Putting a 12 Volt Coil in Org. 1940 Coil Housing

Have you asked this question on any of the automobile restoration forums?

If in the U.S., take your housing to a NAPA store and see what they have that fits.

Have you looked on e-bay?

J. C. Whitney?

I'm guessing this is a 6 cylinder, since V8s had two distributors. I can't remember if they had two coils, although I had two of them (V8's) in the early '60s.

Is this your first restoration?

There are plenty of suppliers in the U.S. that can supply "Retro" looking 12V coils.

When it comes to customising cars Fun costs money, how hard do you wanna laugh?

If this is a Flathead V8 and you have replaced the 6 volt generator for a truck 12v one then find that donor truck and grab the coil.

(Lyn, Flathead V8's had one distributor(2 types) but 2 waterpumps).

The to do list to replace the 6 volt system to 12 volt is as follows.

All light globes (even the dash ones)

Generator (there are alternator kits but it won't look stock)

Generator Regulator Your 6Volt one won't work on the 12volt Generator

Indicator Flasher can (if fitted)

Coil

Ignition condenser (in the distributor)

Arrange for a 12V to 6V voltage dropper for the Temperature & Fuel gauge(Oil pressure if it isn't mechanical) You don't need to do anything for the Amp gauge

You can get away with using the 6 volt Starter and the windscreen wiper however there are replacement wiper motors in 12 volt which would be a better long term option.

If memory serves from when I had my 39 Jailbar the 6 volt coil looked pretty much like a 12 volt one only it was pained black, you could just do the same.

You are right. Mine did have two distributor caps, each with 4 wires, but the distributor was mounted on the front of the block.

You can see the caps and wires here:

1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 Ford Flathead V-8 Distributor Caps & Plug Wire Set

I had a great time in those cars.

One had suicide doors. The one pictured is not mine, but mine was that color.

All the Flatheads I've dealt with have had the "Crab" style cap (the other type). which used the normal style plug leads

Aside from my Jailbar, I had an ex military power generator, and ran one in a ski boat for several years.

At one stage I had a collection of about 12 motors (as you do), I'd spot one and if it was the right price I'd buy it for a spare coz they weren't making any more of them at least here in Oz.

That's all gone now but the memories remain.

Mine are gone, too.

War story:

Those motors had a small oil line that ran out of the top of the block at the back. Don't remember where it went.

The 3 window hot rod had no front fenders or hood. I'm driving down the highway, fast, with my buddy when the tubing coming out of the block broke. TOTAL blindness as the windshield was instantly coated with motor oil.

This is rural Arkansas. No traffic, no phones, no tools.

I found a wooden pencil and drove it into the fitting with a rock, wiped the windshield with a rag and we drove it home.

you should add that war story to the other thread

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/87661/Your-Best-Car-Related-Story

Cheers

Good bet that the skinny tube went to the oil pressure gauge in the dash. My brother's 1949 flathead Ford did the same thing when that line broke. Even though we had the stock hood, it (naturally!) managed to break where the crack aligned with the opening between the hood & cowl (bodies had fairly large gaps, with no gaskets or seals, back then), and it covered the driver's side of the windshield very efficiently. I could see out of the right corner, and steered while he brought us to a stop. We managed to sleeve the tube with something like windshield wiper vacuum hose, and "clamped" the ends with baling wire. I think that we sleeved over it with something to prevent blowouts, but I sure don't recall what it was. We replaced the entire line the next day, adding a couple of loops to provide some flex. This was late 1950's.

Sold may '49, cracked block and all to guy. Told him I was going to junk the car because of the cracked block, but he insisted on buying. (AS IS, where is, no warranty)

He hot rodded it worse than I did, for about 3 weeks. He said he heard 'rattle, rattle, BANG'. Looked in the rear view mirror and saw the front half of the crank with 4 pistons still hooked to it in the road and thought "I'm going to have car trouble!" -- JHF

Very good list, almost complete, If you forget the ignition resistor - expect to always have burnt points.

Also when I went from generator to alternator on a 1937 V-8 85 in a '35 Ford, I used a 12v alternator from a bone-yard, get the kind with the voltage regulator built in, it worked very slick, even Dad complimented me on that one. The alternator mounted right where the generator was.

Not all coil ignition systems use a ballast resistor, and I believe he is trying to replicate a "stock" appearance which counts out the Alternator.

My preference when swapping out a 6volt to a 12Volt system is to replace the points ignition with an electronic one, plenty of covert conversions around.

Add: install ballast resistor or resistance wire to coil. Will work without it, but will eat points. A hot shot wire from the starter solenoid makes it start better, but is not completely necessary. -- JHF

Why step up to 12V?

Why not upgrade to 8V and readjust charging circuit? Then you don't have to buy new 12V gear, just get a new battery.

8 volt Battery?

8 volt bulbs for all the 6 volt bulb?

The main reason to convert to 12 volts is that there is a bunch of parts, knowledge & information for 12 volt systems.

Also, cars fitted with a ballast resistor in series with the coil, generally in my opinion, it uses a 12 volt battery system and a 6 volt coi plus resistor.

When starting, the resistor is shorted out, so that the coil receives a far higher voltage = starts easier.

Hi Andy,

8 V systems were used for upgrading old Beetles... big voltage drop from the battery all the way to the headlamps. With 8 V you could expect to have 6 V with the lights on.

brgds

Snel

.....8 volts today????

Modern cars will soon be going to 48 volts I have read, so to my mind, if you are going to upgrade, go to at least 12 volts which is best supported by the industry as well...

I was unable to find 8 volt batteries of a usable/practical size, small ones yes, but big ones no. I expect there are some somewhere, but I bet it costs more than an easy to find 12 volt battery of a similar capacity......

To my mind it would be a stupid direction to take......sorry.

Maybe you can post some good reasons to make it more interesting?

Billie, Use the original 4V coil but fit a resistor to get 7 volt at the coil with a fully charged 12 volt battery while the distributor points are close. I made a "resistor" of a long flex wire to fit my three cylinder DKW cars which had three 6 volt ignition coils and three sets of points and drove it like that for many years. As far as I know, it was FORD who first used a 4 volt ign. coil with resistor in series; Later a 9 volt coil with resistor when they changed to a 12 v battery.

If metal from the positive side of the points are transferred to the negative side, the current is too high or the capacitors capacitance [mf] is too high... and the other way round.