VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 1931 Chevy Ignition Coil Testing

Does anyone have resistance values for the ignition coil? I received this car in pieces and have no idea if the coil is good or not.

Hello GreenBayPacker14,
Not having much in the line of smarts about electrical components, I would have to refer you to do a google search on testing 6vdc coils. Between 6volt and 12volt coils, my question is, how do it know? Anyway, I believe that the positive and negative terminals of the coil are the primary winding, so if you get continuity thru those, it should produce power within the secondary winding and heavy duty cable to the center of the distributor cap. However, I have seen a failure of a condenser that totally disables the ignition system making it seem like a failed coil. I do not know what resistance values are for a serviceable coil. Check with an auto parts store to maybe ohm meter a new coil for you to compare.

Start here: Testing a Coil
...Great post and assistance & guidance from all the good guys on VCCA !! Also resistance you should get on each coil as well as a Modern replacement/ back-up coil from local parts store.

Also Charlie (41specialdeluxe) posted this link a while back Bench Testing Your Ignition Coil

If you need a New one, get BWD E5, from most any Local AutoParts about $20. No Issues on my 1929 !

The method I use for an unknown coil is rather crude but I have found it to be quite effective.

1. Set a 6 volt battery, or you can use a 6 volt battery charger on the bench beside your vice.
2 Connect the minus post of the battery to the vice.
3. Run a jumper wire from the plus terminal of the battery to the plus terminal of the coil.
4. Use a known good condenser and clamp it in the vice, taking care not to put too much pressure on it and distort.
5. Take another jumper wire from the minus terminal of the coil. On the other end of that jumper, clip it to the pig tail of the condenser.
6. Use any piece of spark plug wire or coil wire, insert it into the high tension port of the coil.
7. Connect another jumper wire from the condenser pigtail leaving the other end free.
8. Place the high tension wire about 1/8 inch from the vice.
9. Take the loose end of the wire from step 7 and touch it to the vice for a moment then remove it. Two things should happen. You should see a small red spark from the jumper wire indicating that you have continuity through the coil windings. And you should see a hot blue spark jump from the spark plug wire to the vice. If you play around a bit you can keep striking the jumper wire as rapidly as you can to the vice and by moving the high tension wire further from the vice you can see how hot and how far the spark will jump.

Have done this many times, never fails to work.

Another method I prefer is to use a spare distributor, doesn't mater what brand, simply use jumper wires to connect the wiring. I put the distributor in the vice and use a drill motor to turn the distributor. While running the drill I can move the high tension wire closer and further from the body of the distributor and see a nice hot blue spark (if the coil is good).