Today my 1941 Ford would not start. Not even pop. So I started checking things, and low and behold no spark. I think I have narrowed it down to the orriginal ignition switch, the one with the "on/off" switch and three wires to the back of it. I used my trusty test light, and found that when the key is off, only the coil post lights up, when key is on, coil and battery side light up but not the third post. Is this switch bad? I do not know much on electrical anything, but I would ***ume that the coil should not be hot all the time? maybe the switch took a **** and cooked the coil? Is this possible? I do not even know if you can cook a coil! I do not know what to do or try, any ideas or tips????? Oh yeah, I did unhook the battery just in case Thanks much, Chris
Suggest you try the FordBarn: http://www.fordbarn.com/earlyv8/forum03/ev8forum.htm Lots of '41 experts over there.
what are you using to check with? how are you checking? what you are discribing makes no sense at all. the battery post should be hot all the time....the switch shouldn't effect that. and your coil should not be hot all the time. if you take apart the switch you will see how it works , it's very simple and shouldn't be doing what you say. however ,rebuild parts are available if you do need them what i would check into is the ignition ballast resister that's mounted up under the dash
I checked it with a test light. It's pretty basic. Key off- coil post lights up the test light. Key on- coil and battery post light up test light. Third post never works. I know how the switch works, I just do not know if this is my problem or not. I dodn't think the coil should be hot all the time. I did wire this car myself, but that was a while ago, would it take a long time to ruin the coil???
Your bat must be hooked to the coil terminal and the coil hooked to the bat terminal at the switch. Try swap ing them.
I will try that....but it was running fine that way before. Sorry if this sounds idiotic, but if that is my problem, what would I have damaged by having them hooked up backwards? Points? anything else I should check? It is getting no spark at all right now. I know I must look like a complete fool right now, but I really know nothing about electrical
I'd check voltage at the coil posts. The coil should only light the test light when the key is on. If it's hot with the key on and dead with the key off, then the switch is ok and you probably have an ignition problem...points, condenser or coil. etc. If you can't get any power to the coil with the switch on, then you might have a switch problem. An original 41 Ford ignition switch, when viewed from the back, the bottom post is the battery post(hot all the time). The upper left post goes to the ballast resistor on the way to the coil(only hot when the switch is on). The upper right post goes to the gauges.(only hot when the switch is on) You could have them wired backwards and it will still work and that would explain your strange readings.
Open it up and clean it, make sure the moving br*** piece is intact. Most don't really need anything but a good clean&polish. Some come apart readily, some are held by a simple swaging at the screw holes and require 30 seconds work to take apart.
Also, I know what everyone is trying to say, but of course key doesn't work the switch--it just unlocks the switch lever. Minor grooves within switch are OK as long as contacts function and are clean.
Ok, after work today I went home and fiddled with it. I figured out my problem...sort of. I pulled the coil wire off the dist. (crab cap style on front of engine) and it had antifreeze in the boot and coil terminal. My drivers side water pump has a small leak, and I guess antifreeze was being thrown from the belt on the distributor, and seeping into the terminals. I cleaned everything very well, dried it, and sprayed some water disapator in it. I went to start it, and it fires for a second and died. This went on for a few hours, fires up and runs for a number of seconds, then dies with no spark. Now...can anyone help me here? can the points be ruined with antifreeze? If I pull the cap off and clean everything, the car will fire and run, but no more than 5 seconds and then it dies.
Chris, This stuff can drive you crazy... When it will not start- do you have power at the coil? As already mentioned the power will be coming from your ignition switch through the resistor to the coil, the ground side will be through your points. It's a good place to look, if the coil has power and the points are dry and opening and closing-you should have a spark. Blue is good yellow is a weak spark. If you need a coil and you're a cheap ******* check FleetFarm or others for a coil requiring a external resistor. Check other threading to read the rants and raves of others caught in this mess- Good Luck
Yeah Chris, are you still having problems starting the '41 Ford two years later? Oh, wait, you don't even have the car anymore. Do these people even look at the posting date before replying?
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