Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

What's the simplest way to jump a coil on a 42 Clipper??

On that type coil there is only one way to get to the terminal. You need to CAREFULLY bend the tabs back just far enough they clear the cup edge. Be careful not to bend them so far they break. Pull the cup out and away from the pad (you should have 3 or 4 inches of wire to play with) and the terminal will be exposed. You can then disconnect the wire coming from ign sw and use a long jumper wire directly from the battery or some other point that has voltage when the ign switch is on to power the coil.

Note that the ign switch is not only hard to get to being placed behind the emergency brake handle bracket but also has a separate coil terminal from an isolated contact inside the switch to ensure the engine stops when key is turned off. With coil jumped, if you choose a power source from a point controlled by the switch but shared with the rest of the car, then even if you turn the ignition switch off there may still be enough feedback from the generator that the engine will keep running until the jumper is disconnected.