Re: Chrysler Model: 1057HA Serial: 1028 / 105HP
Well, Pedro, That's an old puppy you have there. Someplace in the 1960s if I were to guess. Please note that your photo shows that it is not the original coil mount or wiring. Sometime in the past, the Italian coil was installed and the wiring changed.
First, before assuming the coil is bad do a couple of other checks.
First: Check the plugs to be sure they are clean and capable of firing.
Second: Check the plug wires to be sure they are not broken
Third: Check the wiring to the coil to be sure it will deliver power to the coil.
Fourth: Remove the distributor cover and check the points. Be sure they are clean and not worn or oxidized. Be sure they are set to .010 inch (someplace around .025 mm) opening at the top of a cam lobe. Be sure the condenser wire is not broken or disconnected and be sure the condenser itself is working and not shorted.
Two screws hold on the distributor cover. Note that the edge of the cover has a locating hole and the body of the distributor has a mating pin. The cap can only go on one way. Oh, Yeah! Check the center electrode in the distributor cap to be sure it is still spring loaded, not broken, and not worn to the point where it will not contact the rotor.
Once all these check out, then the next thing to check is the wiring from the ignition switch. Be sure that when the switch is turned on, that there is 12 volts power to the "I" or IGN" terminal on the back of the switch and there is 12 volts of power to the engine terminal that services the coil. (should be the blue wire connected to the wire to the coil + terminal.) If I remember correctly, with the switch on, there should be power directly to the coil + terminal. - terminal goes to the points. When the points are closed, the coil has power and a magnetic field builds up. When the points open, no current flows, the magnetic field collapses and the coil fires a high voltage spark. The condenser serves to keep the points from arcing (burning and pitting)
Now, if all these check out and you are getting voltage to the coil, and the ground or negative from the coil to the points is ok, then the coil is suspect.
If you replace the coil, you can use a regular auto coil, but for longest life either put a dropping resistor in series with the coil so it only gets 9 volts OR buy a 12 volt coil. (Because a car battery drops from 12 to 9 volts while cranking, for maximum spark, a regular car coil is 9 volts with an external resistor added for running after the engine starts.)
