Bucking bronco

[militarypotts]

Thanks guys for not making me feel goofy about being gun shy after the truck has some sort of problem. With that being said, I was just about to give the next chapter in my bucking bronco post.
So, tonight (Friday) is our local cruise night about 4 miles from home. I decided to take the chance and bring the truck out. She started literally on the first push of the floor starter.
I thought, good sign! WRONG!!! I got to the first stop light intersection, in the left turn lane waiting to turn left and BAM!!! the engine just quietly stops running. 5:00pm Friday rush hour. People blowing their horns, unable to make a left hand turn because I was blocking the lane. Police come up behind me and turn on their lights, I have my hood up and emergency flashers going. Police call a local tow company they use and tell them to send out a flatbed. In the meantime, the police ask me if they could take pictures of the truck, because nobody will believe them down at the station. I tell the officer it's ok with me if he wants to take pictures, but most of the police force know my truck from my towns local Saturday night cruise. While I'm waiting for the flatbed, a young man in a Dodge Ram Diesel pulls up and says I'll pull you out of here. I have a tow strap in the truck, but the police said it would be too dangerous in all the traffic. The young man was a Marine just wanting to help an old army guy and his army truck. Tow truck shows up in about 20 minutes, loads it up on his bed and brings my truck about 6 blocks back home. I drive it down his truck bed and into my garage. She's safe at home again.
When all is said and done, I now believe the freaking Chinese coil I put in 2 or 3 years ago puked on me. The motor turns over perfectly and you can smell raw gas at the exhaust tip. Doesn't seem to be getting a spark in my opinion. Anyone agree with me that it sounds like a bad coil? AGAIN!!! I do have a brand new unused Chinese coil in the garage. I guess I have to at least try it. Do you guys feel the same way?

[militarypotts]

I apologize for the long rambling post above, but I just had to unload on somebody. Hope you guys bear with me on this one.

[Don Cavey]

My advice? NO CHINESE COIL!!!

I got a used coil, $60 and that literally fixed the problem. The M-37 coil should be the same and maybe a 6-cylinder deuce and a half gasser too.

Not the first time a Chinese coil is at he center of a problem.

Consider this. Originally, our trucks had a ballast resistor under the coil. Later ignitors had a coil that did not need a ballast. Could it be that the Chinese coil needs a ballast? If so, it may be overheating and going open? Just a thought.

[kwai]

All the new coils have a build-in resistor. Coil failures are not that uncommon, chinese-made or not. I would replace the coil with what is on hand and then buy 2 new coils for spares. Keep one in the truck.

[Don Cavey]

I am very skeptical of any new coils. Surely, there is a vintage 6-cylinder coil out there somewhere.

[rboltz]

Surely, there is a vintage 6-cylinder coil out there somewhere.

I see them at the truck events however no way to test them so I'm always afraid to stock up. Prices are usually in the $40-$50 range.

[rboltz]

Coil failures are not that uncommon, chinese-made or not. I would replace the coil with what is on hand and then buy 2 new coils for spares. Keep one in the truck.

Lots of documented failures with the china coils. Not so much with US made ones. Yes, you could keep a supply on-hand but why change china coils every 5-10 miles? When I had access to a megger we tested coils. The china ones broke down fast.

I understand the New Star ones are now Korean or Malaysian, not sure which, and are oil filled again. I have no experience with these so not sure if better or not. The story that New Star stopped importing the china coils tells me alot.

[militarypotts]

I just finished pulling out the coil in my truck. I have written on the side of it, 7/29/15. That makes the coil 23 months old, as far as being installed in the truck. Is their anyway to test it when it's out of the truck? I found another coil in the original box and on the box it's marked "New". Don't know whether to put this one in, or not. I did order another one, but once again it's from China.

[militarypotts]

You know Don, I'm skeptical also, but what choice do we really have. The seller I bought the new one from called me to discuss the coil and it coming from China. He pretty much said the same thing I just said, but also added, that if the ignition switch was left on, any coil would burn up, China or otherwise. He probably does have a point there. Has anyone ever figured out why the coils from China burn out so quickly? Poor materials would be my guess, but I don't really know for sure.

[militarypotts]

One other thing I forgot to mention, after removing my coil I noticed maybe 1 or 2 drops of oil in the coil housing inside the ignitor, is this normal? Very minimal, but none the less was there. Also, I must have one of the later ignitor's, because their isn't room at the bottom for a ballast it appears. The coils are short to begin with, and still come to the top of the housing.