The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay coil

I have been working on my 1946 chevy pickup with a 216 straight six. It looked like I was having coil problems (no spark) so I replaced the original with a mail order one from Jim Carters. The one I received in the mail looks abit different. The one that was on the truck had two connections. One connected to the ignition lock that went under a cap on the coil. The other went to the distributer on the engine. The mail order one has no cap that removes but it has a positive and negative post. I'm sure this is an updated version of the one that I need. Any ideas?Does the positive connect to the ignition lock or the negative?any advice would be appreciated

You can get the original electrolock coils but they aren't cheap.
Chevs of the 40s has them on occasion.
Kanter says they have them.

Will the one I have work and how does it connect?

Jimferrar,

On these Chevrolet rigs, coil positive (+) will go to the key switch (ignition lock) and negative (-) will go right down to the distributor.


Stuart

I have never worked with one of these ignition systems, but if the '46 system is like the '42 system, it has a reversing switch in it, between the coil and the distributor:

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1942/42csm1228.htm

If this post is out in left field, I'll delete it.

I'm still having problems starting. My truck does not have a reversing switch. Does it need one to start?

Jimferrar,

If the distributor has been rigged properly, you don't need a polarity reversing switch for it to run. The general consensus is that you DON'T want that switch on the truck...they are a pain in the butt!

Stuart

do you know what the proper setup for the distributor is?I just want to make sure that this is not the problem

Lets diagnose the problem instead of guesing at it. First make sure there is current to the pos. side of the coil when you turn the key on.Then make sure the points open & close as the engine turns over, Use a test light or a jumper wire & touch the pos. term to ground momentarally. If that is good take a screwdriver & open the points shorting them to ground off & on. put the high tension wire comeing out of the center of the coil close to a ground. Each time you break the circuit in the points a small spark should be at the screwdriver & a fat blue spark should jump out of the coil. If it does & it doesn,t spark as you turn the engine over then the points are dirty or burnt. If you dont get any spark at the points there is a bad connection somewhere or the condenser is bad. Make sure the wires connected at the points are not turn & shorting to ground. This should give you something to work with & let us know what you find & we can help some more.

Jimferrar,

Don't forget your other post on this problem!

Stuart

well after replacing
plugs
plug wires
condenser
points
rotor button
coil
It still wont start. I took the wire off of the coil and I'm definately getting spark. I have checked the carbuerator and I am getting gas, but it still wont start. The positive battery cable and the ground are a little ratty. could this rob enough juice to keep it from starting. It's really frustrating because it sounds like it really wants to but just cant make it to start all the way.

Good grounding is everything on a 6v system. Fix your battery cables before you try anything else. 12V cables are not heavy enough, most are 4ga.. You'll need a 1 or 0 ga cable on both positive and ground. Make sure your ground connections are clean at both ends of the cable.

Others might disagree, but I would either pour a little gasoline down the throat of the carburetor (careful!!) or spray some starting fluid in it. My '51 is little-used, and when I try to start it every couple weeks, and it doesn't start, I wonder whether I've broken something in the course of other work. So I give it an ounce of gas in the carb, and assuming the battery is charged, the connections are clean, the choke is closed, etc., etc., it starts up.