Mounting a coil sideways?? Yes or not recommended

Here's a double whammy...coil mounted sideways with a "traditional" finned cover to retain all the heat. Failed at FAST Hill climb.

 

I've got two of my three rides using horizontally mounted coils for years. Guess I'm lucky because they all are still working great!

 

every smallblock Ford i've had, had them mounted laying down on the passenger side of the carb. some people get an idea (???) in their heads and can't turn it loose.

 

According to the electrical diagram in my Haynes manual, every Ford engine for all pick-ups and broncos from 1980-1996 that are carbureted the coil is mounted on its side next to the carburetors right side.

 

I have run mine upside down for the th least 4 years. No issues.

 

Oil filled coils can't be full of oil, there has to be room for the oil to expand when it gets hot, so you will always have a air bubble. The only thing you don't know is how large that air bubble is, and if the windings are covered in oil when you lay a coil on it's side. Maybe in the old days when the suspensions weren't as good and the ride wasn't as smooth as it is today, the coil got the benefit of some spash lubricating as the car bounced along. Just a therory, I don't know that to be a fact.

I do know however, I bought a used Accel Super Coil for $5 at a thrift store. Put it on, and it wouldn't work, so I figured what the hay, I'd take it apart. Turned out it had a broken wire, soldered it back together, it works fine now. It is one of those square coils, and it's held together with 4 bolts and nuts. The windings slide up and down a plastic shaft in the center, thus keeping the windings covered in oil no matter which way you mount it. It was only about 5/8's full of oil when I opened it, and I broke the seal so I know it had never been into.

I suspect sombody had shaken it pretty violently, thus breaking the wire inside.

 

I bought a coil out of the Summit catalog and mounted it above the distributor, for
my early Olds engine, at about a 40 deg terminal down angle on the firewall of my '40 Ford. When I returned to the shop, 2 days later, A LOT of the oil had leaked out. Grrr! Dam off shore junk!!
I also had 2 Fords with Y-block V8's back in the day. Both had coils mounted on the
intake horizontally with no problem. Probably "made in USA" coils back then.
The '55 developed a strange problem once. The engine would die in hard left turns.
I discovered a loose coil mount bolt allowing the coil to touch the valve cover with
one of the terminals in a hard left turn. Hope that's a useful clue for someone.

 

All the coils in Australia are upside down Ha Ha , seriously I have never has a problem with sideways mounted coils and am running mine that way. I do think that your coil should be mounted so it does not get to hot.

 

Mine too, no problem, and located sideways from the Ford plant.

 

If the coil is good and sealed as it should be,no prob side ways on a intake or away from headers on firewall,but if it leaks any oil out at all,from a bad seal or bent or gets to hot from headers being too close ect.it will get hot and burn up in short order.

 

Oil filled coils should be mounted down' The oil is for cooling.

 

Sideways or vertical has absolutely nothing to do with running a resistor. The resistor maintains a consistent and even supply voltage to the positive lead of the coil to keep it from overheating. I mounted my coil UPSIDE-DOWN on my chrysler to fit it next to the dual quads. It was oil filled and flawless for 10 years.

It should be fine, if its oiled filled, it won't last as long, but we're talking 6 years versus forever and coils are cheap.

 

And i was ready to talk crazy suspension set ups! LOL

 

Funny!