original coil

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PanPal
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original coil

#1

Post by PanPal »

First time trying to do this. I have what I believe to be a working OEM coil and I'm trying to put new spark plug wires in. Last night I cut teeth in the handle of a acid brush and worked it down through the tar until I see a scraped circle in the bottom on both holes. Just kept clearing the tar from the hole in the acid brush every time I pulled it out. I can not clearly see a pin down there, and there is still tar in the center where the pin should be. Since it gets pretty hot in the garage during the day, I stuck the coil in my beer fridge until I can get back to it. Any good Ideas on getting the tar off the pins that far down inside? Should the pin be completely cleaned before I go trying to push the new wires down in?
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Re: original coil

#2

Post by Buddhahoodvatoloco »

See if you can try getting spark out of the coil, hook battery up, a spare distributor. Might save you the burden or blessing of messing further with that coil. Suggestion offered from a empirical perspective.
PanPal
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Re: original coil

#3

Post by PanPal »

Don't think I can do that without spark plug wires installed. That's what I am trying to get put in. If I hook it up the tar will heat up and close in again. It was a working coil with bad spark plug wires. Pulled the wires out and couldn't get spares I had in about a year ago. So I am now trying to install wires to put this on my 59 to replace a V twin coil I've been running. Any tricks to cleaning the pin in the center way down inside before I try to stab new spark plug wires in the tar and try to hit the pins down inside?
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Re: original coil

#4

Post by 1950Panhead »

Get .250" rod, drill .100" hole in end, cut two slot with hacksaw, works best with coil hot from sun.
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Re: original coil

#5

Post by 48Doc »

Try an old fashioned pencil with a rubber eraser. When you hit the pin, you will see the mark on the eraser.
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Re: original coil

#6

Post by RUBONE »

My old standby coil tool is a section of old car antenna the correct diameter to fit the top hole. I cut a set of sawteeth in the lower end, and with the coil cold hand turn it to cut a path to the pin, the plug always comes out with the tool. Lightly oil the new wire that I have trimmed, and rounded the end of after exposing about 1/8" of inner and splayed out in a star pattern to contact the pin. The light oil allows it to slip through the tar but doesn't affect anything, then warm it up to capture and seal the wire. Of course car antennas are getting tough to find, I made this about 45 years ago and still use it.... :mrgreen:
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Re: original coil

#7

Post by Bigincher »

You can find a variety of diameter tubing at a hobby shop to make the 'hole saw' out of.
But that's not your question...... If the tang is bent over, you may be able to find a machinist's pick that is small enough to reach in and stand the tang up. Very tedious work.
Years ago I found some dental tools, like scrapers for cleaning teeth. Get creative and make a tool...!
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Re: original coil

#8

Post by 1951 adam »

You should be able to see in there and as Bigincher suggested get creative. Remember on a stock coil the towers are 2 different heights .

Adam
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Re: original coil

#9

Post by PanPal »

Its getting better still a bit to clean off the pin. I may try the 1/4" rod with .100 hole trick.
Tried the pencil deal and lost the evening fishing out the metal collar and eraser. Those dental picks came in handy here after pulling the eraser and sleeve up with a long wood screw. You guys are right about the need to get creative.
I had a acid brush with a smaller diameter handle. Clipped grooves in the end and bend one tab in and one tab out, then cleaned a bit and I did have a hole in the center of the tar filled handle from the pins. Both are straight and not bent over. I'll get back to it soon, but for now its in a bag in the fridge.
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Re: original coil

#10

Post by Bigincher »

Excellent! You're on the right track.
PanPal
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Re: original coil

#11

Post by PanPal »

Just wanted to wrap this thread up. Drilling a .100 hole and hacksawing slots in a 1/4 shaft seemed to work well. I ended up painting the coil black again and the caps a cad looking color. New wires went in nice and the bike fired up first kick with ignition on. I may be crazy but the bike sounds better than it has running those V twin replica coils for all these years.
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