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

1940 356 ignition coil. I am having a problem which I originally thought was fuel system but everything checks out and beginning to suspect the coil and the points and condenser. Car starts fine drives a little and then quits like it is out of gas. After it cools off a few minutes, it will start again. Points and condenser sre easy enough. What do I do about that coil with the armored wire coming out the back going I think to the ignition switch. NOS are available for the cost of your first born. Will the back of that coil come off and then you can splice the wire around to the terminal on the new coil?

Have you checked with David Flack (flackmaster at sbcglobal point net) to see if he might have a coil? He mentioned some time back that there might be period looking substitutes to the expensive originals some of the vendors have.

If you do replace with a modern coil, depending on the brand of the original coil the bottom or cup the armored cable goes into will either be held by bent over tabs which need to straighten to let the cup remove or by some small dimples on the coil housing which requires the cup to twist off like a screw top bottle cap. Once the cup is off there is a single terminal on the bottom of the coil. Remove the wire from the terminal and if it extends enough out of the cup or there is slack to reroute the armored cable it may be long enough to bring forward and attach to the new coil terminal location. If not a short length will need to be spliced on.

The Napa IC-7 is a universal 6v modern coil which works well. Unfortunately there is no provision for any way to secure the cup and cable to the coil so you will need to tie wrap it or provide some other means to keep it fixed in position so the wire doesn't get damaged or pulled.

Thanks, Howard. I am going to try to get a modern coil to replace this one. Who knows it might be the original.

Hi Howard, I have studied the existing coil this morning but have not removed it yet. It has a bracket that shares a stud with the air cleaner mount. I do notice on the end where there is an existing terminal for the wire from the distributor, it does not say positive or negative like the new coils. Would the wire from the distributor go on the positive or negative of the new one? I am thinking positive as the one in the back goes to the ignition which I think breaks a ground so the one I move from the back of the old one would go on the negative ground. Is this correct? Mine does have the metal tabs to bend back. Then again since it is positive ground I may have all that backward? Thanks for the help. TOmmy

If you want essentially the same mounting on the new coil you can pick up a universal bracket similar to this type which wraps around the middle of the coil. That way it can mount to the same air cleaner stud. Still need to deal with some way of anchoring the armored cable though.

The single exposed terminal on the original coil now going to the distributor is the positive terminal. If the car still has the stock positive ground the distributor and OD ign cutout wire (if you have overdrive) will connect to the positive terminal on the new coil. The armored cable wire from the ign switch connects to the negative terminal. To keep the best coil efficiency if the positive battery ground has been reversed for some reason then the coil terminals also should reverse.

Attach file:

---

  (15.31 KB)

yes, can provide NOS coil and new bracket.

DAF

Hi Tommy,

Curious to see what your problem turns out to be. My '39 Six was doing the exact same thing. I too, have replaced 'everything' and have not yet had it out on the road to see if the problem is fixed. It SEEMS to be running better, but the proof will be driving it and arriving at a stop sigh and not have it just 'coast to a halt'. Same as yours, if I sit there for a bit, it will restart, but mine almost seems like it is flooded when it does restart, as I have to hold the gas pedal to the floor and crank it until it starts and then it 'sounds' flooded. I replaced carb, fuel pump, distributor (along with new points and condenser) plugs, wires, coil, even a new voltage regulator. Recently I have had the front end clip off to do a major cooling system overhaul and whilst I could get better access to the motor, I timed it and found it to be out a bit (too far advanced 2-4 degrees) so I have rectified that, re-cored the rad, installed a new water pump, T-stat and antifreeze; flushed the block and head and it now runs significantly cooler. The rad shop that did my rad said the old core was pretty plugged up. I hope to be on the road in a few more days and will see if it is 'problem solved' or still some mysterious malady that I have yet to figure out. Please post YOUR findings. Chris.