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cOIL qUESTION

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Ohiobugeye

Ohiobugeye

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At 80 MY memory isn't what it used to be. 15 years ago when I got my 59 Bugeye on the road I converted it to a negative ground system . at the same time I installed a Pertonix negative ground ignition system. The instructions say to run the Red wire to the positive coil terminal and the black wire to the negative terminal. what I don't recall is being the electrical system is a negative ground should the coil wires be reversed? With a points system every place I see says the coil wires should be reversed?
The car has sat for 3 years due to my wife's health issues and I had pulled the distributor out at that time.
 
If your coil is marked + and - then that is how it should be connected. If it is marked CB (contact breaker) and SW (switch) as the one on my Prefect then they should be reversed. The markings could also indicate something like battery and earth or something related. They most common though is still + and -.
 
That's what I thought but I wanted to get another opinion. I'm not getting any spark coming out of the distributor to the spark plugs. The engine cranks over and all the accessories work fine. I have current coming into the coil but that's where it stops. I tested the ignition switch , voltage regulator, fuse all the way to the coil. I have used 3 distributors and 2 coils one has a points set up. Timing is correct. The only thing I haven't tried is switching the coil wires . I'll bench test the 3 distributors today. Thanks for the reply.
 
bobhustead said:
Odds are very high that you should not run fiddly Pertronix parts. Change back to points.
Bob
Click to expand...
The Pertronix system was installed in 2007 and never gave me any problems. I also have a Lucas 25d with points and I get the same results.
 
May not be Pertronix fault this time. There are you tube videos on how to test a coil for spark without electronic equipment. Try that and see if you get spark. In conventional systems the coil polarity is supposed to correspond to the battery polarity. If you disconnect the primary wire that goes to the dist. from the coil, does current show up at the now disconnected stud?
Bob
 
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