Makes sense, the 49 - 59 pass car illustration and text catalog I got for 55 - 56 shows on cars the coil mounted horizontal with he coil terminals in the 5 & 7 o'clock position mounted on the bottom.

How ever on my 78 though the coil is mounted horizontal a cheap napa brand cost bout $20 and the terminals are at the top and I have had it on the car since 2005 and never had a problem with it. I have ran the thing up to 200* (sitting in traffic during summer) before and the engine ran just as good.

I would have to say look into getting a restoration ignition coil for your exact year/make/model and try that, lots of these coils you buy from auto partstores are universal and designed to fit multiple vehicles. Might have one that also works on a electronic or a 12 volt or even a dual points dist setup.

I know I kept burning points on my other car after I went to a new MSD Blaster II after I told them the part house I need the hottest breaker point coil they had they gave me that and come to find out that is for electronic. Found that out after I told the vender off that made the harness I bought cause there were problems. So now I have a Mallory Breaker point coil from summit to put inplace of it.

But enough rambling on though I would recomend trying a reproduction coil if this one goes out like the others.

 

Ross,I have the plugs gaped at .030" (216 Autolites)Would this make a lot of difference?

 

It won't help, it makes the coil work harder. A larger gap does no good, either, on a stock engine.

 

I would agree, a larger gap is usually found on low compression economy engines (mine are gapped at 0.050" and its a 8.5:1 compression 351w from 78). Closer gaps are used on higher compression engines (compression tends to "blow" the spark out on wide gaps is how I have heard it explained) but larger gap requires more voltage which a breaker points dist wouldnt give especially a 6 volt single point dist. A 6 volt dual points would probably provide enough spark that a 12 volt single points coil would but I would say if the engine is stock go with what stock gaps are supposed to be.

 

We have went through 3 coils from NAPA in the last 2 weeks on a stationary irrigation engine. The new coils are definitely junk. Finally found an old one on the shelf in the shop and it has outlasted the others and is still going. Pretty sad when you can't even buy a simple coil that isn't made offshore!!

 

It is, you would think they would be better than the orignal coils since they have better materials and technology now but doent work. Maybe thats why my coil is still lasting cause it says "Made in the USA" on it.

But on the reproduction coil I was looking at for my 292 I dont even know if he mustard top one I am looking at for $50 - $60 is even made in the US.

 

Ya caught me - read the post and was still thinking 12 volt conversion - been talking about that alot in other posts lately.

DOY!

Try the Flamethrower if you loose another one.

 

Check the voltage regulator. The contacts may be stuck thus frying the coil. If thats the case more stuff will fail.