Can coil wired incorrectly cause

N

Nelson 634

Well-known member
Can a coil, wired incorrectly cause interment starting, not starting, or hard starting. I've been working on one of my cubs for several weeks. 1950 Serial # 125036, 6 volt, push button start, generator, voltage regulator mounted to trapezoid shaped plate outward of the generator, 3 position light switch (OBD).

I've spent most of my time fixing previous owners fixes, cleaning painted connections, as well as dirt and grease painted over. I've taken off the dash, all switches and gauges on the dash, the distributor, the generator, the voltage regulator and checking and cleaning all connections. When I got to the coil. The ignition was wired to the positive terminal of the coil. Is that not incorrect on a positive ground system. If so can it damage other parts of the system or the coil itself.

Cold and rainy here today. Didn't feel like working crouched under a tarp in the cold. So thought I'd take the easy way and ask. Maybe sun will come out tomorrow.
 
Nelson 634":3qniulg0 said:
Can a coil, wired incorrectly cause interment starting, not starting, or hard starting. The ignition was wired to the positive terminal of the coil. Is that not incorrect on a positive ground system. If so can it damage other parts of the system or the coil itself.
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For sake of the argument the coil is wired backward since the coil has positive and negative markings.

Will wiring the coil backwards hurt anything? No, and the coil wiring is not the cause of the problem. The coil, maybe.

Intermittment, hard starting, not starting. Most likely ignition, providing the engine cranks over reliably. Start by checking for spark when cranking over the engine. Constant spark, check ignition timing, points condition, rotor, etc..

Edit> Holed up in house, working in basement. Crappy day, misting all day. If it were a couple degrees colder, ice or snow.
 
So the ignition wire goes to the + marked terminal on the coil to be correct?

Spark some times, sometimes not, Yellow in color. That's at plugs and the high tension wire from the center of the coil to ground. The spark comes and goes but is always yellow in color. Points in good condition. I will replace rotor, distributor cap and capacitor. I hope coil is okay. I have one on an operating tractor, but hesitant to put it on and damage it. I'll change one thing at a time and recheck spark.
 
Nelson 634":3mcr466f said:
So the ignition wire goes to the + marked terminal on the coil to be correct?
Click to expand...
Plus side is the ground side of the coil. So the wire from the + side of the coil goes to the distributor.

I probably misread your initial post.
Spark some times, sometimes not, Yellow in color. That's at plugs and the high tension wire from the center of the coil to ground. The spark comes and goes but is always yellow in color.
Click to expand...
Yellow spark, capacitor. But check the condition of the distributor cap and rotor.
 
Communication is a wonderful thing I wish I did it a lot better. I got it backwards in my last post. But I got it, + from coil to distributor and ignition to - on coil. Thank you very much.

Hope the sun comes out tomorrow.
 
You had me confused, too! So, was it connected right or wrong? I have seen a problem, such as you describe, caused by reverse coil connection. If that is not the issue, go after the condenser.
 
If you have a weak/yellow or no spark straight out of the coil, it won't be any better at a spark plug wire. Cleaning or replacing the cap and rotor won't make it any better.
 
Took me a bit to find it- but when you have your coil wired backward your spark travels different,if I recall it travels from ground to the center electrode,correctly it travels from electrode to ground. I remember that there was a pencil test that you could preform to see if you were wired correctly.... Test by removing a plug wire from a plug and hold a plain lead pencil point in the path of the arc. A flair (hard to see) towards the plug shows correct polarity while a flair towards the coil shows reversed polarity.
 
Gary Dotson - It was connected wrong.

Jim Becker - Will put everything back after cleaning and inspecting then change the condenser only then check to see if I have a spark from coil to ground (Tractor body). Only then will I move on to something else.

Gary S. - Interesting test when I get it back together I may try that.
 
I thought I posted this as well from a British car site but I guess it didn't go-
Coil polarity should be such so as to provide negative polarity to
the spark plugs center electrode.
It has been found that it takes approximately 15% less voltage
to form an arc at the plugs if the hotter center electrode is
negative and the cooler (by comparison) ground electrode is
positive. The center electrode is hotter since heat transfer from
the tip must make its way through the porcelain insulator past
the sealing gaskets to the shell block and then to the water jackets
 
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