> Can someone tell me what type of coil I should buy for a 76 Spitfire
> with a Pertronix Igniter installed. Should I use a 12 volt coil or a 6
> volt coil? What was the original voltage rating of the coil? The Hayes
> manual I have says it uses a 6 volt coil but it has a 12 volt coil on
> it. I don't want to burn up anything.
Jerry, you need to find out if the ballast resistor has been bypassed or
removed. I believe your car would have had one originally, probably resistance
wire built into the wiring harness, but it might have been removed or bypassed
when the Ignitor was installed. The Ignitor needs direct 12v, so if a ballast
is present, it must be between the Ignitor and the coil. Usually it's easier to
bypass the ballast entirely and use a "12v" coil.
If you don't see evidence the ballast has been bypassed, then the easiest test
is probably to temporarily install a jumper from the coil negative post to
ground, then turn the key on and check the voltage on the positive post. If you
see a full 12v, then the ballast has been bypassed.
Randall
=== This list supported in part by The Vintage Triumph Register
=== http://www.vtr.org
|