[AT] Testing a coil

[Indiana Robinson]

On 20 Mar 2006 at 13:31, D. Day wrote:

> Is there a way to test a 6-volt coil using a meter?  If so, what meter 
> settings would I use when testing it?
> 
>



	Hold the meter in your right hand and take off one shoe and 
stand with that foot on the ground. Hold the output wire of the coil in your 
left hand and have someone turn the engine over. If you throw the
 meter when the engine is cranked, the coil is probably OK...   :-)

	Personally I have never had much luck getting anything meaningful
 out of a meter test on a coil. I generally just hold the output lead (secondary) 
close to the block and operate the points manually to test one. If it starts but
 runs poorly when hot then a known good (usually new) coil is tried. You can 
test a condenser for needle kick on an analog meter but I have never tried
 on a digital.
	BTW, you can usually get a spark even if the points are sitting up on the 
cam lobe by just shorting across the contacts with a screwdriver. That saves
 fiddling around getting the points into a closed position. 


--
"farmer"

I try to take one day at a time but sometimes several days attack
me at once.   :-) 


Francis Robinson
Central Indiana, USA
robinson at svs.net