some times to get it to where the factory set number one, you drop it in and and bump the starter for the gears to mesh, then it drops in the factory spec location. On a points system there is setting the gap, then adjusting the advance by turning the distributor. Many did not like the early Dura Spark system and retrofitted their engine to points. So your engine may have the earlier points ignition. On the other hand, you could have a earlier engine with the later Dura Spark. It's up to you to know what system you have. So research and find out what you have. Study the manuals , look it up online, post pics on here so we can help identify what you have. Once you know what you have, you can set it up. I'm glad to help but without knowing what the system is....I'm just shooting in the dark.
Could the coil be hooked up backwards???? Had this happen when I changed from 6 volts to 12 volts on my Sedan Delivery. It was originally a 6 volt positive ground system.
If it is an original F-1 it is 6V and won't need a ballast resistor. If it is 12-V it will either need a ballast resistor or a resistor wire in the harness that is the correct value. If it is a points ignition and it is 12V it needs 12-V in start mode. There will be a wire that runs from your starter solenoid to the + side of the coil. the other wire that runs to the + side of the coil is switched power 12-V to the resistor then out of the resistor to the + side of the coil. Again considering that it is a points ignition (maybe it isn't) open it up and check the adjustment of the points. If you don't know what the proper point gap is a match book will get you close enough for it to start and run. I have also been known to set point gaps if unknown value to .018 with a feeler gauge. Another thing that will keep it from starting on a points ignition is a bad condenser. Even if the condenser is bad cranking it without it starting will cause your coil to get hot. Then there is always the option that you dropped the distributer in wrong. 180 out is common, but even on tooth off will screw you. So many factors to consider, Hmmmmmmn.
The truck is a 52, but motor is 1974 ford ltd 400 stock. Maybe wires are crossed but how can I tell? All the wiring has been updated to a 12v system. Thanks in advance
OK let me see if I can remember this right. On the coil there is a small - sign and a + sign the + sign is where the 12v comes in and the - sign goes to the dizzy. If it is reversed like it would be on a positive ground system the coil will really heat up. Good luck Fuzzy
I see both wires split indicating that there may be a noise capacitor in the system. Leave both leads off of the coil and find out which one has voltage, put that lead on coil +. Put the other lead to the distributor. A smashed (short circuited) capacitor or if the wire going to the distributor is bare and shorted to ground or breaker points that are always closed will heat the coil up.
Some better photos would really help. Need one of distributer and one with the cap off would be nice! The wire harness/connections to the distributer would tell a lot.
Thanks guys, i really appreciate all the info. I had coil wires crossed. Finally figured out what wires go where. Turn that bad boy on and it roared. Sweet sound! Now just ready to set timing. Thanks again "If it was easy anyone would do it"
I liked the later duraspark units as there was no way to reverse the coil wires as they were in a c shaped clip that went over the special shaped posts on the coil . Glad you got it fixed . just remember not to grab the distributor cap while its running to time it , unless you want to be woken up ..
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