1936 COIL REPLACEMENT

[Guest Smitty168]

Happy Fall,

Trying to get as much done in my unheated garage before winter sets in here in the great white north.

NEED INFO ON WHAT TO ORDER AS A REPLACEMENT COIL FOR MY STOCK 1936 SEDAN.

A local supplier told me that I'd need the Distributor Number and Manufacturer before could look up the appropriate coil. That threw me. I've been going along fat and happy thinking that one 6 volt coil was as good as the next and interchangeable. Rather than run back to him, I thought I'd check with the experts here on the AACA Forum. I'm guessing you guys have run into this before and can set me straight.

If it is necessary to know the Distributor info it is: AUTO LITE IGS – 4002-1

By the way, this car is a CANADIAN built. Most of the screws and bolts are Metric and the engine is a Plymouth engine. I'm told that's what they put in Canadian Dodges back in the day.

If anyone can help with what COIL I should get and WHERE to get it, I'd be very appreciative.

Thanks,

Smitty

[R.White]

I'm no expert but one six volt coil is much like another unless it has a ballast resistor and I am pretty sure your car doesn't. So long as you tell the guy whether you want an HT screw or push on type and whether you want threaded or spade connector type terminals you should be O.K. You could try Myers Early Dodge or Romar for the coil.

Keep watching this thread because other more knowledgeable guys may chip in.

Ray

[Pete K.]

Smitty, Try this with your computer; "Snyder's Antique Auto Parts", Item # A-12000.-Ignition coil, $15.50. Once there on that page, click onto the "downloadable detailed description". I think you may like this.

Edited September 14, 2012 by Pete K. (see edit history)

[ply33]

I'd be surprised if the '36 Dodge were that much different from other Chrysler built cars of that year, so I expect that you have a coil mounted through the firewall with the hot lead from the ignition switch in an armored cable attaching to the coil on the inside of the car. Only screw type connection would be the wire from the coil to the points.

You can make the coil suggested by Pete K. work, especially if you have one of the firewall mounting adaptors they used to make. Or if you bypass the whole bit of the old system and find a place to mount the coil in the engine compartment.

Finding an original style is possible via swap meets or ePay. Bernbaum shows a through the firewall coil and a mounting bracket Parts - Electrical | Andy Bernbaum Auto Parts for Chrysler's cars from 30's to 70's (looks like a site redesign there too, I guess the new owner is overhauling everything). Mitchell Motors shows the coil too (Chrysler part 862576) when you do a search at Parts Search

[Guest DodgeKCL]

Some of the bearings and seals on Chyrco products are SKF from Sweden and are metric but I'm not aware of the rest of the car's nuts and bolts being metric back then. (Watch out when you're replacing seals and bearings as you may have to have them measured with calipers to get the right size. I ran into this with Plymouth and Dodge transmission input and output seals and ball bearings. All were originally made in Sweden and imported,I assume, by Chryco.)

What a lot of people don't know today is WWII rationalized the large variety of bolt and nut sizes. Prior to WWII there were sizes like 11/16" etc. These did not survive WWII but you still need the wrenches to fit them. It may be those odd sizes that you think are metric. Today its' 1/4",5/16",3/8",7/16",1/2",9/16",5/8",3/4",7/8",13/16" and 1". This is what comes in a wrench 'set' today but it is not enough for our old cars and trucks.

The coil as mentioned goes through the firewall on all Chyco products,trucks included,from 1932 or '33 on. You do not have to have the exact original with the mounting 'skirt' welded on to it. The skirt came aftermarket by it's self. I have one. It clamps on to any coil that you can find to fit it and look 'correct'. They were all painted gloss black,skirt and coil. I'm not aware of any series resistor,ballast, being around until the middle 50s with Chryco 12 volts coming into use. The Chryco coil was 6 volts and was used in the 6 volt mode with 12 volts applied to get a higher voltage with more current behind it for a better start. Once the key was relaxed back to the 'run' position the 'ballast' resistor was put in place to take up the other 6 volts of the 12 volt car system. I have been told, and I know I've mentioned it before, all coils from that era are 6 volts, there are no 12 volt coils. The manufacturers wanting to save a buck either put a resistor inside the coil in the oil,all coils are oil filled at least in those days, or mounted it externally somewhere or put it in the wiring harness(!). To just get your car going ANY 6 volt coil including a Volkswagen will work. I have discovered that all capacitors(condensers) are virtually the same value around .22-.25 mfd. Which means that the mathematics of the high voltage system is the same no matter what car you are working on.

Edited September 14, 2012 by DodgeKCL (see edit history)

[1936 D2]

This is the original coil number from the "Autolite Service Parts Catalog" issued 1939 - IGNITION COIL IG-4628 - as listed for D2 American made 1936 Dodge. The D3 & D4 Export versions of the '36 Dodge show - IGNITION COIL IG-4529. Maybe these numbers will help with some cross reference catalogs.

There is also a later coil made by Autolite that is a listed replacement for many earlier coils. It is Autolite # IG-3224-JS.

I have also found a couple other numbers that should work. One is an "American Bosch" # TC-51B.

And another coil is a "Filko". I am not positive on the number because the paper side label is missing, but there is an "A" ink stamped on the bottom.

Edited September 14, 2012 by 1936 D2 (see edit history)

[Guest DodgeKCL]

The metal skirt which is in the American Bosch photos is the aftermarket part I was talking about. The original coils,Atwater Kent?,had the skirt welded on.

[Guest Smitty168]

Guys,

Thanks for your valuable input (as usual). Bottom line here is I think you are telling me that any 6 volt coil will do. Resistor not required. I think the supplier I contacted was confused and may have thought I was looking for a NOS Coil, which I'm not. I know it's heresy but I'm not going to put an original style coil on this car. The originals, even NOS are all at least 76 years old. I'm a tourer, an am very leery of any part that could fail and me without a quick swap spare. I always carry a spare coil, voltage regulator, distributor tune up kit and bailing wire whenever I venture out. My plan is to cover the original Coil Hole with a round plated drilled out to accept a coil bracket (think ohm shape) similar to the way Ford did on the Model A. I just want the assurance of parts availability. A good Friend has given me information from his parts cross reference library and says that they recommended the Borg Warner E5 Coil which is still being manufactured. I think that's my answer.

In reference to the "Canadian" issue. I'm finding that the mounting method for the rear Vent Windows is different in that they utilize four TABS for the mounting scews instead of the 5 screws through the window garnish as in the US built cars. Also, the screws were large headed (Truss Head Type) utilizing 'Robertson' drives instead of slotted or phillips drives. Keeps me on my toes.

Again, thanks for your help and advice.

Smitty

[Steve9]

You might also make sure you've got a '36 engine in there. My original was swapped out for a '56 model years before I got it.

[1936 D2]

As far as I know coils do not have a limited "shelf life". I would think that an NOS coil, especially one found boxed (such as those in my first two sets of shots above), would be a fine working part as long as there is no sign of oil leaking from the coil case. "Pete K's" post above gives a source location for a coil that is $16.00. So expense for NOS isn't an issue.

(I would not be as sure about the used coil as in the last photos though).

So, Smitty, thinking along the lines of the NOS parts, why not go for the "originality" of having the correctly mounted parts - looking the right way - for all those folks you show the car to while touring? The correct NOS coil will work cleanly with the armored ignition switch fitting and there would not be any unsightly loose wiring running around the engine compartment that could be hazardous not being in a full loom. Why make it look "messy" when it could look correct AND function well?

I don't follow your loose reasoning above. Sorry. Just an opinion.

[Guest Smitty168]

1936 D2,

Under advisement. Loose reasoning?

FYI, Snyders Auto Parts is a great company. I sourced a huge amount of parts from them when restoring my Model "A". They offer a great coil. A-12000 is a Ford part number and references the 6 Volt Coil used in Model 'A's'. They were one of my original sources for the Coil I anticipate using (have a spare in my Model 'A' toolbox). As far as I know Snyder's sells Model 'A' Ford parts exclusively. I called the supplier I referenced above to see if there was a more appropriate '30's / '40's aftermarket and age correct version similar to the Snyder's offering. Their insistance in knowing what make and model distributor I have is what prompted me to ask my original question on this thread.

1936 D2, if you want to sell the complete set of Coil and Mounting hardware shown in your pictures, I may be interested, if the price is right. Let's talk.

Smitty

[ply33]

As far as I know coils do not have a limited "shelf life". ... Why make it look "messy" when it could look correct AND function well?

I don't follow your loose reasoning above. Sorry. Just an opinion.

The 79 year old firewall mounted coil on my car seems to be working just fine and of all the parts on my car that I worry about, that is not one of them. I have picked up up a couple of spares over the years that sit on a shelf in the garage waiting for a day that may never come where they are installed on the car.

For road trips I take comfort in the belief that almost any auto supply store could get me a generic 6v coil that would get me back on the road. Once home, I could swap in one of the period correct replacements. So I am in the same camp as 1936 D2.

[R.White]

1936 D2 is I believe correct in that a NOS coil should prove satisfactory and if you have the chance of an original part for what seems like little money, then if it were my choice, I would go for it every time. As an aside, I have looked in vain for a particularly rare type of English coil (NOS) for 25 years. There may well come a tine when NOS parts are too expensive or no longer available for our cars. Then would be the time to settle for the compromise.

Ray.

[1936 D2]

I guess the only "trick" is finding the 6 volt coil that has the one primary connection in the bottom. And, if you are really into correctness, the screw in connection in the tower for the secondary. Then it is just a matter of finding a modern source that doesn't try to rip you off. I should think we all should be able to look around our suppliers, find a source for such an NOS piece, have it around maybe $20.00, and post the result here. How about it guys?

[Ron42Dodge]

I have found a coil that was manufactured in the early 50s by Prefered Perfect Products. It appears to be a firewall mount coil with a Primary connection screw in the bottom and a single screw post on top in addition to the center tower which is not threaded. The treaded top post is labeled timer. Any thoughts as to what that is about?

[platt-deutsch]

Timer = Distributor points