Andrews coils WTF???

1979 LTD has been siting for 4or5 years thee coils were stored in my tool box i mounted them today and hooked them up.Have 13v to both terminals until i hook up the wires from the points then the point side of the coils goes dead but still have power to switch side. Im about ready to can the whole harnes and put it back the way I like it.any ideas ??

76 LTD wrote:

1979 LTD has been siting for 4or5 years thee coils were stored in my tool box i mounted them today and hooked them up.Have 13v to both terminals until i hook up the wires from the points then the point side of the coils goes dead but still have power to switch side. Im about ready to can the whole harnes and put it back the way I like it.any ideas ??

99% your points are closed.
1% you've got a pinched wire on the way to the points or the condenser is shorted.

Post edited by: Duck, at: 2007/08/19 18:16

Post edited by: Duck, at: 2007/08/19 18:16

I put direct voltage to the points(bypassed the coils)and both spark when closed but one set will spark open or closed so im thinkin its in the point plate somewhere.already checked for pinched an broken wires so its gotta have an extra ground somewhere.

Post edited by: 76 LTD, at: 2007/08/19 18:40

If you did that direct test with the power and condenser wires disconnected from the points the set that sparks all the time is bad or you have contact between the flat spring strap and ground, are all of the insulators in the correct locations and not cracked. If you didn't disconnect the wires it could still be a grounded wire to the coils or the condeser is shorted.
Ride safe

I checked it with condensor still connected.i found an old Maxi dwell setup im gonna try it. I like them better anyway.To bad they dont still make them.

Post edited by: 76 LTD, at: 2007/08/19 20:47

76 LTD wrote:

I put direct voltage to the points(bypassed the coils)and both spark when closed but one set will spark open or closed so im thinkin its in the point plate somewhere.already checked for pinched an broken wires so its gotta have an extra ground somewhere.<br><br>Post edited by: 76 LTD, at: 2007/08/19 18:40

That set of points that sparks either way is shorting to the plate somewhere. Check insulator and condenser.

Points are just a switch.

(+)--////----> o----(-)
bat coil points ground/frame/negative bat

The condenser goes across the points so the spark, when they open, doesn't erode them. If it is bad in a short circuited way, your points will act like they are closed all the time. Condensers usually fail as a short.

It much more likely that you've got an unwanted connection between the hot side of the points and ground. Broken insulator, scrap of wire, frayed wire, hole in insulation of condenser wire...

-Duck

evidently was a bad condensor i rplaced them and its fine now Thanks for all the info.