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Good Old Lucas

To: kkj <kkj@privat.utfors.se>, <alpines@autox.team.net>,
Subject: Good Old Lucas
From: Jan Eyerman <jan.eyerman@usa.net>
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 13:31:41 -0400
Very interesting, I keep hearing from Europe and England about the wonderful
Lucas electrical systems and your "live forever" coils.  For some odd reason
Jaguar thought that it was worth their money to place big ads in US car
magazines about 10 years ago saying "now with Bosch electrical systems". 
Strange that they would waste their advertizing dollars telling us Americans
that they had dropped the absolutely wonderful, reliable and well made Lucas
electrical equipment and went over to Bosch.

Admittedly few Lucas coils manage to fail as spectacularly as my two did, most
just produce less and less spark until in combination with the wonderfully
effecient Lucas starters, the car won't start on cold days. 

I stand by the results of the Delco engineers- "either the people at Lucas
don't know how to write specs or their suppliers are really ripping them off".
 

Alot of variables enter into it-where it is mounted (heat), vibration
(Hillmans are particularly bad here) and what materials were used in teh coil
at teh time of manufacture.

The late sixties and early seventies were definitely bad as was the early to
middle fifties.  

Jan Eyerman
1962 Minx Series IIIC Convertible (with VW 12 volt coil)
1973 Plymouth Cricket (with '69 Dodge coil & resistor)


   



kkj <kkj@privat.utfors.se> wrote:

If that is true, what has happened to my Lucas coils that are still working
after 40 years???

Kristian J


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Jan Eyerman <jan.eyerman@usa.net>
To: Jarrid Gross <jgross@econolite.com>; Thomas Wiencek <wiencek@anl.gov>;
<MRSMWB1@aol.com>; Alpine, Message <alpines@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2003 2:10 AM
Subject: Re: [RE: engine problem?]


> Lose connectors on a Lucas coil are probably the least of its problems. 
Many
> years ago I worked for GM and had a Lucas coil analyzed by the engineers at
> Delco-Remy (as it was called way back then). They were astounded by the
> extremely poor quality of the materials used.  From their analysis it was
> obvious that a Lucas coil had a life expectancy of about 3 years or 36-40K
> miles.  Note that this was the standard Lucas coil, it seems the Lucas High
> Performance coil is quite a bit better. 
> 
> Today I replace the Lucas coils with coils for a 12 volt VW beetle
(1967-68). 
> 
> 
> Jan Eyerman
> 1962 Hillman Minx Series IIIC Convetible
> 1973 Plymouth Cricket
>    
> 
> "Jarrid Gross" <jgross@econolite.com> wrote:
> 
> Tom and Michael,
> 
> One problem I had early on with my car was the prince of darkness coil
> had rivit on spade temrinals, that had shaken loose to form rather
> intermittant contacts.
> The car would stall for seemingly no reason, then restart later as if
> nothing was wrong at all.
> 
> The spade terminals were lose and moving them would let me restart it.
> 
> the solution was to replace the coil.
> 
> HTH
> 
> Jarrid Gross
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-alpines@autox.team.net
> [mailto:owner-alpines@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Thomas Wiencek
> Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2003 12:55 PM
> To: MRSMWB1@aol.com; Alpine, Message
> Subject: RE: engine problem?
> 
> 
> Can anyone help Micheal with this problem?  Please reply directly to him
> at -
> 
>  
> 
> MRSMWB1@aol.com
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: MRSMWB1@aol.com [mailto:MRSMWB1@aol.com] 
> Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 7:33 PM
> To: tom@sunbeamalpine.org
> Subject: engine problem?
> 
>  
> 
> Dear Tom, 
> This is micheal Brown from Moline Ill and Ive bought parts from you
> before. I have some questions for you because I need help. I have a 1964
> alpine ane the engine runs great for about five minutes and it will quit
> running. Ive replaced all the electrical components and it still quits
> running light I turn off the switch. There will be no electric to the
> plugs. Could you help me with some kind of answer? Is there a ballist
> resister on my car and where could it be? cant find one. It seems like
> that could be my problem. Thanks  Please let me know.
> Help!!!!!

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