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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Dry type coil ?

Drove my car for about 130km to the car show, all fine, going strong and a pleasure to drive (apart from the Exhaust banging noise but thats another story).
Left the car for 4 days on display then started the drive home with the car full of prizes (not).

To cut a long story short it ran rougher and rougher til it didn't run at all and i had to get a friend to tow me back.

Cause identified as the coil, not a big suprise considering the underbonnet temperatures in excess of 80 degs that i measured in my older thread, however the coil has done less than 2000kms.

Went to the motor factors today to get a new one, i was offered the exact same item, but i asked if they had another make.

They produced the one below in the picture. They told me its much better quality and also more efficient and isnt filled with oil, and apparently this brand is OEM supplier to honda.

In a move that will horrify these purists i hear about but have never met, i thought, hey lets give it a try, it was only 15 quid....

Anyone else tried one of these ?
Of course i bought a new condensor to fit at the same time....but decided new wheel bearings would be unnecessary.



Andy Phillips (frankenfrog)

Like your car is 'pure' anyway Andy! Never realised that the coils were filled with oil. Interesting. Don't see why a moern coil wouldn't work. It still does the same job, right? but just a newer, better design.

Just as long as you don't end up with the coil pack from a BMW or VW :-D I think they have become infamous for being almost yearly service items! ha ha

Cheers,
Malcolm
Malcolm Le Chevalier

Andy,
many modern made condensers are very poorly made so whatever you do don't fit a newly made (dissy) condenser unless you really have to and only then if you got the new condenser from somewhere like the Distributor Doctor (same with rotor arms and points) - http://www.distributordoctor.com/

Honda parts tend to be extremely reliable unlike on many German made cars despite what we're told about the quality of German engineering
Nigel Atkins

Condensor was new when i redid the points a couple of months or so ago, My friend who has more experiance than me said it would be a good idea to change it as it might have got damaged by the erratic pulses from the breaking down coil.
and theyre only a pound each....
These datsun engines are really popular over here, the guy just ripped a new condensor bubble pack off the big card hung up behind his desk... thinking about it that tends to support your 'modern ones are rubbish' theory !

Long term answer is to fit the electronic ignition kit i bought but not yet had time to solder it all up...i think that then the condensor is no longer required..
Andy Phillips (frankenfrog)

sorry Andy I forgot your engine was Datsun I was thinking of the ones for standard (MG) dissys but I'd guess the Datsun might be the same
Nigel Atkins

Nigel, pls dont apologise for trying to help me !!

The A14 datsun engine is the same old technology just aluminium head and larger valves.. and a 5 bearing crank... apart from that the same as an A-series...
Andy Phillips (frankenfrog)

I know the old Datsun engines are copies, but usually better made, the straight six is dropped in big Healey copies over here, can you image how upset some of the stuck-up big Healey owners get when not only is their car copied in fibreglass but it has a Jap engine in it too!

http://www.sebringinternational.co.uk/specs.html
Nigel Atkins

Some years ago I inadvertently left the ignition on whilst tinkering with the engine and the coil heated up and exploded! Well, it went bang and it blew the end cap off. As it was mounted correctly with the terminals angled downhill all the oil drained out. I pushed the plastic end piece back into the cannister and the coil continued to work fine. I did buy a replacement but carried it in the boot for a couple of years waiting for the damaged one to pack up, but it wouldn't!

The oil is there for cooling AFAIK so presumably mine just wasn't getting hot enough to need it. Possibly because I have electronic ignition hijacked off a scrapyard n MG metro?
Guy W

New coil from the picture fitted together with the new condensor.
Running very nicely and starts on the button now.
Did a 70km trip minutes after first engine startup, but no problems and my friend following me in the pickup back home couldn't keep up...

Lets see how long this setup lasts for.
going to put a spare condensor in my toolbox.....
Andy Phillips (frankenfrog)

This thread was discussed between 24/06/2013 and 25/06/2013

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