QuestionQUESTION: Hello, am English living in France I purchased a 1969 MGB from Miami and the ignition was changed to Electronic Allison XR700 with this their is a Borg Warner 12 volt Coil made in the USA used without resistance Where can I buy a new coil and if the Allison breaks down where can I buy a new one to suit the car I purchase my parts from MGB Hive haven't asked them for the moment if they have them, but your advice would be helpful
Thank you
David
ANSWER: Hi David. If you have an aftermarket electronic ignition and a 12 volt coil, and they are both working, then I would not change anything.
If the coil fails, you can fit the standard Lucas coil which is available from the MGB Hive under part number GCL110.
If the Allison unit fails, I would recommend that you contact Aldon Automotive, who sell an electronic ignition kit called an Aldon Igniter. They can also supply a special coil to go with it. In the USA, this system is known as a Pertronix Igniter. The MGB Hive sell the Magnatronic system, but I have no experience of it.
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QUESTION: Hello I changed the old coil which still work but!!!!!! for a Lucas coil purchased from MGB Hive and it was that that caused the problem as the original coil still worked but as old thought had better change the Lucas coil to my knowlege requires a resistor which is not required with the Borg warner so it overheated and have put back the original coil but very old so
Am I wrong is the GCL110 coil good or does it require a resitor
Thank you for your help.
If you need any help am 64 came to France 33 years ago am and expert inMarketing Human relations Antique furniture and the French administrative system.
David
ANSWER: You should not use a ballast resistor coil on a 1969 MGB.
I checked the MGB Hive catalogue, and they sell two different coils:
1) GCL110 is a standard 12 volt coil. If you have this coil, it should work OK in your MGB without a ballast resistor.
2) GCL111 is a ballast-resistor coil. If you have this coil, do not use it on your MGB.
You can test your coil if you have a digital Ohm-meter. A 12 volt coil will have a resistance of about 3 to 3.5 ohms, whereas a ballasted coil will have a resistance of about 2 ohms.
By the way, an Allison electronic ignition system would be very old. They were bought out by Crane many years ago. I would be suspicious of the reliability of an old after-market system such as this.
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ignition
QUESTION: I put the Lucas coil on and it heats up tremendously then the ùotor cut out so as I said said returned the old coil and all works well but for how long thats why I asked an expert I want to buy a new coil but which.
2nd question when I turn on the ignition the rev counter jumps up heigh presume short circuit somewhere
When I start the car runs normally why ?
AnswerI think the problem that you have is due to the aftermarket electronic ignition system that has been fitted. Some systems require a special coil. I do not claim to be an expert in aftermarket ignition systems, but I am aware that some require a special coil with a very low resistance and if you fit a standard coil it will overheat and may even burn out.
Test the Borg Warner coil with a digital voltmeter. My guess is it will have a resistance of less than 1 ohm. If this is the case, then any coil that you fit with this system must also have a similarly low resistance.
Aldon sell a `flamethrower' coil specially designed to work with electronic ignition systems.
However, whether it is compatible with your Allison system, I have no idea. That is the trouble with old aftermarket systems that are no longer marketed.
I guess my advice to you is: If it works, leave it alone. If it stops working, throw it away and fit an Aldon Igniter and an Aldon Flamethrower instead.
As regards your rev counter, it is designed to count the pulses from a set of points. You have an aftermarket electronic ignition system, which probably generates a spurious signal when it is first switched on.
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Aldon's website is at: http://www.aldonauto.co.uk/
