NEVER leave home without your cell phone, added pictures

[rickf]

Well it finally happened, my Mutt let me down. Cruising along at 55 mph and someone shut the switch off! Knew right away what it was, bad coil. Sat for a bit and it started and headed in the direction of home, made it about 2 miles and it died again. Now of coarse I forgot my cell phone which I never do. I am on the side of a major highway leading to the shore on a Saturday night. Think anyone will stop? Not a chance in hell! After about the third cool down and restart it just wasn't going anymore, luckily I was at the entrance to a development and a young man noticed I was in trouble and whipped around and came back. He let me use his phone to call AAA and stuck around BS'ing for an hour while I waited in case they called back on his phone. There are some good people still around. Turns out the tow driver is a green fan also and has a Willys. Got home and it started enough to get in the garage, pulled the cap and sure enough, the coil puked out it's oil.
















Here are some new pics, These are of the new coil compared to the old one.













Here is a paper that came with the coil. Take special notice of the line that mentions the removal of the ballast resistor! What ballast resistor? was the original wire a resistance wire?

[Ralph Fuller]

Thanks for the story and pictures, Rick. I was curious about why a coil would fail, and found this:
http://www.aa1car.com/library/ignition_coils.htm

[toptiger]

bummer, rick.
I wonder if those in the know could put together a `must have` list of items and where to get it that every outlaw jeep driver should have with him in the vehicle. Hopefully it all would fit in an 20 mm ammo can so it would got on every trip.
I will start a new post on it but first
where is the best source for a coil?

[raymond]

That oil in the coil is pretty nasty stuff. It won't come out of clothing. If it is a real old coil, the dielectric oil inside it may contain PCBs.

[sarmadq]

Superb fine Ralph.

[csmith]

Just not right Rick you should have to wait that long for someone to stop and help, glad it ended well. That's a great idea Top about a "Must Have-road kit List", I was thinking the same when reading Rick's post and would be very interested in a copy if one gets put together. Happy to lend a hand but don't have the experience, but willing to do what I can if needed.

[Rainman]

I'd say an hour's wait for an old guy with a ponytail is a long time, but without the hair, your just another old republican dude driving an antique war machine. If you'd been tokin on a doobie, some kid might have stopped within minutes. If dressed in digital camo uniform, one of those Ft Dix soldiers or a young pretty girl may have stopped to help. With an M60 mounted up top and you could jump up there and start pretending to shoot at imaginary aircraft, the police or the men in white coats would be there within seconds. Face it Rick, when a guy that looks like you needs help along the road, your cell phone and a AAA card is your only hope.
As for me, I just put on the Cavalry hat and when the next passerby stops for a Robert Duvall autograph, I borrow their cell phone. Piece of cake.
Rainman

[rickf]

OK, I have posted a reply three times this morning and none of them went through. Last time!
Top, I did put up a list of stuff to take along on trips but did I follow my own advice? NOOOO.......................
I actually I have a complete distributor that i take along (sometimes) that is already indexed so all I have to do is pop out the old one and drop in the new and line up the index line and I am good to go.

Rainman, Same road, 39 years ago, long hair scenario. I got pulled over and they took my car apart, right down to the taillight lenses. Didn't find anything so they left. When I say left they left me there with my car all apart! I have no sympathy for all these assholes that scream "profiling" just because they get pulled over.

Csmith, I do have to get hold of AAA and find out the number I called from last night so I can get hold of the guy and get him a case of beer!

The thing that worried me the most was that I had my German Shepard with me and I didn't know if she was going to eat the tow truck driver! As is was she sat right next to him in the truck and was good.


Rick

[moose53]

Just not right Rick you should have to wait that long for someone to stop and help, glad it ended well. That's a great idea Top about a "Must Have-road kit List", I was thinking the same when reading Rick's post and would be very interested in a copy if one gets put together. Happy to lend a hand but don't have the experience, but willing to do what I can if needed.

Rick is in New Jersey, there, if somebody does stop which is unlikely to begin with, its a 50/50 shot whether they are going to help you, or rob you lol. Rick got lucky this time!

Jim

[Francis Marion]

Rick is in New Jersey, there, if somebody does stop which is unlikely to begin with, its a 50/50 shot whether they are going to help you, or rob you lol. Rick got lucky this time!

Jim

Like I said in the other thread; if you carry the cell phone and the 1911, you're 100% covered. Even in NJ.

[rickf]

If I carry my 1911 in NJ I'll be covered all right, By several illegal possession of a handgun without permit laws. Mandatory jail time! It is impossible to get a carry permit in NJ unless you are law enforcement. I can legally own the gun, I just can't carry it.


Rick

[raymond]

Just another reminder to you Rick. If that is an old coil, as in pre 1977, the dielectric oil could contain PCBs. If the dielectric oil was sourced from Shell Oil Co., then it is safe as Shell has never used PCB in their dielectric oils. I'd get it out of my shop ASAP.

[rickf]

Raymond, Thanks for the warning and good will. Unfortunately, with all of the things I have drank, absorbed, inhaled and handled I think a little PCB oil is the least of my worries. I used to blow out brake drums with air in the 60's and 70's. I grew up on a farm, we used to mix DDT in an old washing machine and the discharge hose went up and over and into the sprayer. We were always covered with DDT, misquotes never bit us for years though.


Rick

[rickf]

BTT