[Ben Stevens]

Tim: Seriously, l think re-siting the coil on the bulkhead would help – as does a big ‘puller’ electrical fan behind the rad. I’ve done both on my car. I have on several occasions over the past seven years, had ‘failure to proceed’ issues, and they’re generally a mixture of fuelling, overheating/suspected fuel vaporisation, and electrical and electronic gremlins.????

Mark: I had that hot coil bother and also condenser bother. Coil on bulkhead plus a rally car condenser, Shacktune I think, seemed to sort it.
Also a firm that makes comp HT leads said those metal tubes for HT leads along the top of the motor are crazy, ie tracking and weird stuff. So I put mine in rubber water pipes.

Dom: Yes, I tended to move the coil to the inner wing on previous MK2 Jags – it’s sits just in front of the mad hot cam covers. Thanks for all the good advice. I was wondering about electronic ignition also. Have fitted a pertronix unit before although I always used to swear by points (as you can easily fix things and carry spares) but that dizzy is in a really inaccessible spot isn’t it (if in a roadside situation).

Mike: Dom, if your coil is oil filled for cooling I have heard it’s best mounted vertically so the oil covers the windings. Powerspark sell a “potted” coil that can be mounted horizontally.
Whilst you a fiddling with the dizzy it’s best to remove the condensor from the dizzy and mount a more modern one e.g. from a Contina MK1 on the CB or +( if your electrics are positive earth) terminal of the coil. It’s essential the case mounting of the condenser be earthed.

Charles: Hello Dom, fit the Petronix electronic unit, it just replaces the points and also fit the coil associated with the points . Move your coil to the inner wing area just back from the radiator. You will get some cool air that bleeds it’s way up up the top left had side of the nose cone. If you go the electronic ignition route up grade the spark plug cables as the electronic ignition puts out about 50kv to the plugs, so it will ring any weaknesses and could track across . Also make sure you have a good distribution cap for the same reason. What l have described is on my M type . As others have said a coil on top of the engine is no a good idea. Kind regards Charles

Mark: Welcome Dom to the Allard wish: “Stay cool man”.

Mike: Dom, Mark got fed up with dizzy problems on his Ballamy so gifted a Lumintion system.

James: I found that when my coil kept getting hot and failing on my L Type it was because the voltage regulator was faulty and was putting to much voltage into the coil. After I changed the voltage regulator I have not had the problem again. I now have an alternator with a build in voltage regulator. The condenser is not in the distributor and is mounted next to the coil beside the radiator. I have not had coil or condenser since.
The J1 has a Stromburg electronic distributor which works very well

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