Question - Coil

Lee ODell
Lee ODell Senior Contributor
edited November -1 in HUDSON
I have a 47 pu with 212 that I bought about 4 yrs. ago with new valve job, fuel pump, ignition wires, and all new brake parts. I had the carburator and starter rebuilt, dropped the oil pan and tray, cleaned and painted, checked the bearings, looked like new. I,m getting ready to put the battery in to see if the truck will start. The battery cables are mounted as if neg. ground. That's the way they were when I bought it.



My question know is: How do you know which wire on the coil is positive and which is neg.? There are no markings on the coil. The wire connected to the bottom of the coil is going inside the firewall and the wire connected to the top of the coil is connected to the distributor.



According to the wiring diagram, the wires on the coil are backward.



For purposes of seeing if the truck will run will it be ok to connect the battery as if neg. ground system, since the coil and the battery seem to be wired for negative ground.



Another concern is the voltage regulator and generator. Will they be affected by connecting the battery neg. ground?



It's been about 50 years since I have worked on generator powered cars and I have never worked on a positive ground car. So I'm a little apprehensive. I know it should be no big deal but I have allowed this to become a barrier to continue on.



How the engine runs will determine if I continue with the 212 or go modified with the 05 Chevy 5.3 engine and trans my son got for me. I, at least, want to hear the 212 run.



Any suggestion will be appreciated. Lee

Comments

  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    Your car was designed to run positive ground, so you should leave it that way. Everything will work if run the other way round, but you will have to polarise the generator, and the regulator points will eventually burn out if left negative ground, and the radio will probably not work if there is one there. .
  • Lee ODell
    Lee ODell Senior Contributor
    Geoff, it has been so long since I polarized the generator I can't remember the procedure. Also, I thought the regulator had to be polorized or does polarizeing the generator take care of that? Or am I wrong about that?





    From my discription of the coil wires, is the coil wired backward?



    Thanks for your help. Lee
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    If the wire going to the bottom of the coil is going inside the car, that should be the ignition switch feed source. The other terminal near the tower should go to the distributor terminal which is grounded inside of the dist through the points. If it is an original type coil it should work correctly with a positive ground system.

    If you are using a generic aftermarket coil with a positive ground system then the (-) marked terminal should be connected to ign switch feed wire and the (pos) marked goes to the distributor.

    Hope this helps.



    Tom.
  • Lee ODell
    Lee ODell Senior Contributor
    ET8conv wrote:
    If the wire going to the bottom of the coil is going inside the car, that should be the ignition switch feed source. The other terminal near the tower should go to the distributor terminal which is grounded inside of the dist through the points. If it is an original type coil it should work correctly with a positive ground system.

    If you are using a generic aftermarket coil with a positive ground system then the (-) marked terminal should be connected to ign switch feed wire and the (pos) marked goes to the distributor.

    Hope this helps.



    Tom.





    Thanks Tom, I see what you are telling me. My coil is the original style, and it is wired as you say. However, the 42-47 Mechanical Procedure Manual shows the 8 cyl. engine wired like that, but for the 6 cyl. engine, this wire diagram shows the wire from the bottom going to the distributor and the wire from the tower end going inside the car.



    There is no + or - marks on the coil. Can you tell me which end is the positive terminal?



    There lies my lack of knowledge of how the Hudson coil should be wired. Which is the right way to wire the coil? Should I leave the wires as is , or switch them the way the diagram shows?



    Is the manual in error?



    Thanks for your help Tom. I just want to be reasured which is the right way.



    Have a good day, Lee
  • Lee ODell
    Lee ODell Senior Contributor
    Thanks Geoff and Tom for your help. Walt Mordenti, also, confirmed what you were telling me. The wire connected to the bottom of the coil goes to the ignition witch and the other wire near the coil tower goes to the distributor.



    My coil is wired correctly and the battery cables were incorrect. And the wire diagram in the Mechaniclal Procedures Manual for the 6 cly coil is incorrect.



    Now I can rest easy and get back to work on my 47 pu.



    Maybe this will help someone else.



    Thanks again ereyone. Lee
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