> Similar experience with TR3A, HT lead from coil had oil and dirt
> in it but no
> male post over which I would expect the female connector would fit. When I
> look down into the hole in the top of the coil there is just a screw head
> (covered with oily grime) sitting at the bottom. I suppose the
> post got pulled
> off some time ago--I am astonished that I ever got a spark as the
> HT lead must
> have just sat against the scew head. Or perhaps this is the Lucas
> design (!)
If it's the original Lucas coil, then yes that was the design. The wire
should have a flat washer soldered to the end of it, and a large Bakelite
nut that fit over the wire, screwed into the coil, and clamped the flat
washer firmly in contact with the screw head. The TR2-4 did not use the
"standard" wire terminals at either the distributor cap or the coil.
> What is the list's reccomendation for coil replacement--is the Lucas Sport
> coil an improvement?
Never tried one myself, except the bad one that was on a car I bought. Ken
at BFE once told me of buying a case of new Sports coils from England and
finding that the majority of them were either weak or dead ... convinced me
that I wasn't interested.
> I do
> not want to go electronic but if one of the other coils would be
> a significant
> improvement I am happy to deviate from originality to that
> extent.
Others will no doubt disagree, but IMO you'll see no measurable difference
with any coil that is working right. The main issue is how long they last.
My TR3A is currently wearing a "no name" coil from K-mart (with an added
external ballast resistor); while the Stag is wearing a Pertronix coil from
TRF with no ballast (as suggested by Pertronix for 8-cyl applications). I'm
probably going to add a ballast soon, and see what difference it makes. TRF
also has the Pertronix in an internally ballasted version, I believe.
> Should be a
> "non-ballast" coil, right?
A safer way to put this, IMO, is that you want an internally ballasted 12v
coil.
Randall
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