MTFCA Forum

Well, I got everything installed in preparation to start my ‘26 coupe for the first time in 7 years and after attempting to start it, spent the rest of the afternoon trying to figure out why the coils will not buzz. A couple of months ago, when I first tried to start the T to see if it would start without a whole lot of work, the instrument panel was sloppy, but the coils did buzz, so I decided to take the switch apart and polish the contacts and apply tension to the contacts to make them tighter and less sloppy. At that time I had a New Day Timer.

1. I recently rebuilt the instrument panel and checked to see if I wired it wrong. It is wired correctly. I tried another instrument panel. Same problem. Everything works, dim and bright lights, horn, but no buzz from the coils.
2. I installed a roller type timer from Snyder’s since I always had the best luck with them, but this one is brand new and has never been tested.
3. The 4 coils were rebuilt by Ron, so they are good. I cleaned the contact points with a thin piece of cardboard between the points so they are squeaky clean.
4. The four Champion X spark plugs look great. I cleaned them in solvent andmade sure they were gapped at the recommended .025.
4. It has a new battery which always has a trickle charger hooked up to it so it always has a full charge.
5. I have a fuse installed in the battery cable, but I assume nothing would work if that was bad.

I guess I will be trouble shooting tomorrow. Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated. Jim Patrick

Pretty sure you won't get a "buzz" unless one of the timer contacts is on a grounded segment.

Cheat and use a jumper wire from the battery to the power input screw on the coil box to bypass your switch.
You should be buzzin' with it jumped.

With the switch on Batt, take a piece of wire and ground one by one the top connection on the coil box. This is where the small wires are connected. Each coil should buzz when the wire to that coil is grounded. Then check each wire at the timer. Each coil should buzz when the corresponding wire is grounded. If both of the above tests pass, then your problem is in the timer. If one or more coils buzz but others don't buzz, the problem is either with the coil which does not buzz or with the contacts inside the coil box not connecting with the contacts on the coils. If you don't get electricity to the bar at the bottom of the coil box, you have a problem with either the wiring to the switch or with the switch itself.
Norm

Norman. What, exactly do you mean by “the top connection on the coil box”? Can you post a photo of the coil box and, using a pointer, point to the “top connection”. Thank you. Jim Patrick

Those would be the wires from the timer, the top row of terminals. With the wire connected to something grounded and key turned to battery, touch the other end to each of the 4 terminals. That will take the timer out of the loop to check and see if the 4 coils buzz. The roter in the timer is grounded, each time it makes contact with one of the 4 segments in same, it closes the circuit, a coil will buzz.

Thanks Mark. I wasn’t sure if Norman as talking about the individual coil boxes or the box that holds the four coils. I’m looking forward to trying out these suggestions. Jim Patrick

I recently have used a clean piece of paper to clean the points. I took the coil box lid off and drew the paper between the points on all 4 coils, and my car went from running a little "off" to not starting at all. No coils would buzz. I took the lid off the coil box again and tapped the vibrator springs on each coil with a small screwdriver and the car started and ran OK. Even though the paper was clean, some fibers must have come off and kept the points from making contact. My points were not new, and the paper was not card stock, which I have used to clean points with some success. If your points are even a tiny bit rough, paper may be a bad choice for cleaning points.

It is the top row of connections on the firewall or if a later car the coil box. The wires which go to the timer. I'm old fashioned. Would need a camera to get the picture. Don't have one of those new fangled "smart phones".
Norm

Thank you. I’ll be troubleshooting tomorrow. Hopefully, it is something simple. Jim Patrick

Could be the ignition switch. Move the key back and forth several times, wiggle the key or whatever. Some basic connection somewhere isn’t making a contact. Most of the time it’s something simple. But the switch could be an issue. Good luck!

With the ignition key turn to battery what is the voltage at the coil box terminal?

Got it. They buzz now. I first confirmed there was current going to the coil box. I then touched a wire from one of the head bolts to the top connection for each coil and they all buzzed. I then touched the wire from the block to each timer connection. No buzz. When I took the timer off, I discovered that the spring loaded roller was stuck tight against the roller bracket in the closed position so that the roller as not making contact with the track inside the timer housing. I can’t imagine how it became stuck in the retracted position unless It was like that when I installed it. I pried the roller open oiled it and worked it so that it now opens and closes easily as it should. I will now put it back together and give it a try. Thanks to everyone for your guidance. Jim Patrick