MTFCA Forum

Im looking to replace my true fire ignition which I think has failed due to sitting for over 8 years. The creator of this has disappeared but I recall it worked great when I installed it 10 years ago. Thanks!

I added a question to your Facebook post. With the plugs out, did you try cranking the engine over to check and see if the plugs were firing?

Check with Lang's or Snyder's, they may have some new units still on the shelf.

Hard to believe they go bad sitting.
Easier to believe a marginal electrical connection got worse.

Clean ALL the contacts. They don't work if there is any dirt or corrosion.

It was a bad ground, he got it working.

Excellent, thanks for providing closure!

They don't go bad very often.

The real problem is the heart of the system is a Ford part used with 12 volt systems.

That box has a voltage doubler inside to make it work with the Ford part.

There has to be a good battery, battery cables, and starter switch to deliver 5 to 5.5 volts to the starter terminal while cranking the engine to give the box enough electricity to properly function.

With an analog meter with a dial, you have to measure the voltage between the starter terminal and engine ground while someone holds the starter switch down to determine the volage is adequate.

Another more dangerous test is to try cranking the engine with the key on.

The switching transistors in the timer cover do go bad and I have never found a replacement for them yet.

I did make a TrueFire test set that will test the box and timer.

It is not very difficult to do, but most of the time the box is OK, if the fuse inside is not blown.

A big wing nut on the left turns the rotor and is not shown.

The Test Set.

Sorry for the very delayed response. You were correct there was nothing wrong with the True Fire box. My ground at the firewall showed grounded however the screw that went through the firewall was loose and not making contact on the brass tab on the other side of the firewall in the coil box. Once that got tightened she started like a new car.

That little ground wire problem has failed frequently and given the TrueFire a bad name.

The other most common problems are a weak battery, a battery ground wire problem, or poor cables.

Measuring less than 5 Volts at the starter terminal with the engine being turned over is also a major problem.

J1MGOLDEN wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 30, 2024 8:04 pm

That little ground wire problem has failed frequently and given the TrueFire a bad name.

The other most common problems are a weak battery, a battery ground wire problem, or poor cables.

Measuring less than 5 Volts at the starter terminal with the engine being turned over is also a major problem.

If I might chime in here Jim, one other idiosyncracy (sp?) for TF is CLEANLINESS! Or lack thereof. After inheriting TF on my first Model T, which ran great with it I might add, after 2 years it started "acting up". Long story short, after 30 minutes of disconnecting everything and cleaning ALL the contacts it returned to its perfect performance. Subsequent TF's that I had proved the same. Cleanliness is next to Godliness!!