coil question

Hi guys,

I was wondering what would happen if the coil was installed the wrong way (both wires going in are black, same guage (not pink and black-w-stripe as haynes says) -- would it start? Would it die after a block even when warmed up properly?

How about if the .33 microfarrad capacitor were hooked up to the wrong poll (+ve) or not hooked up at all?

My dodge ram is such a farmer's special and haynes doesn't come even close on any of the diagrams for various years.

thank you for any help you may be able to provide

rach

Reply to
Rachel Easson
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As long as there isn't a diode in the primary coil it dosen't care which way the current flows through it. The coil doesn't care what color the wire is either. Its just a high voltage transformer. They can go bad when warm and then work when cold. Its and expansion/contraction thing. . >

Caps usually are just there to absorb voltage spikes. They let ac pass and block dc. They also eliminate noise in the radio etc.

Electrical gremlins are the hardest problems to solve. Mainly because you just can see them.

beekeep

Reply to
beekeep

thank you for answering so quickly -- that's good news, i don't need to switch things around and try again

The coil doesn't care what color the wire is either.

LOL! good one -- I like that :-)

It's brand new

ok thanks -- i can eliminate that too

mine is a full grown possessed ... i don't know what but it was probably an ass in its former life

Mainly because you just

i can see it on the curb down the road :-(

rach

i am going to make a list of everything changed on it in the next day and run it by everyone

Reply to
Rachel Easson

Do the two wires go to the distributor from the coil? If so, then they are to the pickup coil in the distributor. Then it's just a matter of tracing the wires down to the ECU and the ballast. It sounds to me like the previous owner was not a mechanic. If you can, scrounge an ignition harness from a truck in a wrecking yard.

The polarity normally doesn't matter on most capacitors but the RF suppression capacitor is supposed to be connected with the lead wire to the negative coil terminal and the case grounded to the engine. However, if you don't have any radios in the vehicle, why use it?

Reply to
Budd Cochran

So you don'r annoy the guy next tp you when sitting at a light.

beekeep

Reply to
beekeep

Now, come on . . .don't you miss the "good ol' days" when Ford refused to use any kind of suppression unless it was in the radio? (40's-50's) Which was why they used Ford Philco radios?

Besides, here in Moab anyway, most of those radios are playing so loud the occupants couldn't hear spark noise for their own . . . . .music volume.

The engine probably already has resistor ( radio suppression) plug wires on resistor ( radio suppression) plugs . . .so how much more suppression do you need?

Personally, imho and experience, you don't need both resistor plugs and wires to hold down interference. My D-150, until my son, Scott, replaced the plug wires was running stranded core wires, yep, genuine copper stranded wire on resistor plugs (Champion RN-14Y) and neither the radio in the truck, nor any in the house, nor any of my neighbors had any RF interference from it.

And it ran great.

Budd

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Reply to
Budd Cochran

yeah, cuz nowadaze, you never know if that person is gonna be a bad tempered pick bunny with massive fire power!

Mac

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Reply to
mac davis

neither am i a mechanic -- will go check. i changed the ECU too -- had one in the reliable 86 Ram that needs body work to safety

will get back to you shortly

i have the wrecking yard in my yard >grn>

OK -- i took it off when i noticed it was going to the positive just before i emailed the group -- i will leave it off -- radio and speakers are not worth listening to -- will leave it off

thanks budd

rach

Reply to
Rachel Easson

crackle crackle hiss hiss -- extremely annoying LOL rach

Reply to
Rachel Easson

It`s hard to tell because they are all taped up, however the tape is not factory so I am going to tear that part up tomorrow and check that

it seems to be something electrical

I am writing a new thread about the problem and things I have changed

i have a chilton book that was on order that arrived also -- have money to get it tomorrow

rach

Reply to
Rachel Easson

"pick" bunny or "pick a bunny"????

Reply to
Budd Cochran

Sorry Budd but my first car was a '64. I Nevever drove anything from the 40s or

50s. 'Wasn't born until 52.

beekeep

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Reply to
beekeep

You might want to rethink that if there are any electonic circuits involved. Some of those transistors can be fried very easily by a voltage spike, especially in the older versions.

beekeep

Reply to
beekeep

my brand new baby bouncing chilton manual that arrived today (yee hee) that i'll be picking up tomorrow should tell me

rach

Reply to
Rachel Easson

I never drove them either, but I had friends in school that had them and it was crazy to hear spark noise on my 56 Chevy radio because a Ford was sitting nearby , running, without noise on it's radio. My older brother explained why that happened when he came home on leave from the Air Force. He was an Electronics Technician for 25 years.

Budd

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Reply to
Budd Cochran

Rach,

Greg makes a good point if your engine has the dreaded Lean Burn computer, but it still should be on the negative side of the coil.

If your emission laws allow, switch to a 70's distributor, harness, ballast and ECU from an older /6 engine (car or truck) and get rid of that thing and save a ton of hassle in the future.

Reply to
Budd Cochran

yes, I will be checking that out tomorrow as Greg suggested and while i`m at napa picking up my manual -- does it matter which way the coil is installed -- i put it in the same way as the old one -- positive towards the firewall

i`ll get the pricing on parts you suggested -- there is no emissions testing in quebec yet -- not sure i can afford them -- is this critical to its running without stalling -- and will check for sparking tues night

once it is running, i want to have the motor switched with the motor in my other 86 -- i have to get them both to a neighbours -- run it over the summer while i fix up my 4x4s and sell it early fall if it causes any more trouble

rach

Reply to
Rachel Easson

Physical position isn't important but polarity is.

A red wire in common with the O2 feedback solenoid, the EGR solenoid, and ( CA only) air switching solenoid goes to the positive terminal of the coil. A Black with yellow tracer goes back to the computer and a black with blue tracer goes from both wires on the distributor to the computer ( from my son's Haynes Dodge truck manual).

It may not make a difference, but the spark control computers were notoriously failure prone, especially when the engine compartment warmed up.

In my opinion, as well as that of Mercedes engineers, the slant six was one of the best engines ever designed , then the EPA stepped in with the emissions requirements, so, you got the computer, the hydraulic lifters, the cast iron crank, and the 50% reduction in fuel economy.

Budd

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Reply to
Budd Cochran

good morning budd!

i need some time to digest all your pointers with the truck and chilton :-) manual in-hand so to speak, and to check into greg`s suggestion

just so you know budd, the other motor is also a 225 -- i wouldn`t dream of putting anything else in it, and yes, although they are not very popular in dodge trucks up here, that i think is due to misconception

it is possible that the weak cylinder has a piece of ``crappy piece of plastic distributor gear`` ;-) underneath, causing misalignment, because when we had the distributor gear on the old one changed, we never did find that broken piece

i have enough to keep me busy all day, so i`ll let you all know how things went tomorrow morning -- unless i get lucky before that

rach

Reply to
Rachel Easson

hey guys, i really appreciate your help -- i have enough to check on now, that i have renewed hope i will get this thing running without paying a fortune at a garage

i was beginning to despair because i just paid for a freezer (that i badly will need for rabbits) and a washing machine to replace the leaker for $70 cdn but need a truck to pick them up. however, i just realised that if i am still working on the dodge, i can take my old rusted 77 gmc van out illegally once more (chuckle) but ought to put some mirrors on it first ;-)

Reply to
Rachel Easson

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