Coil covers - repair possible?

[stjon]

Hi all - I'm finding it impossible to obtain affordable replacement coils in the UK for my 1965 Johnson Seahorse 18hp. The outer covers are badly deteriorated but I was wondering if it's possible to 'recoat' the outer with something that would protect the coil from damp eg some form of silicone? Has anyone seen this done before?

Steve

 

[durban]

Re: Coil covers - repair possible?

here is the solution for you , just piant it on , will work wonders
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=530630&highlight=durbans+epoxy

 

[Blacksting]

Re: Coil covers - repair possible?

i once filled a crack with silicone on a coil for my ford van . worked like a charm .

 

[stjon]

Re: Coil covers - repair possible?

Yet again you great people have helped a newbie. Thankyou so much!

Steve

 

[nwcove]

Re: Coil covers - repair possible?

Its worth a try.....but in most cases of those old coils being cracked, the internal windings are also damaged.

 

[stjon]

Re: Coil covers - repair possible?

Well I did have a good spark on one plug so I'm crossing my fingers! I'm assuming I can just smear on the silicone sealant to fill the cracks - I can't damage the windings if I put too much on?

 

[boobie]

Re: Coil covers - repair possible?

IMHO I think you just have a bad coil. Have you tried to swap coils to prove it's bad ??

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: Coil covers - repair possible?

Trying to fix these coils, is not worth the effort. It's best to just replace them and you won't have to do it again. When the coating goes bad, often times, they arc out on the mag plate and the windings get damaged. The coating on the newer coils is so much better than the originals.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: Coil covers - repair possible?

I would think you can still get coils in the UK, too. Heck, if you can't find them there, PM me and I'll get you a set and ship them...

 

[stjon]

Re: Coil covers - repair possible?

Thankyou for that kind offer Chinewalker - I may just get back to you! In the meantime I've bought a digital multimeter and I am going to check for continuity on the coil windings. I am assuming there is no safety cutout device on my 1965 Seahorse 18hp - eg will it only start in neutral? Also I disconnected the kill switch wires to remove the stator plate - when putting it back together I may have crossed them over - does it matter which way round the wires are connected to the kill switch?

 

[lindy46]

Re: Coil covers - repair possible?

Kill switch wires - doesn't matter how they're connected. They just ground the points together.

 

[stjon]

Re: Coil covers - repair possible?

Thankyou lindy46! I've now got a coil removed and it appears to be dead - no response from multimeter when checking secondary coil, and I'm ordering a pair from US - still a lot cheaper than if delivered from the UK! I was surprised to see that the plug lead was just a push fit onto the spike inside the coil - couldn't this lead to poor connection?

 

[kbait]

Re: Coil covers - repair possible?

Replacement should have a spike like a screw end.. you twist the plug wire in for positive connection. If re-using your plug wires, cut 1/2" off the coil end before installing to coil.

Good luck!

 

[kodibass]

Re: Coil covers - repair possible?

There is a product I got from the hardware store called plasti-dip its made by performix,,its for dipping tools to give them a rubberized handle, I used it on a old mercury 7.5 coil that had a cracked case and was arching, It worked well and was even the original red in color. it comes in a few colors, I was not going to spend much on this old merc just wanted to see if it might fix the problem, it did and it looked nice to boot. I have since used this product for other marine electrical insulating applications with good results. good luck

 

[stjon]

Re: Coil covers - repair possible?

Thanks Kodibass - I actually tried coating the old coils in a silicone sealant and they didn't look too bad, but I had a feeling they were never going to be good anyway, and the multimeter proved that to be true. I am loving this learning process and the confidence that comes from the support offered by so many well informed and helpful people. Really excited - can't wait for my US coils to arrive!