[Healeys] Stalling Problem

Bob Spidell bspidell at comcast.net
Fri Jun 5 15:56:59 MDT 2009


Actually, the cutoff switch opens the circuit to the coil when the switch is in the ON position (allowing the points to switch the current to ground). In the OFF position, the switch grounds the primary circuit, which shorts the current to the coil and prevents spark. 

When I installed a Pertronix, I reversed the coil lead on the cutoff switch to ground the circuit in the ON position, and open it in the OFF position, preserving the rudimentary anti-theft 'device.' 


bs 



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "BJ8 Healeys" <sbyers at ec.rr.com> 
To: healeys at autox.team.net 
Sent: Friday, June 5, 2009 2:14:21 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific 
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Stalling Problem 

Hi, Bob - 

The white/black wire from the battery cutoff switch to the coil is intended 
to permanently ground the coil when the switch is turned ON to prevent the 
car from being started (as by hot-wiring). The cutoff switch is notorious 
for failing internally and grounding the coil through the wire without the 
switch actually being turned on (happened to me in Lake Tahoe at Open Roads 
'02). 

I think what was said earlier about the fix is slightly in error. The 
white/black wire has to be disconnected at the CUTOFF SWITCH (not the coil). 
Because the wire from the switch shares the same connector at the coil as 
the white/black wire that goes to the distributor, disconnecting the wire at 
the coil will also remove the ground the coil gets through the points and 
the car won't run. 

By the way, the last time I adjusted my valves I suddenly lost all power to 
the car -- nothing worked. I had been using the button on the back of the 
starter relay to turn the engine. Eventually, I discovered that the cutoff 
switch had another internal failure mode: it removed the battery ground 
without being touched. 

Steve Byers 
HBJ8L/36666 
BJ8 Registry 
Havelock, NC USA 


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