It is never the coil !!!

[Nickol]

I have been greatly helped by this forum and members engine problems, in trying to recocile my own. Some background.

Last Autumn my '68 Traveller started to misbehave ; lacking power and gernerally being sluggish although it always started well. I live in the hills of middle Germany at approx the same height as Ben Nevis so in the darker months Morris goes into winter quarters to hibernate. This spring, being as we have all exterienced somewhat warmer than usual I renewed as a matter of course all the spark plugs, points condensor, rotor arm as well as cleaning out the Carb which was full of dirt. For good measure , fitted a spin off oil filter and new oil of course.

Morris then seemed to run quite well apart from a slight hesitancy at about 80 km/hr. But then it started to be difficult to start when warm. A whole new experience becuase you only normally have to touch the key for it to spring into action. I would try to start it a few times, open the bonnet, fiddle a bit and then it might go. I did figure out (thanks to this forum) that the vacuum was the cause of this hesitancy and on fitting a new one (thanks again for the warning about the circlip) went for a test run - I had a new car!!

With a smile of contentment I went to drive it into the garage but there was a broom on the floor so stopped the engine - got out and hung the broom in its proper place. Went to start Morris - nothing!

Two days later after a lot of trial and tribulation, got the motor running from cold for about 3 minutes before it spluttered and stopped. Fiddled with the Carb - (big mistake) fiddled with the Distributer, change the condensor. Nothing worked.

I rang my local workshop - "sounds like the coil" he said.
"It's never the coil" I told him ( my Forum says so)

His workshop is 5km away in the next valley so got my lady to give me a tow to the summit where there is a parking place to look at the b*****y wind turbines and then coasted the remaining 3km downhill. Interesting experience that, you can hear other sounds which with the engine running you normally do not.

Anyway, Bernhard thought the cable from the coil looked dodgy and checked it. He confirmed it was Kaputt
We could not find a temporary replacement so took the lead off Nr 1 cylinder, poked a screwdriver bit into the distributer cap and used this to connect to the coil.

Whroomm - Morris springs into life although running only on 3 but Bernhard showed me that from the end of the lead to the coil and the coil terminal itself, it was arching over. We repaired the original wire and restored Nr 1 lead and again it started up ok.
"this should get you home" he told me (it did not !) "but the coil is about knackered (being German he used another less polite word but knackered will suffice) and the HT leads will need replacing too, to be safe.

I fitted a new coil this morning and life is restored but the new HT leads I will not get till Tuesday.

As soon as they are fixed in and some road tests done - the final report/confirmation will follow then.[frame][/frame]

[Nickol]

The picture, by the way is of Morris with his stable mate who is a 1947............have a guess!!

[bmcecosse]

So - it wasn't the coil - it WAS the coil connection! Clean up the old connection and I bet the old coil will work perfectly for many a mile (or km - whatever that is.. ). The 'new' coil may not last - don't rely on it - the quality is not there in many of the replacement parts these days......

[tysonn]

And you got it wrong "my forum says so".Unless this has become the "bmcecosse forum"?
Come to think of it................................

[Nickol]

No, it was indeed the coil on its last legs.

Just before fitting and connecting up the new one, I did connect up the now renovated lead to the old coil and tried to start . no go. Then with the new coil fitted - the starter motor, it seems did not need to turn over , the motor started on its own accord.

However, to be fair I have only had it running for 3 minutes because I had to leave but things am quietly confident.

[bmcecosse]

The old coil will be corroded where the presumably loose HT connection was sparking away before....... Essentially the 'coil' = as in the inner workings - is probably perfectly good. Just beware - if the new coil was made in China or similar far-away place........it probably won't last long.....
The whole point of my 'never the coil' motto is to encourage people to THINK before automatically ditching an almost certainly perfectly good coil whenever they have a problem with their engine. I fully accept that just sometimes - it IS the coil that has failed - but honestly, original old coils do go on 'for ever' if treated reasonably, with nice tight connections, not subjected to vibration and heat, or swamped with filthy water! Your coil HT connection was corroded/loose - and arcing/sparking has damaged the terminal connection inside the coil - if it can't be fixed, I urge you to look for another serviceable 'old' coil, rather than rely on the possibly poorly made new coil!

[dalebrignall]

my bog standard coil has done 10 years do make sure the connections are clean and tight

[bmcecosse]

As far as I know - the coil on my Trav is the original (certainly looks like it)....50 years old later this year......

[Nickol]

I would say that the coil that was on mine was not original.

Anyway, using the same HT cables as before and with the new Taiwanese coil Morris is singing sweetly again.

I have examined the old coil at its ceramic nose, so to speak to determine whether there is minute crack to be seen but I cannot perceive any. No doubt bmcecosse you were correct in the assumption that the dodgy HT lead damaged the internal windings (they are full of oil I notice) and thence the full stop.

On running the engine I noticed sparking from around the distributer but upon inspection this is emantaing from the dynamo. I will have a scout around the various threads here to determine if this is normal or not.

[bmcecosse]

Taiwanese coil......oh dear - don't expect it to last long...carry a spare! I had hoped you would get a good Bosch coil - something like that....or has the Bosch name been sold to a Chinaman now? Sparky dynamo is not normal - get a new set of brushes and clean up the commutator. Ideally it should be skimmed up in a lathe, and the slots scraped out - but often a good rub round works wonders.

[Nickol]

I thought you might wince at that info......

I was thinking on the same lines to get a reputable brand but, as you poin tout, it is very likely no longar "made in Germany".

In any case which model?

Dynamo - having seen previous comments in the forum I already have it in mind to do just as you suggested.

[bmcecosse]

Correct coil is for 12 volt use - NOT a ballast coil intended for ~ 9 volt running through a ballast resistor. The correct coil will have an impedance across the two terminals of approx. 3.2 ohms.

[mobylette]

Looks like Bosch coils are now made in Brazil.

http://www.simonbbc.com/ignition-coils/ ... powerspark

[tysonn]

Could be alright then.They make nice nuts.

[Nickol]

There has been in the last few years a gradual demise in manufacturing here; even though record exports are being reported. My firm, who make water turbines etc nowadays only do about 25 % locally - the rest is world wide and the quality is often an issue with our customers.

Just a sidetrack that - I have ordered one of these - not from England of course - hope it is the right type!

http://www.simonbbc.com/ignition-coils/ ... powerspark.

[bmcecosse]

It looks good...do tell us how you get on with it!

[Nickol]

Yes of course; it is intended to be a back up but when it arrives, to prove that it is ok will have to fit it - and then if it works there would be little point in removing it again

That being the case, the Tai'coil will act as a spare ( and hopefully never needed)

[bmcecosse]

I agree - keep the Tai coil as the 'spare' - which you won't ever need!

[Nickol]

This afternoon as the rain finally stopped I went for a test drive to my model Aeroplane club by a roundabout route , say 40km away. Car is performing well with no sign of hiccups. If it is indeed the pinking noise that I hear on hill climbs then the vernier will be retarded a bit more.

I have found an old coil in the rear compartment next to the spare wheel which measures 3,5ohm across the terminals. My new one measures 3,7 and the defunct one (it says made in England on it) approx 0,5 ohm which goes a long way to explain why Morris did not want to leap into action. Armed with two spares, what is the betting that the Tai'coil will never break down?

[bmcecosse]

I think you can safely discard the 0.5 ohm coil.... I would still fit either your expensive 'Bosch' coil - or the old one wisely stored beside the spare wheel!