testing 6 volt coil

[68bagger]

I have a 61 Panhead with two 6 volt coils. Is there a way to bench test them?
Thanks, Scott

[Rooster]

I have a 61 Panhead with two 6 volt coils. Is there a way to bench test them? Thanks, Scott

Why Yes, yes there is. Straight out of the Panhead Service Manual.............




Since I'm just a simple-minded farm boy, I drew myself a simplified diagram....................




.... got together the items I would need.......




......and ran the timer as long as the 18v cordless drill would run.




Then I popped a fresh battery in, and ran it until it was dead, too. A total of about 44 minutes. My thinking was, that since coils usually don't fail until they are run hard and hot for awhile, I tried to simulate that on the bench. The coil never did get warm, so I don't think a bench test will effectively test for breakdown under load. I tested a boxful of coils, and noticed that some produced a nice bright blue spark, more so than others. Since this bench test was just for my own use and information, I notated the condition of each coil and put them back in the box until such time in the future I can properly restore them.

But that's just me........

[68bagger]

thanks Rooster. that's just what I needed.
Scott