[QUOTE="Mike51Merc, post: 12581843, member: 69059".......... A fun trick is resting your left arm on the window frame while blowing the horn with your right hand. The thin skin on your left forearm gets the shock, compounding the mystery.[/QUOTE] These were the circumstances when I experienced the shock in my aforementioned MG Magnette.
Like all old stories, I’m sure that it’s factual, but those are some large hands (or real long fingers) to span all six plugs.....
Well, the goddamn thing just shocks you thats all there is too it. I took everything out of the car - after changing plug wires, distributor, horns and relay. I pulled the harness loose and have the relay connected to an 'ice cube' relay (no load on the relay, just the coil wires #85 & 86) and I still get a tingle when I hit the horn ring and touch the spokes on the steering wheel. I literally have the relay sitting on the fender with just the 12v supply and the wire connected to the arm that makes contact to brass contact ring inside the steering wheel housing, the brass ring makes contact to ground when you push the horn button (paddle in this case). What if there isn't enough pressure on that arm contacting the brass ring? I polished them proper and they make good solid contact but if I get a shock then electricity must be looking for an easier path, right?
After looking over all the info posted, I'd say the problem is as listed below... .6 ohm is a fairly high resistance when it's supposed to be a ground. Ideally, this should read zero ohms. I'll bet if you correct this, your problem will go away....
Old age I guess. He was in his 60's or 70's back then, over 30 years ago. And somebody said long fingers, yes, I remember he had some huge hands and long fingers.
In my hometown there was a fellow, Otto Bleeker, who would do this on a Farmall F-20. He'd put his thumbs on the engine block, then touch the four spark plugs.
Hooking up an analogue voltmeter between the ring and the ground may also show the voltage potential between the ring and the ground. You would want to do that with the engine running, see if you are getting a high voltage from a short between two wires. You should check your wiring again, and make certain that you haven't miss wired something, also make certain that everything that is supposed to be grounded is properly grounded. I have had weird things happen, but I have never seen a high voltage on a 12v circuit. My problems have almost always been solved by checking and cleaning all the ground wires. Bob Bob
I agree on rechecking your grounds, add a bonding jumper ground from column to firewall if the column is unintentionally isolated via rubber grommets. Use Ox-Guard on fasteners and cleaned metal surfaces. If there are any connections that use a sheetmetal type screw that is on the sloppy side, replace it with a proper nut/bolt fastener. Had wacky voltage issues on an OT truck, most of the sheetmetal screw grounds were rusted/sloppy. Replaced them with 1/4-28 bolt/nyloc nuts and a dab of ox-guard. Taillights no longer just glow, low beams are like high beams, dash lights are useful. Out of curiosity, what voltage is at the battery with the engine running? Is it consistent or is there dramatic voltage changes when headlights are turned on?
So those guys tied on a metal bed frame being interrogated in the movies with a battery and jumper cables is total BS? Bob
Got the Fucker! I added jumpers around the steering shaft universal joints! This car didn't have rag joints and there weren't jumpers on it. There must be paint or different universals that didn't conduct as well as the original, something along those lines, and there was too much resistance coming into the column. All my readings I gave the resistance of the wire going out to the relay.
Two things I've learned over the years. The first one I can't remember the second one write things down.
The shock is back! I'm ready to call an exorcist! The shock returned when I put the pertronix coil back in it, earlier in the thread I said I replaced the Pertronix coil with a Mallory and it made a big difference, well I thought it couldn't have made any difference because it isn't running and the ignition is 'OFF' the coil can't make a difference! Well, I put the cars' ignition back to Pertronix distributor and coil (matched set from Pertronix) and now the shock is back (not as severe, just a mild tingle)! With the key sitting on the dash, the car not running, no power to the coil you hit the horn and you'll get a shock! Here's what I did this time, the battery is in the trunk and the ground point is in the rear. I ran a temporary #2 cable from the battery post and clamped it to the altenator bracket with vise grips and the shock is gone, again. I'll need to run a heavy gauge cable from the battery ground point in the rear to something up in the engine bay, then use some flexible jumpers to proper ground the engine etc. There must be some kind of short/bleed in that coil and its' affecting the ground somehow. Anybody have any other explanation? I'm open to anything at this point!
Path of least resistance. If the car is bonded(grounded) to the battery at the battery then make sure all major mechanical components are also bonded(grounded) together to prevent a difference of potential. Adding a large ground cable may cause a ground loop which can interfere with electronics(radio/breakerless ignition) You don't need to run a cable from the battery all the way up to the engine to ground it. Just a bonding jumper from body to engine. This will make for a better electrical system. Engine mounts are isolators. Make sure all grounds are clean and tight.
https://www.w8ji.com/negative_lead_to_battery.htm This guy has a wealth of information. He's a mobile HAM guy. Think RainMan with an electrical engineering degree. /jk Website has a lot more than just that page. Maybe look over how you have things setup.
I used to do that on my ‘73 Camaro in high school. Take off the horn cap to expose the metal ring, put 5 people in a chain holding hands with the last one touching the battery. The 1st person should honk the horn with the car off and the last person would get a small jolt. The horn cap was plastic and rubber.
Is the car still positive earth/ground? If you have changed it to negative ground/earth, did you remember to change the coil terminals so that the trigger wire ( between coil and distributor is now connected to the negative terminal on the coil? If you ordered a Pertonix for a Sunbeam Tiger it is probably for a positive earth version, there is a different wiring system . http://www.ttalk.info/Tech/PerPosGndWiring.htm
Hello, In my first 40 Ford Sedan Delivery, touching anything near the steering column gave us a slight shock, including the horn. My brother told me to change the complete wires on the distributor, plugs, coil, horn, and that fat battery cable to the starter. Since we could not find out what was causing the problem, with all of those wires checked or replaced, we did not have that shocking problem again. …Wise older brother…how nice of him. (He even donated some new wires, spark plug wires, and new battery cables.) But, I was hesitant about following his directions as back in the 58 Chevy Impala tuning days,1958-59, he once told me to take out one of the plugs, and see if the attached plug wire is good or not. He also told me to check the gap. I instantly dropped the plug after I got a big shock when he turned over the motor. HA! Then a couple of years later, in early 1960, we got a Joe Hunt Vertex Magneto for our 283 1940 Willys coupe build. Again, we hooked up all new plug wires and end clips. Then in the process of checking each plug for spark, when my brother turned the ignition over, I dropped the plug and was pushed back a step against the cabinet/counter. This new Joe Hunt Vertex Mag had more power than the old standard Chevy distributor set up. What a shocking discovery... Jnaki A shocking, lesson learned, but I always wondered if my brother did that as a joke. GET THE “LITTLE BROTHER” WHILE I STILL CAN… (I was taller than he was in 1960) Aside: The Joe Hunt Vertex Magneto episode was the biggest shock I got during our hot rod days... But, I was installing a house water heater earthquake bracket in one of our old house, garage corners. I drilled the first screw in and in line for the second. As soon as I drilled in about 1/2", I got thrown all the way across the garage floor. I was about 10 feet away. Wow! After my cuckoo episode recovery, I found out that under the drywall, someone had put a Romex electrical wire on the outside of the 2x4 and I clipped it barely with the drill. (Even though I drew a straight line via a Plumb Bob.) That line was supposed to be over a foot or so because of the wall plug down below. Another shocking discovery.
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