coil oil

[NutmegCT]

Good morning folks. After two months I finally realized that the "oil" I had been finding on the passenger side of the engine bay was coming from the coil, not the engine. The coil, a black generic with ballast, is mounted pointing down, and there's oil slowly leaking from it.

Is this a disaster waiting to happen? Or just a long-term annoyance? Or the kick in the rear I need to change to a Pertronix Ignitor and coil system?

Tom

 

[thegoodbeamer]

definitly change the coil.My 62 wasn't running up to par.seems the oil in the coil was for some reason low.After all those years it went somewhere.Changed coil and its much better.Loose the oil and you may find you'r not going anywhere.

 

[90 XJ-S]

That oil is the insulation for the high voltage side of your coil. As it leaks out, you will loose insulation and your coil will arc internally.
At first this will simply cause a slight, perhaps imperceptable, miss. As it arcs, it will carbonize the oil and it will loose its inulating properties and arc more which will cause it to loose even more of its insulating properties. This spiralling action could take weeks or minutes /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif, but, ultimately your coil is going to fail. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
According to Murphy's Law that will happen on the dark, two lane, twisty, untravelled road at about midnight on the way to your daughter's wedding. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Change it now!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif

Mike

 

[Guest]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif
Aint that the truth!!! Love that Murphy's law analogy.
Bob

 

[Jim 67B]

If you don't replace the coil the smoke may leak out of the wires.

 

[Bugeye58]

And, remember, Murphy was an optimist.
Jeff