Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Early V8 (1932-53)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 07-29-2021, 12:10 PM   #21
lgndlt5
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 29
Default Re: 6v Battery negative ground

Posting to reach 10 posts as required
lgndlt5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2021, 12:11 PM   #22
lgndlt5
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 29
Default Re: 6v Battery negative ground

Back to the top
lgndlt5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 07-29-2021, 12:12 PM   #23
lgndlt5
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 29
Default Re: 6v Battery negative ground

Just trying to post the required 10
lgndlt5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2021, 12:12 PM   #24
lgndlt5
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 29
Default Re: 6v Battery negative ground

Posting as required goal of ten thanks
lgndlt5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2021, 10:38 PM   #25
Crankster
Senior Member
 
Crankster's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 563
Default Re: 6v Battery negative ground

Strangely enough, the correct or proper Ignition Coil polarity has nothing to do whatsoever with whether the car itself is positive or negative ground.

It is true that hooking the coil up "wrong" will result in a less than optimal spark. Some coils marked "+ and -" and some coils are marked "BAT and GND" but either way there's a question - is the coil itself one manufactured when positive ground was de rigeur, or, is it a post 1956 coil that presumably is marked different?

Fortunately there is an easy way to determine if an ignition coil is connected correctly regardless of the markings on the coil, or the vehicle polarity. I suggest using the analog style voltmeter. It only takes a second, and there's less risk of zapping yerself. See: https://mgaguru.com/mgtech/ignition/ig104.htm

Why then do we worry about coil polarity? Because the spark plugs do care which way the electrons are flowing in the high tension circuit. The spark plug has a thermally insulated center electrode (surrounded by ceramic). With engine running the center electrode runs substantially hotter than the exposed end electrode. Design of the ceramic insulator determines how hot the center electrode will run, leading to the designation of hotter or colder spark plugs. As electrons go, they love to jump away from a hot surface and fly toward a colder surface, so it is easier to drive them from hot to cold rather than from cold to hot. End result is a difference of 15 to 30 percent in voltage required to make spark "initially" jump the gap on the plug depending on which way it is going. So the spark plug prefers to see a voltage potential that is negative on the center electrode and positive on the end electrode for the very first hop of the spark. Oddly enough, this has nothing to do with polarity of the vehicle electrical system, but it is influenced by the common connection inside the ignition coil.
Attached Images
File Type: gif IMG_1700.GIF (4.6 KB, 7 views)
File Type: gif IMG_1701.GIF (12.5 KB, 8 views)
Crankster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-30-2021, 06:21 AM   #26
STEVE O
Senior Member
 
STEVE O's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: QUICKSBURG VA
Posts: 706
Default Re: 6v Battery negative ground

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Crankster I do agree. A couple years ago a friend ask which terminal do I connect my hot ign wire to on his 50 Ford. Well after much research I found out it most definitely depends on the coil design. Steve
STEVE O is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-30-2021, 09:27 AM   #27
pistonbroke
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Perry Mo.
Posts: 457
Default Re: 6v Battery negative ground

Speaking of electric motors Flatheadmurre, When my brother accidentally hooked up my 36 dodge pickup battery to negative earth the blower fan made very bad noises. It walked the brushes out of their cradles and did not blow , it was spinning backwards. If it hadn't been for that I wouldn't have ever known what he had done as the amp gauge was not functional. We re polarized the system and all was good again. No harm done just a good learning experience.
pistonbroke is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:21 PM.