LaSalle coil

[tturley]

I have a 1940 LaSalle and was going to get an extra ignition coil to carry with me.
After checking out existing coil If is different than any I have experienced. The wire from the ignition switch apparently connects through the firewall and to the bottom of the coil, the top of the coil only has two wires that both go to the distributors one plug type wire to center of cap and the other to the points. I can find 6 volt coils but nothing like this.
Anybody convert to more conventional setup? Or know if original style is available?

Any help is appreciated

[John Washburn CLC 1067 Sadly deceased.]

Tom,

This is a murky area with lots of opinions.

What I know is that your coil is a positive ground coil -NOT the negative ground coil that became ubiquitous after WWII.

You can find these coils, as you describe them, on e-bay if you are persistent. But you need to find the positive ground coil.

If you use a newer coil with the two posts on the bottom with the coil wire for emergency it will work if hooked up as a positive ground. As to overall use of a new 6 Volt Coil that is up for discussion and would take a lot of time to examine on this board.

I did do an article on these coils in the SS some years ago, but not sure I got it exactly right. The point is the voltage to the spark plugs is what counts. But it is a lot more involved than that.

The Johnny

[tturley]

Napa stocks 6 volt coils and I thought a coil did not care about polarity, but electrical is not my strong suit.
How is the wire connected from the ignition switch to the coil ? It looks like there is some kind of a band around the coil.

[John Washburn CLC 1067 Sadly deceased.]

Take a look at your shop manual it explains how the coil is hooked up and how to take it apart. Best place to start.

If you don't have one my suggestion is to get one.

The Johnny

[Bill Ingler #7799]

Tom: The 40 LaSalle takes a Delco 1115128 which is a positive ground coil. This Delco 1115128 coil is one of the  hardest coils to find so go to this web site which is Atwater Kent. They are reproducing the 6 volt positive ground coil. Negative current flows from the battery to the ignition switch, then still negative flow from the ignition switch out through the armored cable to the bottom of the single post on the bottom of the positive ground coil. Then the current flow goes through the coil and comes out of the single post(positive) on top of the coil.From this post, the positive flow then goes to the distributor.

  http://www.mykmlifestyle.com/Cadillac_Ignition_Coil_C5PR.html

[tturley]

John-I do have a shop manual but it is kinda vague.

Bill- thanks for the info
I did not see a 1940 listed but sent them an email

[Steve Passmore]

John-I do have a shop manual but it is kinda vague.

Bill- thanks for the info
I did not see a 1940 listed but sent them an email

Tom, the link Bill posted did show Cadillac 36 to 42!   Strange that these should be so hard to find? I have three, and have even offered them on this forum without takers?

[Bill Ingler #7799]

Tom: Here is the listing for the Atwater Kent 1940 LaSalle coil. Scroll down and you will see the coil for your car.
http://www.mykmlifestyle.com/Cadillac_Ignition_Coil_C5PR.html

Steve: When I said hard to find I am referring to a NOS 1115128 still in the box. Yes I have seen used positive ground coils but not NOS Delco. Also a NOS Delco coil for the 46-47 appears on ebay once in a while but for how long before they are all gone? The NOS 46-47 Delco coil is negative ground and carries a Delco box number of 1911441 or 1915427. Inside both will be a coil with 1115351 on the side of the coil. Delco 1115126 was also used on the 1946.    Bill

[Steve Passmore]

Sorry Bill, I was not under the impression that Tom was after an authentically correct NOS coil, bourne out by the fact that he was asking about a more modern setup.  I have a good used one that could help him out.  I also have what I think is a NOS without any box but it's slightly longer than the norm.
It was fitted in the 80's to my 1936 series 70 during it's restoration but never run on it. Number is 1115401. See picture.  Can you identify it Bill?

For Toms benefit I have in the past converted to a modern coil keeping the authentic look. Most modern coils will fit up into the security cap of the old one. If you carefully extend the wire in the armoured cable by 6" its possible to hide it behind the coil and connect it to the second terminal with the new coil hanging upside down.

[tturley]

Thanks guys for all the good info. I have a call in to Atwater and waiting for a call back.
I am not familiar with this type of coil. The service manual says to use a special tool to remove cover but of course I don't have one. How do I do it without tool?

[Bill Ingler #7799]

Tom: Not too difficult and here is the procedure from the Delco-Remy book. A word of caution. If your car retains the original ignition switch, armored casing to the coil cap and unless that wire from the ignition switch, inside the armored casing to the coil, has been changed, then you are looking at a wire that is 75 plus years old. So any time that you handle that switch, armored cable to coil cap, you might have the insulation around that wire break apart. So if that happens then bare wire against the metal casing means a dead short. That you don`t want so the best thing is too put in a new wire from switch to coil.  Bill

[tturley]

Thanks for the info again. I spoke with Atwater and they do have a coil but kinda pricy $165.
I ordered one.

How do I replace the wire in armored cable.

[tturley]

Looks like you should be able to unlock the I cover with a very narrow putty knife

[Classic]

A narrow putty knife may work.  I have had luck using a 0.015" feeler gauge.

[tturley]

Thanks
I will use a feller gauge

[Bill Ingler #7799]

Steve: Back to your question to identify 1115401, I can`t. I too have the coil as you see in the picture below. 1115401 as well as 1115351 are negative ground coils. 1115351 is used on a 46-47 Cadillac. Differences between the two coils is the stud on the 1115401 for the ignition wire is 1/4 inch longer than the stud on 1115351. The other differences, beside the number on the side of the coil, are very small numbers on the top of the coil. the number 103 on the 1115351 coil and 100 on 1115401. What is the meaning of the numbers? Why the longer stud on 1115401? Could this be used when a ignition condenser is attached as shown in picture below? Hope you have some answers.  Bill

[Steve Passmore]

Yes, more answers than I had before Bill. Thanks.

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

Get in your National Directory and give Marty Watkins in PA a shout. He is a specialist in re-wiring the armored cable.

[tturley]

Thank you all for the great info.