Acceleration hitch

[34fordy]

[QUOTE=tubman;2420586]Try Rajah plug ends; they come in straight or 90 degrees versions. They have a very positive grip on both the plug and the wire. They're not Concours, but that doesn't bother me because they work so well.

I use the Rajah ends also and kinda think that the attachment to the wire is of most importance. Do any of you guys remember the "spark gap" novelties that were once sold intending to INCREASE spark? How many times have you pulled a plug wire with the engine running and slowly backed it away to see how far the spark would "jump"?

[deuce_roadster]

I learned (the hard way) long ago that all electrical troubleshooting begins at the Battery.

[SoCalCoupe]

Back to where I started. Fully warmed up car stumbled a lot and finally died. Replaced one Tubman condensor with another after about an hour and it finally restarted, but not willingly. I seriously don't think it's the condensor although I may be wrong.


Now I suspect the ignition switch. I asked in another post how to take it apart and clean the contacts. I don't see how.


Here are my running voltage readings: 6V at the battery, 6V going into the ignition switch. 5.25 v coming out of the ignition switch. 3.75 v coming out of the ballast resistor. My assessment is that I should have 6v coming out of the ignition switch and 4-4.5 v coming out of the ballast resistor.


Thoughts.

[ScubaChief60]

I have to weigh in here. I developed a slight skip a month before Christmas in my '35 85HP while my wife and I rode to and from breakfast. Noticed it at about 45 to 50 MPH. Though about it a bit and decided to get a new condenser from our friends out of Tennessee. They had it to me in about 3 days .

Turns out not only did it resolve the occasional skip, but now I have explosive acceleration too.

[ScubaChief60]

RE: "4-4.5 v coming out of the ballast resistor"

That is my understanding too.

Somewhere on this forum there is a year old + discussion on the ballast resistor by friends on this forum that know so much more about it than I do. Worth a search & study I'd say.

In one of those threads they also describe the use of a 'top hat' resistor in an add-on electrical circuit that feeds the coil with full 6 volts each time you step on the starter button. The 'top hat' resistor prevents back feed of power after the starter button is released since you are adding a 6 volt power feed between the starer feed lug and the coil (also I placed a fuse in that new circuit... just in case )

I have used this setup for a year now and along with my 6V Optima battery, my old '35 starts faster than all of my modern vehicles... provided that I pump the accelerator pedal about four time before cranking like I was in the habit of doing before fuel injection hit the scene.

[ScubaChief60]

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I called it a 'top hat' resistor... actually it is a diode... Need more coffee

[ScubaChief60]

Her is what they look like and two for sale: https://www.ebay.com/itm/191816086980

[JayChicago]

Originally Posted by SoCalCoupe

Here are my running voltage readings: 6V at the battery, 6V going into the ignition switch. 5.25 v coming out of the ignition switch. 3.75 v coming out of the ballast resistor. My assessment is that I should have 6v coming out of the ignition switch and 4-4.5 v coming out of the ballast resistor.

Agree .75 volt drop thru the switch is high. But your other numbers seem good.

You won't see that fabled 4-4.5 volt until the engine is turning.

Working in the garage with engine stopped, points closed -current flowing, the resistor output should be 3.0 to 3.5 volt. You will see full battery voltage if engine happened to stop with points open. Later with engine running, points open 20% of the time, the averaged voltage will jump up to 4-4.5 volt.

[ford38v8]

[QUOTE =JayChicago;2433224]Agree .75 volt drop thru the switch is high. But your other numbers seem good.

You won't see that fabled 4-4.5 volt until the engine is turning.

Working in the garage with engine stopped, points closed -current flowing, the resistor output should be 3.0 to 3.5 volt. You will see full battery voltage if engine happened to stop with points open. Later with engine running, points open 20% of the time, the averaged voltage will jump up to 4-4.5 volt.[/QUOTE]

That would be with an analog meter. An electronic meter is totally useless here while engine is running.