Another new one on me. Coil problem

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speedytinc
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First Name: john
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Another new one on me. Coil problem

Post by speedytinc » Sun Jun 29, 2025 12:17 pm

A T I am working on has a "new" set of Bitner coils. They look really nice. My local coil expert tells me they were really good coils. My first experience with his coils.
I took em to out thursday T party. (Teck session) Coils were way out of tune. Points are not marked KW or any other parentage.
Points took a lot of tweaking, but came in excellent on the ECCT.
One coil had the points stuck together.

Running in the T, one plug shorted didnt change the running @ that cylinder. In switching coils around, I found the problem was one particular coil. The points would stick together. I pull the coil, unstick the points & it functioned properly for less than a minute. Points stuck together again. So then, while running I feel the lower point not moving. I can push that point down & the motor runs on all 4 again for a few seconds While I feel the point fluttering.
So, pull the coil out again. Paying careful attention, I notice there is no point gap. Push down to unstick the points & the point gap reappears.

Surprise. The iron core pack is loose in the coil & moving itself up to the bottom of the point instead of magnetically pulling down the point plate.
I dripped some super glue around the core pack to wick in & lock the core in place. Will see today if that worked.
This is a coil problem I hadnt heard of before. "If if it aint something, its something else"


Original Smith
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Re: Another new one on me. Coil problem

Post by Original Smith » Mon Jun 30, 2025 12:48 pm

What is a Bitner coil? Never heard of them! I use only genuine Ford coils rebuilt by Ron Patterson. Never have a problem.


Topic author
speedytinc
Posts: 4725
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 12:24 pm
First Name: john
Last Name: karvaly
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 14/15 wide track roadster. 23 touring, 27 roadster pickup, 20ish rajo touring
Location: orange, ca
Board Member Since: 2020

Re: Another new one on me. Coil problem

Post by speedytinc » Mon Jun 30, 2025 12:55 pm

Yes, it is Bitners. They are all marked as such. Bitner was a guy that made NEW coils.
I also use Ron Patterson as my go to coil restorer. He does nice work.


J1MGOLDEN
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Re: Another new one on me. Coil problem

Post by J1MGOLDEN » Mon Jun 30, 2025 1:47 pm

Take the lid off one and you will see why no one has ever heard of them.


got10carz
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Re: Another new one on me. Coil problem

Post by got10carz » Mon Jun 30, 2025 2:34 pm

If these are the coils I'm thinking about, they are not good. They are blond in color, the secondary resistance is about 8000 ohms, versus 3000 for a Ford coil. The car i worked on had 4 of them. 2 worked, 1 was totally dead, 1 (buzzed) internally, nothing externally. Call Ron.


J1MGOLDEN
Posts: 1230
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 5:39 pm
First Name: James
Last Name: Golden
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Model T Roadster
Location: Bowie, MD

Re: Another new one on me. Coil problem

Post by J1MGOLDEN » Mon Jun 30, 2025 5:36 pm

Anyway, they did not have any tacky old tar in them that had to be removed to replace a capacitor.

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