Burnt Coil = Mystery Smell

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by PANAVIA

We have had trouble with the repro "mustard-top" coils to the point where we will not use them. -- we use pertonix , MSD, mallory, motorcraft, or delco (if its a GM car) .

428Street -- I think if you just peel off the silverish sticker that comes on the MSD Hi-Vibration Coil and then carefully paint the top of it with a mustardy color no one would know the difference (but don't quote me on that, I haven't actually held a mustard-top coil in my paws in a long, long time.)

[trularin]

Patrick, you are going to have him painting the entire ignition system.

YO, 428street, you need a coil resistor if one side of the ignition system grounds to discharge the energy. If you do not have a resistor in series with the coil and the ignition stops on a "firing lobe" with the coil engergized, you will cook the coil in the dielectric it is stored in. If the resistor in "built in" it will state it on the coil.

Rick Parker is right, there was a while where Ford installed three different resistor type connections: bathtub resistor, fused link with resistor and resistor wire.

Just a little added information.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by trularin

Patrick, you are going to have him painting the entire ignition system.

I'm sure the little Hi-Vibration sticker just peels right off and leaves you with a basic black coil. Add a strand of pearls and you're all set, ehhrrr make that a olive-yellow top, that is. Here's a mediocre shot of mine so he can kind of of see it. I just have the sticker pointed downward towards the manifold.

[trularin]

Your engine compartment is so clean.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by trularin

Your engine compartment is so clean.

Easier to spot the oil leaks that way.

[428street]

Thanks guys. I am going to experiment with a couple of suggestions. On this scenario I'm going to go with reliability over originality. Probably going to go with a Pertronixs to match to EI I have under the cap and mount it on the face of the head...I have a call into Pertronixs to get their official word as well.

[Got the Bug]

Originally Posted by trularin

Your engine compartment is so clean.

That's because he keeps the car hermetically sealed in a plastic bag.

[PANAVIA]

pertronix may not know.

we have mounted them both ways without issue.

[Ronbo]

If your not worried about originality, the H - frame coils have faster recovery time than the old can style.

[xracerbob]

If your not worried about originality

Umm...have you seen the level of detail on this car?

[Rick Parker]

When the point type ignitions used a resistor in line it reduced the current flow through the coil and ignition points, next step was dual points in an effort to increase coil saturation and prevent the points from burning. At the same time it was common to mount the coil horizontally on the intake manifold. There was seldom a problem with the coils at the time because of the reduced current flow on the primary side of the ignition.
With the advent of MSD, Crane, Acell and others being able to switch higher current with electronics insted of mechanical points the coils were now receiving a full 12 volts instead of the previous 8-9. Often the older type coils will overheat and fail. New designs were created and are more efficient and produce higher secondary voltages. If the older type (oil filled) is laid on their side (manifold mounted) the windings around the core are exposed inside the can without the cooling oil covering them, they run hot and can burn. This is more prvelant with the electronic ignitions because of the higher current capabilities.

[428street]

So, Rick what do you recommend I do if I want to stay stock?

[428street]

This is the response I received from Pertronix:

Ok, then you have the Ignitor. With the Ignitors we have been removing the
resisters with these coils for years. With great results and have
experienced very little failures. The reason why we say don't remove the
resister in the Ignitor instructions is we aren't sure what coil the
customer might have on the car. So to be on the safe side we ask the
customer to keep the resister inline to better protect the Ignitor. In your
case since we are familiar with this coil we would give you the option to
keep the resister or remove the resister.

I normally suggest not running a resister because it allows the coil to
produce more energy. The down side is the coil will run a little hotter. So
if your coil isn't mounted in a location that gets air moving over it you
might what to think about adding a resister. Or if you are mounting the coil
on its side make sure the terminals are running parallel will the ground.

[Rick Parker]

If you want to use a stock ford coil (see my PM's to you) mount it vertically.