is it the coil?

[waynos]

hey guys i just wanna drive to nostalgia drags
next week
i have been playin with a holley for months
i gave up and bought a weber and manifold off ebay
the weber runs worse
ihave thought for a long time that its electrical but everyone has told me otherwise
IS IT THE COIL?i will buy one on thursday when  i can afford it
it is the only thing i havent replaced
it bogs down under load badly
any info on bad coils would be appreciated
thanks
ps my understanding of coils is they stuff up when they get hot
my question is can they be a bastard when they are old and cold?

[FC427]

In my 35+ years around car have only had 2 fail one had no spark at all just died the other would miss fire under load hot or cold..... see you at the drags Sunday .......FC427........

[mcl1959]

I have only ever had one coil die - it stopped when it got hot and would run again when it got cooler.
I wouldn't think it was your coil - try a s/h first.
What sort of leads do you have on the car?

Ken

[FX1975]

This may be a timing problem, ensure your vaccum lines are tight and that your timing is correct and as Ken mentioned you have the correct leads and they are in good order.  Also check that your muffler isn't collapsed internally as this will restrict your motors ability to breathe-no use putting alot in one end if it can't get out the other.

                                               Hope this helps
                                                          Frank

[simins]

check coil and plug leads these can cause troubles under load and also plugs
                           all the best Simon Addison
  P.S. plug gaps and point gaps

[waynos]

thanks as always you guys are all legends
ok i have new leads, no points(commodore dizzy),
it was running heaps better ages ago,its has got to the point where it now will start but as soon as i put it under load it dies
i drove it from nowra to sydney somehow on new years day(3 hour drive)it was a gamble cause it wasn't really runnin properly, but i made it
i have it at my work now and have to move it in and out of the workshop every day and today it wouldn't start
drove it in off the starter motor(just)dont know what im gonna do tomorrow
but thanks fc427 your answer gives me some hope.
i havent got new plugs but if it was them it would only run rough .it wouldn't  be just dying as soon as ya put ya foot down hey?
the last few weeks has got worse trying everything every mechanic i have talked to has told me to try
except the flaming coil i kept saying to them all
haha i gotta laugh or i am gonna cry

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

The muffler idea is a good one, we had similar symptoms to yours when the Cat Convertor collapsed on our Tarago, it would start and run then lose power and hesitate under load eventually it got to the point where we were lucky to get it to idle. Get someone to put their hand over the exhaust while you crank it over, you should be getting some pressure from cranking.
If it's not that can you borrow a Standard carb and manifold to test?

[KFH]

Many hears ago when driving my Bedford panel van, identical to Vauxhall Viva, the vehicle suddenly lost power.  It would idle, just, but was totally undrivable because of lack of power.  A listen to the exhaust note told me something was wrong in the exhaust system.  To get home I loosened the exhaust flange at the manifold.  A baffle plate had come adrift in the muffler blocking off the exhaust system. New muffler restored its mighty power.

Keith

[waynos]

i bought a new coil yesterday,but  repco gave me wrong one,took it back and 1/2 an hour later,  the bosch book came out and i couldn't find the thing at all.got fed up as usual,so  today went to pick and payless (wreckers) and found out it is from a vh commondore.
i'll try it tomorrow.
thank god for wreckers ya can walk around and have a look.these are dying rapidly.
its a shame, but we are now in a throw away world



ps.  the exhaust is definately free flowin