1932 Ford V8 Coil.

[Ian NZ]

I would like to purchase a 1932 V8 tall coil but the ones I have seen for sale seem to be cracked or broken on the mounting screws and in in several other places it seems to be a common problem with them and can they be repaired with any special glue. Were these coils made with a material out of Soybeans.

[Andy]

They expand over time. I have one and it will not go into the distributor. I am torn weather to file the coil or the distributor. They are probably forced in and crack.

[deuce lover]

From my experience they were cracked when removed.Many thought just by hitting them with your hand popped them out.Of several used I have had only 1 was not cracked besides the NOS one.I think Skip can repair them.35TN has had one for sale for some time redone by Skip and it was cracked at the base.There is one on EBAY now for $400 and its cracked also.
Andy, I would trim the dist to get it in rather than the coil.You have the correct 32V8 dist? I found one here in France a swap a few months ago.

[DavidG]

I've not encountered a problem either removing or installing a tall coil in a true '32 distributor.



Judging from a period service letter, the most common cause for cracking of the coil case (usually at the front adjacent to the screw hole) was improper installation of the coil on the distributor. The instructions in that letter were to start the two rear screws first, press down on the coil and gradually tighten the screws with the front one last. Following those instructions over the years has proven successful for me with no cracks appearing in crack-less coils. Obviously when removing a coil the process should be reversed with pressing down on the coil and loosening the front screw first.


Coils with cracks may still be serviceable if tested and then sealed with an appropriate glue or sealer pressed into the crack.

[Andy]

I have the right distributer. A Ford script beehive coil is tight but goes on. No go for the tall coil. I actually have two coils and both refuse to fit.
I took some pics but can't get them to load.


They loaded but very small

[DavidG]

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Given that the distributor housing is a casting, it is likely the culprit when it comes to which is out of spec, the base of the coil or the opening in the distributor housing.

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by Andy

I have the right distributer. A Ford script beehive coil is tight but goes on. No for the tall coil.
I took some pics but can't get them to load.

The photos are most likely to large (over ~500Kb). Reduce the size to <500Kb and they should load.

[rotorwrench]

Originally Posted by Ian NZ

Were these coils made with a material out of Soybeans.

While Henry Ford did a lot of experimentation with soybean related plastics, Ford never really went into any major production with the stuff. Most all electrical parts were made with phenolic plastic or bakelite as it is commonly known so as to have the best insulator properties for the price.

The soybean car prototype was made utilizing some soy fiber mixed with phenolic resin & formaldehyde according to Lowell Overly who was involved with the project. This would be a close relative to Bakelite.

In the modern era, folks are experimenting with corn and soybeans to manufacture biodegradable plastics for packaging. The stuff is a lot more expensive to produce than plastics made from petroleum products but it does have good biodegradability and may eventually take over production for consumer packaging just due to that fact.