FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Id like some advice on the coil mounting point for an October 1959 FC Sedan. Im pretty sure the engine is the original and given its condition etc I would say thats the case.

My coil mounting position seems to be more in the centre of the side plate however a discussion took place last weekend at a club event. I was told that my coil is mounted in the wrong position, the 58 FC's have the mounting point 1 spark plug hole closer to the distributor. I was wondering if my side plate is a bodgy one of an FB or the like or perhaps the later model FC's were in fact fitted like that. I have attached a pic of a side plate where I am told the coil mounting bracket should be for an FC

Any thoughts or advice much appreciated.

Rod.

(https://s8.postimg.org/v276l5h2p/WP_20171115_19_52_19_Pro.jpg) ($2)

Mine is original and the coil is mounted between #3 and #4 spark plug with 1 being the front.

Keith

Yes Keith, thats exactly where mine is. Is yours a late 59 a 58 ? There must be a common mounting point surley?

Rod

I have a 58 FE with the original engine and it has the mounting between 4 & 5
I also have an FB engine that is also between 4 & 5

I have seen FC's with the mounting between 3 & 4 also. Not sure what years they were

Maybe it was different companys that made them

Seems quite random. Mine is between 3 & 4. The engine number is in the FB range.

I find it quite interesting that there seems to be so much variation even just etween those of us who have contributed to this thread. I just wonder if there was a standard mounting point.

Rod.

People inverting the ignition coil because the red motor ignition coil kit coil lead can be too short is the problem .

I have a late 59 sedan & it is mounted between 3 & 4.
Cheers
John

Mine is a September 59 with the original engine.

Keith

This hasn't helped much at all, in fact its confused me all the more. So much variation in a simple mounting point. Seems like it was either pot luck as to where the mounting point was or lots of us have bodgy side plates. Somehow I don't think its bodgy side plates but how does a car go down a production line and one have its coil mounted in one area and then the next car in a different spot. It doesn't seem possible? If Holden were actually changing the side plate mounting point from car to car it amazes me they didnt go bust way earlier.

I wonder if this phenomenon occurred with the humpies and the FB and EK models?

Rod.

My 'october '58 FC , original engine, has the coil mounted between 3 & 4 plugs. Likewise my two FB engines have the coils mounted between 3 & 4! Fraze

My original October '59 FC has the coil between 3 and 4.
However, the FE workshop manual (p. 4) and the May 58 FC supplement (P. 4) both show it between 4 and 5.
Ellery's manual front page and some other pages have it between 3 and 4, but is from a later model, EK/EJ.
So it is most certain the position was changed during FC production, but exactly what date is unclear.
Thrown into the mix is the fact that when small changes such as this occurred, the overlap was a bit haphazard and some times took more than a month or two.
Another interesting point is that in every photo I dug up, the coil position was 3-4 on motors with paper air filters, but 4-5 on motors with oil bath air cleaners.
The date of change to paper filters is well documented as September '59, so there's another thought.
Anyway, you can guarantee that a late FC coil would be between 3 and 4.
By the way, Ol' Mate tells me the change was made to give better clearance and access to the vacuum pipe/diaphragm on the distributor. (not verified)

Prof.

Thank you prof, most enlightening and makes a lot of sense now. Just goes to show you huw subtle the changes were btwn the late 59 models and the earlier FC's.

Ill leave my side plate the way it is then.

Regards Rod.

You can't read too much into the workshop and master parts catalogue images, they used to recycle the same images over and over. The exploded view of the engine is exactly the same in every edition I've got, FE, FC, FB, EK, EJ and the 48-HR MPC.

The FE was the first grey with the coil mounted on the sideplate - 48s and FJs had it located on the firewall. It was mounted between 4 & 5, and on early FEs it was not uncommon for them to break - the original bracket wasn't strong enough. My September 56 FE is like this, and the original owner re-mounted the coil on the firewall like an FJ, and I've left it there. It's the original engine, and the sideplate is also the original one, with the top of the bracket snapped off.

So they were first beefed up a bit, and later the bracket moved to between 3 and 4. This was done in August 1958, at engine number L491233. So all FEs should have the bracket between 4 and 5, and the majority of FCs have it between 3 and 4. All FB, EK, EJ have it between 3 & 4, obviously.

cheers
RET

Thanks RET that ties it down to a month and even an engine number :) Basically means the FC was the only model to have both.
Great job, I knew there must be some sort of rhyme or reason to it. It really is amazing how many variables there are on one model.

Much appreciated

Rod.